I have no idea how to choose paint

[Szerelem]

I'm booting STBXH out 😀

I'm going to sell the house but some of the paintwork desperately needs touching up.

How do I work out the right paint to buy? It is bog standard white and there is none left in the garage to match with.

Use AI describe your furniture, curtains, couches, bedding, rugs, flooring, artwork. I like Copilot, but there are lots of options ChatGPT etc.

Basically just go for any matt white interior paint if you want it to be the same. Gloss is for stairs and woodwork, satin for paint that looks a bit shiny (but it's very unforgiving).

Oh sorry just saw you are booting STBEH out. Take photos of the rooms and ask AI even easier. I think it will be good for you to have fresh surroundings, spring new beginnings. Well done I'm happy for you.

Dulux white is standard. But, paint can fade and change tone over time.

Hi @Szerelem,
Sorry about the situation with the STBXH... In terms of the house, I wouldn't worry too much about it. The more neutral, the better. Bog-standard matt white will be more than fine. Whoever will buy your house, will surely want to make it their own, so there is a good chance they would paint over it anyway. As long as it looks clean and inviting, it will be fine.
Sok sikert!

Thank you everyone for replying.

@LadyGaGasPokerFace , the fading bit is what is bothering me, I'm worried there will be a kind of new looking patch.

@exhaustDAD yep, the clean bit is bothering me. I've scrubbed it with bleach but anything more just feels like effort and I can't be bothered. Hence the paint idea.

This. If you don’t fancy AI or chat gbt answers most diy stores have helpful staff who will advise you.

Just buy a bog standard white Matt emulsion and a white eggshell. However you will need to repaint all walls and woodwork( if you touch up with a different paint it will show).So a big job, maybe just prioritise the rooms that are the worst.
You could also try cleaning any dirty paintwork with elbow grease spray.

Oh bloody hell.

I thought I could just dab at it with a paintbrush tbh.

I'll try the spray, thank you.

@Szerelem I’ve just twigged at your username 🇭🇺

Woah now. If the woodwork is just dirty, you can wash it down, don't bother repainting. Just soapy water and an ecloth. The walls though, you can't really just touch up a patch, it shows. But painting the walls in a single room can be quicker than you think. You might even get away with just painting one wall. A ready mixed sugar soap will get off the worst grubby marks before you paint. It's pretty strong stuff but not as bad as bleach for lightening the colour.
You just want it more presentable, it doesn't need to be perfect.

If you're selling anyway just do the whole lot in a slightly warm white (Dulux Timeless is pretty inoffensive and my "I cant be arsed to think about this" option). That said, when we sold our last house I got a decorator just to do all the walls in trade white paint (it had beach house vibes so didn't look cold). It looked fresh and neutral and the house sold quickly.

Agree with Dulux timeless, it doesn't scare my DH and he is pretty scared of colour! (And it's not magnolia.)

I have one exactly the same. He would have the whole house painted in magnolia if it was left to him.

The good news is OP that it’s Easter and that usually means that there are some good offers on paint. Just don’t try and buy it in Sunday as they won’t be open!

Have you got a DFriend who might help you with the painting? They will probably be happy to see the back of him and will be only too happy to spend some time with you?