How long to repaint walls in empty 4-bed house for sale?

[Witchlite]

Hi, I’m about to put my late mother’s property on the market just before Easter. The timeline is pretty tight, but doable.

It’s going to be professionally cleaned before the photos, but they don’t wash the walls. The walls were all newly plastered 3 years ago and painted white - now a bit grubby. The only making good is around the plugs and sockets, where some were never finished properly.

How long (in man days) should it take for a professional to emulsion all the walls in white again- no wood, or ceilings as they’re fine, just the walls. Originally a 3 bed 1930s terrace house, that has been extended to add an extra bedroom and shower room in the loft and extended the kitchen at the back but not a big house. I would want them to mask other surfaces while they work, so I don’t have to clear paint spatters from the floors, windows or sockets etc,

extended kitchen diner
sitting room
A shower room/bathroom on all 3 floors
4 beds
on 3 floors for hall, stairs and landings

I’m trying to work out if we can fit it in after DB moves out. The house will be empty.

Does anyone have an idea?

Short answer is I don't know. I'm just glad you aren't doing it yourself. After my nan moved to a care home, I helped my mum and aunt clear and do up the house for sale. Some real estate said to repaint/others said leave it as is. My aunt was adamant it all needed re-painting. In our case, it was an absolute waste of time and money!

If other things need re-doing in the house, does it even need re-painting? Cleaning the walls might be sufficient. Sorry, no help but a hopeful bump for you.

Why bother ? Would make me think you hiding something?

Nothing else needs doing. it was completely refurbished 3-4 years ago, for my Mum to move into - it was pristine with new everything.

We’re getting paths/patios jetwashed.
Have had electrics/gas serviced.
All fitted appliances cleaned.

The rooms that are empty are great except the walls (grubby) and where some sockets meet the wall (needs poly filling and touching up)

The white walls were supposed to allow my DM to choose which colour she wanted room by room. Unfortunately, her health deteriorated soon after moving in and it didn’t happen.

I don’t think the white will wash well, hence the idea to repaint them. The house is in really good order, but the marked walls gainsay this. That’s why I want them painted.

would newly painted walls really be a red flag?

An 'easy' room like a bedroom or sitting room without fixtures to mask up, cut in edges and work around could easily be painted with a couple of coats in a day. Difficult rooms and awkward spaces like hall/stairs/landing will take longer.

If it was pristine a couple of years ago don't bother. Waste of money. People expect normal wear and tear. A few grubby marks won't make any difference. Fill any obvious gaps, touch them up and get it on the market.

Freshly painted would be an amber flag for me for sure.

I’m really glad I posted. I hadn’t thought about it being a red flag.

I’m going to get someone to sort out round the plugs and sockets and touch up in places then leave it. It may even save some money 🙂

… and deep breath! Went there today and noted that where the room was empty, it highlighted the marks - no furniture to distract the eye. I was tossing it all over in my head during the journey home.

The cleaner, gardener, window cleaner etc booked to be completed before the estate agent comes to do the Epc and photos, but after DB leaves. Then on market for the 2nd April.

I’ve got all the paperwork together already. I just hope the market doesn’t collapse- I’ve noted there have been several price reductions in the area in the last few days..🤞🏻

Another vote for leave it, especially if everything is clean and new. I would wonder why you had wasted time painting, a lived in house isn't going to have immaculate walls. I would then paint over the newly painted walls with the colours and finish I wanted. Seeing freshly painted walls in something where nothing else has been renovated at the same time makes me think of one thing: hiding mould.

I’m about to put my mum’s flat on the market. We’re going to paint it and put new, inexpensive carpets in. I, and the estate agent who valued it for probate, thought it would just look nicer and more appealing to buyers - yes they might want to change things when they bought it, but they wouldn’t HAVE to immediately if they didn’t want to. He suggested a £280k valuation as it stands, but nearer £300k if it had new carpets and was freshly decorated. And I wouldn’t remotely be put off by fresh paint smells in a house! And surely a survey would flag up any mould or damp anyway.

@Witchlite It isn’t any sort of flag! I’d do it because some people really don’t want to decorate and appreciate something well finished. What I would not do is use a very bright white. Use a more muted white. You won’t want Farrow and Ball but look at their “white” varieties and inspiration. It will guide you away from a very bright white. Not sure about time. I would say two days for a large room, 1 for a small one.

@OhDear111 It is currently all F&B All White 2005. It’s a pure white with no bluey tinge or brightener. As I said further up, the idea was that DM would choose her decor when she was ready.

Very similar initial thought to you @Gingercar we’re lucky that despite being a 1930s terrace, it’s in a “good” area in London. So silly money for what it is. There’s not even a whiff of damp. I did it up for DM and added a lot of little extras as gifts. E.g Quooker, underfloor heating, walk in showers with high pressure and good fittings. Indoor/outdoor tiling from the new kitchen to the patio/garden. It was all the things she had said “oh wouldn’t it be nice…” In my naivety, I thought if I repainted the walls, someone could just move their furniture in and that would be a bit of a bonus. I was just not sure if I could fit it in between DB moving out and the photos being taken.

@Blarn the thing is, everything still looks new, apart from the walls, which are marked. The house will not be lived in when it’s on the market, but empty.

Thank you all. Some for and some against. But from @WonkyLeg ‘s comments and a google chat, a 2 man painter team should be able to do it in 5 days. I’m going to sleep on it overnight.

Yeah I wouldn’t bother as the fact the walls might need touching up wouldn’t put off buyers as most buyers want to put their own finishing touches on.

Is probate granted ? It really puts significant numbers of buyers off if not, wait until that's done. Price keenly - the market is likley to slump this year with another round of cost of living increases, inflation and higher borrowing rates. Dont be caught out by risking asking a higher price and getting stuck in a cycle of reductions.

We repainted a house we had previously rented out and were putting up for sale. I am not sure why anyone would say it's a red flag. No one could tell it had been repainted. It didn't smell of paint at all. It just looked fresh.

@Witchlite If you have used F&B, do the same colour again. I know it’s a serviceable non glaring white,

We have a saying “don’t spoil the ship for a ha’peth of tar” and I think this house is a prime example. I’d make the walls look smart because the area and quality of fittings demand it. We also take the view that we want to sell. We don’t want to lose out to someone who has painted the walls! It’s not particularly easy to sell at the moment so make your house the best available for the price point.

Lots of posters are diy enthusiasts and truly won’t care about the paint. I think in good areas of London, people are more discerning and are time poor, so I would get it done.

Thanks everyone for their advice. I am going ahead and painting the walls - I already had someone booked to fix around the sockets. That person, with 2 colleagues, is going to paint the wall's one coat of paint over a Saturday and Sunday (I’ve checked with the 2 neighbours and they are happy with this) so that everything can dry off properly on the Monday before the cleaners come in on the Tuesday.

I’m working on the basis that I would prefer to just plop my furniture down on moving in day and take my time to decorate, without living in someone else’s mess. The house is so close to being “turnkey” it seems silly to not take the extra step.

According to the handyman/painter I got to sort the plugs etc, as it is the same colour, the ceilings are all fine and as he had already quoted and factored in sorting out the sockets/plugs earlier, I’m looking at 6 extra man days plus paint.

The house will be good to go (probate/solicitor all in place) and I will have done everything I possibly can to help it sell.

Now 🤞🏻to find that unicorn buyer who is desperate to move very quickly. 🙂 and has a chain/finances in place.

I went around ours with Vanish spray.

Spray the wall from top down, wipe.

It cleans them just enough.

Takes a bit of work but a weekend should do it for you.