The first step in choosing an exterior paint color is to determine whether you are restricted in your choices by, for example, your homeowner's association or, if your home is a historical site, by your city or township. If your selection process will be guided by these advisories, you may be required to obtain approval prior to commencing work, in which case we recommend that you begin your color selection process early and allow plenty of time for inspections and to obtain your necessary authorizations. However, the process may be much simpler for you--you may be at liberty to choose from a full spectrum of color and, if so, where do you begin?

One approach is to decide whether you want to root your choice in ambiance or architecture. If you are leaning toward ambiance, there are lots of ways to get help from your surroundings. If you live in an area defined by nature, try an organic approach to selecting exterior paint color by choosing colors that blend with your environment. For example, is your home in a forest? Consider using colors from a palette of greens and browns. If nature doesn't appeal or pertain, maybe there is a visually unifying color scheme in your neighborhood. If so, contemplate selecting your exterior colors from among those colors. Visual unity is not only pleasing to the eye, it is emotionally comforting. In addition, the appraisal value for your home will often be higher if your exterior colors blend with or compliment your neighborhood color scheme.

Choosing exterior colors by architectural style

Perhaps you prefer an architectural approach to color selection. Each of the following architectural styles evokes colors associated with certain periods and locations: Bungalow, Arts and Crafts, Spanish Mission, Mediterranean, Eickler, Victorian, French Provincial, Modern, Colonial, Tudor. Whether your goal for your choice of paint color is a historical restoration or simply to accentuate your home's best features, try consulting the many reference books available to guide you through the choices of authentic or recommended colors, depending on your periord and style. This can be fun, educational, and a great topic of conversation for family and neighbors. During the color selection process, do be sure to take into consideration features of your home that are adjacent to your exterior walls and trim, for example, the color of your roof shingles, an adjoining stained or painted deck, or a nearby retaining wall that might or might not be compatible with your choie of wall and trim colors. Additionally be aware of how sunlight will interact with your choice of paint color. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight should factor into your choice, as it will affect the life of a paint job. In situations where this occurs, a lighter color will fare better than a dark one, which will fade and discolor more quickly.

Planning to Sell?

If you are planning to sell your primary home, vacation home, rental or other investment propery and want to raise your property's appraisal value without attracting the attention of the local assessor's office (as a remodel would,) here are some tips to help you gain an advantage. Interior painting and exterior painting are two improvements that deliver a significant Return on Investment (ROI,) according to a recent national survey of realtors. The survey of 2,000 realtors conducted by HomeGain treated interior and exterior painting as two separate investment items. Each made the top 10 list of home improvements which resulted in a high ROI, and each was estimated to produce a one hundred fifty percent return on investment. The survey results, released in January of 2008, indicated that investing between $5,000 and $8,000 on improvements can increase a home's value by $20,000 or more. Those figures are likely to fluctuate somewhat depending on the market but the fact that painting is profitable, in the experience of many realtors, remains unchanged. Moreover, a professional paint job can be relatively inexpensive. Depending on the size of your home, an interior paint job could range from $3,000 and up; an exterior could cost as little as $1,500. The HomeGain survey also revealed that "lightening and brightening" the appearance of a home delivers in excess of a 400 pecent ROI. When you invest your improvement dollars in painting, consider choosing a light color for your pre-market property. An additional benefit of a light color is that your house will appear larger than when painted in a dark color. HomeGain is a website that facilitates connections between real estate agents and brokers, and home buyers and sellers. The results of HomeGain's survey could be advantageously applied by a shrewd buyer to add immedate equity and visual appeal to an acquired property, after making any necessary structural repairs.

Local Licensed Painting Contractor

Vedder Painting is a licensed painting contractor working in Aptos, Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, San Lorenzo Valley, Felton, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek, Saratoga, Los Gatos and Los Gatos Hills.

Call today for a free consultation and bid: 831.338.8080

Power-washing is a low-budget alternative to painting. If you are planning to put to put your house on the market but want to keep your expenditures to a minimum, power-washing could be a viable alternative if the existing paint is in good overall condition. An experienced painter should be able to lift off layers of grime, resulting in a brighter appearance. Hire a licensed, experienced contractor to do your power-washing, as the intense water pressure can otherwise result in pits, tracks and grooves in your siding and wood. Even if you are not planning to sell your home, regular maintenance such as power-washing will protect the life of your paint job by preventing the build-up of grime. We recommend a good power-wash approximately every 18 months.