Adding Value to Your Home By Painting a Room

It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint will do to immediately transform any room in your house. Lighter shades generally make a room feel larger; neutral shades will appeal most to potential buyers.

“Buyers won’t be able to look past [bold] colors and see the rest of your home,” says Weisbard. You’ll earn a 250% return on your investment in freshly painted interior walls, according to HomeGain.com’s survey.

Be sure to test colors — Home Depot sells 8-ounce sample cans of paint for $3 — before buying the full batch of paint needed for the room. Limit costly mistakes and spills by splurging on drop cloths and painter’s tape.