Best neutral for the whole house?

[Eastwickwitch]

Struggling to sell our empty house, an old cottage.
It does look scruffy and the EA has suggested redecoration.
We're not intending to do the woodwork (currently antique white) or the kitchen units (a yellowy cream)
Cost is an important feature so not F&B/LittleGreene.
Any inspiration welcome. Thanks.

I am about to paint our entire house (1900s converted cow shed) in Dulux Timeless. If cost is most important, you could always go and see what's on offer and pick a neutral off white/cream?

Ive never used F & B but get a local paint company (one the trade use) to mix colours and they can match any F & C colour you fancy in either Dulux or Johnstones which are a lot cheaper. I would go for a neutral off/white colour as well.

I was going to suggest the same thing as bilbodog about specially mixed paints. Just make sure you measure carefully and buy enough to cover every room!

I would go for a light colour to make the place look bigger. Whether you go for a cool or warm depends a bit on the aspect of your house! In a north-facing room, a colour like jasmine white will look bluer and harder than in a south-facing one.

Just had a look, Dulux Timeles in the off white. looks perfect.
Thanks MN.

Timeless even

Recently painted our hall, stairs, landing in Timeless and it's really lovely!

Have used dulux timeless before and it is v good. I also loved Egyptian cotton.

Seconding Timeless and Egyptian Cotton (which is an exact match for Little Greene Paints Lime White).

IMO you need at least two colours to avoid monotony.

Do the hall and landing in one colour, and the rooms leading off them in another. If any of the rooms have rooms leading off them, you can use the first colour again.

Matt emulsion is cheap and does not highlight blemishes in the surface.

If you want to spend extra money, you can have paint mixed to your taste (which might not be the buyer's taste) otherwise buy one of the off-the-shelf colours. Use Matt PBW for the ceilings.

Value-brand paints are cheap and watery so you need extra coats. A major brand will generally cover better so you need less paint and less work.

Don't use Supermatt unless you are painting new plaster that still needs to dry out.

If the walls are dirty (very common above head height and in kitchens) you will need to brush on extra coats because the dirt will make the new paint dirty, or fall off.

So would you say Timeless on stairs & landing, Egyptian Cotton in kitchen & bedrooms & back to Timeless in Sitting room? Ceilings & bathrooms PBW OK?

Just popping onto third Timeless. We have done our new kitchen/diner/snug in this and it looks great. Am planning to do hall, stairs and landing in it next . In fact have already find one hall wall as this was impacted by extension, and it looks a different colour to kitchen due to lighting.

Timeless here too - it's on every wall

I used Hessian in the hall, Calico in the rooms leading off it, Hessian in further rooms, and some kind of pale pink in the bathroom. Dulux paints.

I've been to the builders merchants to have a look. The best value is Magnolia for a job lot, but I think it might put people off.
Johnsons rip off F&B is miles cheaper than Dulux.
What do you think of Slipper Satin in some rooms and Dimity in others?

Crown Snowfall looks like F&B Elephants Breath (which is a mumsnet favourite).

Thanks for all the suggestions for neutrals - I'll be trying Calico and Egyptian Cotton. Eastwickwitch - if you're going for F&B Dimity you might as well use Dulux or Crown Magnolia as they appear the same colour, just cheaper - oh and try using paint pads - so much easier than rollers and you get a nice flat finish - not the distressing cellulite finish that comes with rollers!

We have just put our house on the market and had the whole house painted in Dulux Magnolia. I love it - everything is so light. I am now a big fan of magnolia.

I'd use magnolia on walls and white on ceiling. It's cheap and looks clean and fresh.