Handyman Says Landlords Shouldn't Go Cheap On Painting
Alright landlords, after a tenant moves out of your property, how often do you end up doing some painting? Maybe not a full paint, but at least some touch-up painting. As a handyman, I see it a lot, and I'm talking nearly almost all move-outs.
In my experience with landlords smarter than I, the landlord will have us paint the entire interior with the most popular color of white paint, in semi-gloss.
Why the most popular color of white? Because it is likely to be around for a long time, so matching it should be easy. For the last several years, a very popular flavor of white paint has been swiss coffee. All major paint manufacturers have their version of swiss coffee, although it will have a different name.
Why semi-gloss paint? Because it is easy to wipe clean (which saves the landlord money over a re-paint), and it is easier to blend in when you do have to touch it up. Typically builders paint the entire house with flat paint (because it is slightly cheaper), with the exception of the wet areas (kitchen, laundry, bathrooms).
This seems to be a good strategy for not only landlords, but owner-occupied residences as well, particularly if you have small kids.