Dale Busic is the president and owner of CertaPro Painters in Cypress. 

Every week, we ask a real estate professional for their Short List, a collection of tips and recommendations on an essential topic in real estate. This week, we talked with Dale Busic, president of CertaPro Painters in Cypress, who shared his tips for picking the perfect paint.

3. Today’s Color Pallets – Since 2014, color schemes have trended towards gray. We work with a great partner, the Paint Quality Institute, to stay in touch with global and regional color trends to ensure we offer our customers the best information possible. Pairing various gray shades with taupe and other natural colors allows for a tastefully integrated color scheme that blends seamlessly with any personal style. The key to selecting colors for a listing is remembering the house in being painted for the purchasing customer, not the selling agent.

2. Freshen Up Dull Listings – We see and hear about way too many agents who advise their clients to paint a house completely neutral with just one color. Don’t be afraid to use color to accentuate positive aspects or features in a home. For example, paint a secondary bedroom and bathroom the same color to show a potential buyer that area is the “guest suite.” The color in that guest suite can be one or two shades darker than the main wall color. Paint the master bedroom ceilings and walls a shade darker than the guest suite to bring a tranquil “retreat” feel to the space. Also, use FLAT wall paint on all living areas to help mask any wall imperfections. Flat wall paint diffuses light, thus minimizing wall reflections which helps to hide minor wall blemishes. Flat wall paint is not “cheap paint.” It hides imperfections and provides a depth of color not possible with other types of paint. Use eggshell or satin paint in all bathrooms and utility rooms. It is easier to clean. However, the sheen from this paint makes wall imperfections easier to spot.

1. Stay On Top of Color Trends – The easiest way to find out about current and recent color trends by year is to visit the Paint Quality Institute (PQI) website at www.paintquality.com. Also, stop by a local paint manufacturer store (Benjamin Moore, Glidden Professional, PPG, Sherwin Williams) to find out what are the best selling colors in your area. Please be aware that the stores will always lag slightly behind the trends from PQI. Also, please feel free to call CertaPro Painters at 281-255-3697. We offer free professional color consultations to our customers.

For nearly five years, Dale Busic has been serving the greater Houston area as president and owner of CertaPro Painters in Cypress.