To paint, or not to paint? Picking a color for the outside of your home has never been harder with the vast amount of options regarding style or color. As more and more people look to invest in property and make a space “their home”, we see an added need to personalize your home to fit a homeowner’s specific style Not only does updating the exterior of your home with a fresh coat of paint help you make your home your own but painting the outside of your house is important to improve its curb appeal.
There are so many factors to take into consideration when looking to paint the exterior of your home beyond just personal preference. These factors can include HOA restrictions in your community, the material that makes up the exterior walls, your house type, and more. End your frustration and concerns and understand everything that needs to go into picking a paint color for your home exterior.
Homeowners Association Restrictions
HOAs or the Homeowners Associations often have restrictions as to what the outside of a house looks like. These can be strict rules or a little more relaxed suggestions. To make sure your house color will not go against these rules, follow these general guidelines below:
- Look at other houses around you. If they seem to follow one general scheme, assume that you will have to as well.
- Contact your HOA manager for the exact rules and restrictions when it comes to painting the exterior of your house.
- Research the process of getting your project approved.
- Talk to Catalyst Painting. We service Overland Park and might know what your specific HOA restrictions include!
Understand What You Are Working With – Brick Stucco the Wall
Another consideration to factor into your decision is the material of your external walls. You might have an easier material like vinyl or wood siding that would take a much shorter time to paint than a material like brick or stucco. Brick and stucco can be very time-consuming and expensive to paint due to how they take paint and what type of paint is required to make it “stick”.
When painting any home exterior, especially when the exterior is difficult to work with like brick, hiring a painting contractor could be a great benefit to any homeowner with less experience painting or someone who just has limited time. Any new painting project requires cleaning, priming, and multiple coats of the right paint in order to bring your vision to life. Working with a painting contractor is a great resource for those looking to save time and money. Our experts here at Catalyst Painters have the experience needed to complete your home painting project on time and within budget.
As painting is very time-intensive, no matter what material the wall is constructed of. It can take anywhere from 3 to 6 days to paint the entirety of your house. Without the proper tools and materials, it can end up costing you more time and money in the long run than you’d expect. Hiring a contractor such as Catalyst Painting is a quick and easy way to update the outside of your house.
Light or Dark?
The next important question to consider is how dark or light you’d like your house. This goes far beyond just personal preference, there are a lot of things to consider when choosing a color scheme for your home including –
Style of the Home
No house is created equal. In fact, that is what helps create unique features in your neighborhood. With different house styles, some colors work better than others. Light colors with dark trim are typical if your house is a similar aesthetic to a Colonial. Craftsman style, Cottage-style, and Victorian homes tend to boast a variety of colors. Modern houses are often painted in dark, monochromatic palettes. Whether you are looking to branch out and create a unique style outside of your home style or you want to keep with tradition or if you find yourself somewhere in the middle, contact us to help you pick out your house paint.
Home Painting Trend
While you might be tempted to paint your house a certain color, it is important to consider the future. Paint colors follow trends like clothes do. A certain style can become outdated in a matter of years. Popular trends in 2021 tended to be bolder than in years past. Monochromatic schemes of charcoal and black along with vibrant colors have taken over the exterior paint game. These colors and schemes can be too bold and limit curb appeal for potential buyers. It is key to pick a long-lasting style that matches the aesthetic of your home.
Resale Value of the Property
As mentioned above, paint trends can affect the resale value of your home. Many love the matching aesthetic of suburbia, so a stand-alone color might affect those interested in your house. When thinking about your resale value when choosing the paint for your home, consider a common color with accents that match your personality and taste that wouldn’t decrease the value of your home.
General Temperature in Your Area
When painting the exterior of your house a light color, the exterior will reflect more of the sun’s heat compared to painting a dark color. Houses with vinyl siding would benefit from a lighter color due to high temperatures being able to warp the siding and rendering it less effective against the weather.
Current Color of the Home
The current color of your house can affect how you paint. If you are covering up a dark brick with a light color, it will take more time and layers of paint in order to effectively cover the dark color. If you want to keep the brick look, but lighten it up, you can look into brick painting methods like a german schmear or limewash.
Neighborhood Aesthetic
Considering other houses in your neighborhood is necessary as well. Some neighbors might prefer a look of symmetry in other houses around them. Many neighborhoods tend to look similar and vary in either landscaping or house shape. While you won’t need to exactly follow your neighbors, choosing colors in similar palettes or color schemes will provide a general coherence in your neighborhood.
Consider Your Accents
If going all out and committing to a daring color is not your thing, look into making your accents pop. Maintaining a natural brick exterior while painting your front door with a pop of color like teal, red, yellow, or another uncommon color can create an interesting and alluring look. Not sure if you want to go bold with your front door? Other accents that you can choose to paint are shutters, entryways, and windows. Just a small pop of color can bring in a grand amount of curb appeal. However, when painting accents on your house, you should try and avoid features such as gutters or uneven windows as painting these features can bring attention to design flaws.
Plan, Plan, Plan for Your Home Exterior Project
When choosing your house colors, you want to make sure that everything fits together and nothing clashes. Take a few trips to Home Depot or Lowe’s to browse the paint samples in order to find your favorite shades. Either purchase small jars of the paint or take the paint sample cards and apply it to the side of your house. Wait a few days to decide if the colors you chose are something you will enjoy for a long time. See how the dried paint changes on your home and how the light affects the color to ensure you will still love the look.
There are so many things to take under consideration when painting the exterior of your house. It can be a difficult and frustrating process. Consider working with us here at Catalyst Painting and get a quote on the cost and time for your next project! We have been in business for over 15 years and are the best painting contractors in Overland Park!