A fresh coat of paint on your Seattle rental property’s exterior can get you higher rents, higher property values, and better curb appeal. But don’t rush into your first exterior paint job. There are some important things that you must know before you begin painting. We’ve compiled some do’s and don’ts that can give you the information needed to do the job right and make sure the quality tenants you want will continue to be interested in your rental property.
DO take the time to remove the old paint from the rental property’s exterior. The pros over at Five Star Painting say that the prep work you do before you start to paint is the most important part of the process. You’ll want to figure out what type of paint your rental currently has and how old it is. The explanation for this is that any paint dating from 1978 or before has lead in it and can make you sick if you just start scraping away. Another consideration is the building material of the exterior; as an example, if your home has asbestos siding, you may need a professional to do the job.
There are several different ways to remove old and peeling paint, from scraping or power washing to chemicals to heat guns. Take the time to research the different methods available so you could choose the one best suited for your particular property. Then buy the right tools to get the job done faster and easier.
DON’T forget to measure carefully to ensure you have enough paint to finish the job properly. Make sure your paint is more than enough for one coat because you will need that extra paint for touch-ups. And if you plan to do more than just one coat, see to it that you have enough to go over the entire surface twice. A good quality exterior paint is also very important. Don’t use cheap paint. Peeling or fading occurs almost instantly with low-quality paint, and the hard work and time you put in will all be wasted.
DO seal all surfaces and caulk where necessary, and apply a primer as well. At Five Star Painting, their specialists recommend this step for exterior surfaces because of the unique characteristic that primers have– that it will help seal exterior walls including newly repaired spots. On top of that, it will give the paint something to adhere to.
DON’T rush through the job. Sometimes, impatience gets the better of us and we want the job finished right away, so we apply a primer or paint to an exterior too soon after paint removal. Exterior surfaces need time to dry completely before moving on to the next step, or you’ll be putting the paint job on the line. It might appear blotchy and unprofessional.
DO repair all that needs fixing before repainting your rental property’s exterior. It may be a task that’s as simple as power washing your siding. However, depending on the material and condition of the exterior, you may need to sand the entire outside of the house and wipe all surfaces with a cloth. It’s much like painting an interior wall, you need to have a clean and dry surface before any painting can begin.
DON’T let time and money be wasted by doing an exterior painting job without first getting the right knowledge and acquiring the skills. If you don’t have a lot of time to spare or if you don’t have the experience needed to do the job correctly, think about hiring professionals to do it for you. Fixing up a botched exterior paint job is certainly more expensive than the cost of getting a professional to do it for you.
DO use the services of Real Property Management Eclipse to do the job for you. Instead of spending all that time and hassle trying to DIY the project, our team of experts has connections with excellent vendors in Seattle who can render high-quality exterior painting services at a sensible price. If you want to know more about what we can do to serve you, don’t hesitate to contact us online or call us at 425-209-0252.
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