Consumer Guide: Ten Questions to ask a Buyer's Agent

2023 Real Estate News & Forecast 

Home Prices 

While the 22.8% increase in listings should be good news for buyers, it's mostly due to homes taking longer to sell due to tighter affordability. In 2023, the national annual median price for homes for sale is projected to rise by another 5.4%, which is less than half the pace seen in 2022.

A good time to buy?

Home prices flattening. After big gains in the past three years, home prices are expected to stay flat. The National Association of Realtors, or NAR, predicts median existing home prices will rise just 0.3% in 2023 — a stark contrast from the 9.6% year-over-year increase in 2022 and eye-popping 18.2% jump in 2021.

Home Sales will Slide 

In 2020 and 2021, record low interest rates, double-digit home price increases, low inventory and bidding wars galore had buyers in a frenzy. This year, skyrocketing mortgage rates, rising monthly payments and loss of buying power have brought the market to a near standstill. The determining factors of just how much sales will fall include what happens with mortgage rates, housing supply and overall economic conditions. Other factors like the strength of the job market, wage growth and consumer confidence could also mitigate the sales slowdown.

Mortgage Rates are likely to pull back

High mortgage rates combined with high home prices have made a home purchase much less affordable this year as monthly payments increased by more than 50%. Any improvement in rates is welcome news to weary buyers. Our experts believe that mortgage rates will likely remain relatively high during the few months of the year but then edge lower and stabilize, with rates falling below 6% by the end of the year.

Home Prices will level off

Forecasts range from prices falling 4% to a price increase of more than 5%. The only near certainty is that there won’t be the double-digit price increases that have been the hallmark of the pandemic market. We believe low inventory will keep home prices from falling too far. 

Inventory will remain tight

One of the biggest causes of skyrocketing home prices was lack of housing supply.  Next year will see an improvement, but inventory will remain below normal levels. Currently, there is an equivalent of 3.3 months' supply of existing homes available for sale, according to NAR. Inventory is expected to increase by nearly 23% in 2023. The pace of sales has slowed considerably from the days when most sellers made deals in a week or less. We beleive the average time on the market doubling from 11 days in 2022 to 22 days next year, which will allow the housing supply to build up. Buyers and sellers could return as 2023 progresses, especially if mortgage rates move lower. Still, even as supply improves, the number of homes on the market will remain below pre-pandemic levels. Though it may feel like there are more homes for buyers to choose from, inventory will remain tight.

There will be more variability between markets 

“Hot” was the most common word used to describe the majority of real estate markets as recently as the first few months of 2022. That will no longer be the case going into 2023, as different metros will start to see differences in demand. However, there will be markets, particularly in the South and Midwest, that remain very much in demand and could see home prices increasing throughout the year.

Weather

If that sounds disturbingly like your home in the middle of winter, we’ve got to talk. You may not want to admit it, but something is very wrong with your windows and doors. On cool, calm days you can’t really tell if it’s cold inside because you have the thermostat turned down a bit or if if that chilliness is cold air leaking in from your windows, but on windy days there’s no doubt.

Just looking at those windows makes you shiver. Don’t suffer needlessly from low indoor temperatures and high utility bills. Instead, do something about it! It’s time for weatherstripping.

What is Weatherstripping?

Weatherstripping is essentially any material you use to close up gaps between two surfaces of building materials located on an outside wall (generally). The act of installing weatherstripping is also commonly known as “weatherstripping,” so it can get a little confusing.

Even though it may look like your house doesn’t have any gaps between, say your window trim and the wall or the upper and lower portions of your double-hung windows, the chances are good that there are lots of small cracks you’re just not seeing. As a result, you’ll end up leaking climate controlled indoor air out into the outdoors. Sometimes this is really obvious. You’ll feel the air temperature differential or you’ll literally see bright light shining through the gaps when the room is darkened.

More often, though, you’ll find some of the gaps and miss a lot more because they can be very hard to detect. Homeowners and pros alike handle this issue in a few different ways:

• They perform yearly maintenance on the weatherstripping. When you’re positive that your home isn’t leaking air, there’s not really any reason to refresh the weatherstripping or re-caulk everything that is nailed to something else. But if you’re not sure of your leak status or you simply don’t think you will be able to tell where leaks are forming, spending a day laying down new beads with the caulk gun and replacing any worn weatherstripping will ensure your home is ready for the coldest and hottest days.
• They take advantage of infrared camera technology. Infrared cameras are really cool. Or, at least, they can show you where things that are really cool happen to be located. Although they’re not fool-proof, if you want to give this tech a try, you can pick up a model that will attach your smartphone for a lot less than the units the pros tend to use. When an area turns up icy blue (or another color, depending on your camera settings), you can then manually inspect that area for unexpected air flow.
• They enlist the help of an energy specialist for an energy audit. Many utility companies have an energy specialist on hand to help with energy audits. Even those that don’t will keep a list of independent home pros that can perform the same service. They have all kinds of neat tools in their bags and will not only point out the drafts, but can help you deal with these and the other energy losers in your home.

You may be surprised (or even alarmed!) at how much of your home’s indoor air is leaking in from the outside and the other way around. But you can’t efficiently weatherstrip your home until you know where the leaks are, so it’s a painful, but necessary first step Again, if you’re just really in love with the caulk gun, a refresh never hurt anything, but you probably have other things you’d like to be doing.

Do You Need an Energy Audit?

While you can perform a sort of DIY energy audit on your own, if you want a detailed analysis of where the weather is getting in, plus all the other hints and tips for saving energy that come with a formal energy audit, you don’t have to look any further than your Sedlarik Group Real Estate community! A systematic energy audit can be broken into four phases: planning, investigating, implementing and sustaining. Proactive facilities strive to continually improve energy efficiency by repeating these phases at regular intervals. Your real estate agent has already made the connections with the best home pros in the area, their experiences and recommendation can save you a lot of headaches in the long run. Is a home energy audit worth it? The answer is a resounding “Yes” for homeowners who want to save on electricity, minimize their environmental impact, and improve the health and comfort of their abodes.

Improving Home’s Efficiency w/Garage Door

When it comes to improving the energy efficiency of your home, your garage might not be the first place that you think of. If you have an attached garage, though, you may be leaking warm (or cool) air from your home without even realizing it. While there are a few different ways that you can combat this, one of the most effective is by installing new garage doors.

Of course, not all garage doors are created equal when it comes to improving the energy efficiency of your home. To help ensure that you get the most for your garage door dollars, let’s take a look at exactly how new garage doors will help you save money on your heating and cooling costs.

Energy Efficiency and Your Garage

A lot of emphasis is usually put on the windows and doors facing the outside when trying to optimize the energy efficiency of your home. Garage-connecting doors (and even occasional windows, if you have an attached garage that was added onto your home after construction) are often overlooked, however, which can be problematic. Not nearly as much effort goes into protecting these connections from drafts and leaks, even though a garage without garage doors still has the same outdoor air as what you’ll find at any other door or window. This can be even more problematic if your home has a garage access near the intake for your home’s heating and cooling system; instead of circulating air from within the home, your intake might be pulling in outdoor air from that door and losing just a bit of that internal temperature every time it kicks on.

This is where a garage door becomes useful. Even though it’s unlikely that your garage will be connected to your home’s heating and cooling system, having it as a mostly closed environment will still help to stabilize the temperature and prevent at least some of the problems that can cause drafts and temperature leaks. Once you install garage doors, you might see a small but noticeable difference in your overall heating and cooling costs, especially if your garage access is near your HVAC intake.

Choosing the Right Garage Door

You may notice that some garage door manufacturers advertise the R values of their doors much like insulation. While this can be useful information when choosing a garage door, the segmented nature of the doors and the fact that such a large area opens and closes when the garage door is used means that this isn’t going to be as useful as you might think. A good R value is nice to have, but don’t base your garage door choice simply on this one factor.

Instead, find a sturdy garage door that goes well with the look of your home. Windowless garage doors or doors that feature windows with low-emissivity coatings will perform better with regard to energy efficiency. Wood doors are great for insulating your garage, though vinyl doors and even steel also do decent jobs while offering additional benefits as well. You’ll likely have several options to choose from, so take the time to choose a door that not only insulates well but also fits the overall feel of your house.

Garage Door Installation

While it’s possible to DIY your garage door installation, it can be a pretty big task to get your doors installed properly. Even being as little as an inch or two off with some of your measurements can cause big problems, including gaps that will affect the energy savings that the doors provide and tension points that will cause undue wear and tear on your garage door system. This is why it’s often recommended to bring in a pro to install the garage doors for you, since they can help ensure that everything is installed just right to get the maximum life and savings out of your entire garage door setup.

How to make your home Safe for Senior Living 

As there are a growing number of aged adults living independently, it’s ever important to be aware of the risks of daily living accidents such as falls and fire hazards and how to eliminate these to keep ourselves and loved ones safe. Whether a quick fix or a small renovation, the following are commonly recommended adjustments to help avoid potential risks.

Minimize trips and falls

Remove a loose rug or secure it with double-sided tape or a rug pad. For carpet tears, mend with carpet glue or staples. If you have a flight of stairs, use textured no-slip strips and ascertain that handrails are secure. Another consideration is a chair lift. For the bathroom, a rubber mat in the tub prevents slippage. Also, you can browse your local medical supply store for grab bars to install near the shower, bathtub, and toilet. You may also look for a toilet seat riser to ease getting up. Place electrical cords away from high traffic areas.

Remove obstacles

Clear the pathway of any chairs, appliances, bags, or boxes that can impede the walkway and cause someone to lose their footing. Add low-level shelving to store extra items that are lying around.

Secure, adjust, or replace faulty furniture

Fix or trade chairs with wobbly limbs for those with sturdy legs and arms. Ensure chairs and bedding are at a comfortable height to sit and rise from. Adjust the headboard or replace the mattress if it’s too high or low.

Improve lighting

Darkness in the home during the night is an accident waiting to happen while making one’s way to the bathroom. Nightlights, motion sensor lighting, or the clapper are helpful aids to increase visibility rather than risking a stumble. LED bulbs versus high bulb wattage are safer and save on energy.

Keep activities and large items on one level

Reduce the need to visit the basement or consider purchasing a ranch where you can access laundry, storage, and other items on the main floor. Create easy access to heavy objects, such as hanging pots and pans on the wall, to avoid heavy lifting.

Practice fire and burn prevention

Control temperatures by monitoring thermostats or installing lock-in switches to control furnace fires. Check that electrical cords are not frayed, and outlets aren’t overfilled to avoid shorts and overheating. Be careful of burns and scalding when near water or in the kitchen. The water-heater thermostat should be no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit and avoid wearing loose clothing while cooking on the stove. When using space heaters, ensure they are placed at least three feet away from furnishings.

Follow general safety and health measures

Everyone, including seniors, is vulnerable to smoke and toxic fumes. Change the smoke detector and carbon monoxide batteries twice per year and add a fire extinguisher to the kitchen and on each floor of the home. Keep a list of emergency numbers visible and handy. Hire a regular cleaning service and have the pharmacy attach large print labels to medication bottles. You don’t want to risk the possibility that seniors with mobility, hearing, and visual limitations, accidentally overmedicate or mix the wrong cleaning chemicals.

In addition, obtain a medical alert system for those prone to falls. If they don’t want to wear a device, they should always have a cordless phone handy. Finally, invest in a smart home security system to protect against home invasion if you can afford it.

As we and our loved ones age, we become increasingly vulnerable to accidents, crime, and health emergencies. Tragedies can cost us dearly if we don’t take the time to ensure our homes are safe. It’s just a matter of taking a few extra precautions and, if needed, investing in the necessary changes to provide the priceless protection and peace of mind that we all deserve.

Top Tips to Save Money When Moving 

Moving can be an expensive ordeal. Costs can add up fast and cause stress when money gets tight. Start preparing early. Before you begin, make a moving checklist that you can follow and adjust as needed while planning your move. Learn to move more affordably with some of these budget-conscious guidelines, even if you are going a distance.

Declutter

Make it a family project, or get friends to help you sort through small and big items. Decide what to discard, donate, or sell. Garage sales, online apps, and social media are some avenues to merchandise your unwanted wares. Otherwise, you can arrange for pick up or take items to your township’s disposal system. You may also contact a charitable organization that can use your items.

Use Household Items as Packing Materials

Why buy expensive bubble wrap when you can use everyday items around the house? Old newspapers, kitchen towels, socks, blankets, or suitcases can protect your fragile items without any cost. Save boxes by breaking them down and then retaping them when ready to pack for the move.

Measure Furniture

Make sure you know the dimensions of large items before you move so that you know what you can carry with you and what you can’t take. That may save you money with a mover and any hassles of not being able to get a couch or other item through the front door of your new home.

Don’t Overspend

There is a tendency to want to spend money to decorate your new abode before settling in. Buy only the articles you need, so you have less to move. Once you get there, shop for cable and satellite provider deals.

Check on Tax Deductible Expenses and Reimbursement

Your moving expenses may be deductible if you’re in the military. If moving out of state for a job, ask your company if they will pay for moving costs or if they offer compensation for relocation.

Moving Service vs. DIY

If you are going a distance, have much to move, or your belongings are heavy and valuable, you’ll probably want to pay a professional mover. However, if you can save money by having capable friends help with the transport, that would be a better choice.

Avoid Moving During a Peak Season

Movers generally cost more and can get quickly booked up in the warmer months. It’s easier to schedule a mover during the off-season and the week.

Pack a Necessities Box

Pack a box of commonly used items you need quickly or in an emergency to avoid buying them again in case you don’t have easy access to a packed away box.

Reviews and Compare Costs of Movers

Ask for a fixed rate, so you are not charged per hour in case the duration of the move is lengthy. Understand how a mover charges and avoid extra fees if possible. Don’t hire overly cheap services lest you get what you pay for.

Buying a home and all the transactional costs that go along with it is a huge financial investment. If you can curtail your moving expenses, that will allow your wallet some relief. It may also allow you some wiggle room in your budget to invest in new furnishings and décor for your new residence. In preparing for a move, always take the time to plan by lightening your load, being practical, and thinking economically without sacrificing the quality of your moving services. These tips should help you do just that.

Tips for Better Home Staging

Putting a home on the market can be a stressful experience. Sometimes it seems like homes sell almost before you can get them listed, while others appear to languish due to shifts in the economy and buyer enthusiasm. Fortunately, there are ways that you can increase the likelihood of your home selling even if the market isn’t at its best. One of these options is to improve your home staging so that potential buyers will be wowed by the property and want to make it their own.

Some people view home staging as simply making sure that everything is neat and orderly so that buyers can see the home at its best. While this is important, it’s not the only thing that you can do to improve the appeal of your home. Here are a few unexpected ways that you can make your home look better to prospective buyers.

Bigger and Brighter

When staging your home, you want to make sure that you not only present its best qualities but that you also reduce the impact of some of its less-great aspects. Take your bathrooms for instance. If one or more of the bathrooms in your home seem kind of small, try putting a larger bathroom mirror in there to make the whole room seem bigger. Also, hang it slightly lower if possible so that you don’t have a large mirrored surface looming over visitors’ heads; ideally, the center of the mirror should be slightly below eye level for the average person using it.

Another tip that can work in both bathrooms and any room that seems a bit too dark is to lighten up the walls to improve the overall brightness of the room. This can be as simple as replacing dark colored curtains with light white ones or adding white hand towels and decorative items to add light areas to the room. If you feel like taking in a larger project, add a couple of coats of paint in a light color that goes well with existing decorations, such as a light blue or soft light green.

Upscale and Comfortable

Tweaking your furniture and decorations is another way that you can improve your home staging and make your home a must-buy. If you wish that you had some more upscale furniture to show off, talk to developers that have model homes available in planned communities around where you live. Much of that furniture is used solely for staging, and excess pieces can usually be bought relatively cheaply since they’re considered used. Staging companies in your area may also have furniture available for rent or purchase under similar terms. The best part is, if you buy the furniture for your staging then you may be able to recoup some of your money by selling the furniture along with the house.

While you want buyers to like the way that your home looks, it’s also important that they think it looks comfortable and ready for them to move in. Add fluffy comforters and knit throws to beds, drape a soft blanket along the back of the couch, and add other little touches to make it look like the house is just waiting for someone to make it theirs. Just be sure that you remove photos and other personal items from the home before the staging since you want potential buyers to picture it as their house and not yours.

Knock Out Those Repairs

One last thing that you can do to improve your staging is to go ahead and finish some of the little repairs around the house that you never quite got around to doing. If you need a handyman or contractor to help, The Sedlarik Group can help you with that too!!

Signs You May Need a New Roof

We often take the roof above our heads for granted because we know it will protect us from the outside elements. Ultimately, we face the harsh reality that it will eventually age and need to be replaced. A worn and damaged roof can cause significant interior and exterior damage to your home if left unattended. Some roofs last longer than others, but with time, weather patterns, and unexpected circumstances, eventually, it will be time to replace this major protectant. Knowing the early signs or what to look for is the first step in determining whether it’s time to replace your roof. Accordingly, you will be able to minimize repair costs, injury, or property damage by noting the indicators, then taking action.

The following are some major signs that you may need to fix or replace your roof.

Leaks

Water leaking from the ceiling or light coming through the top of the house or your attic is one of the most obvious signs of roof decay or damage. If you don’t yet detect a leak, it will eventually make itself known through water stains, peeling paint, disintegrated insulation, or mold growth. If unsure, check for weakened seals around vents that could also lead to seepage, or you can test for leakage during dry weather by spraying the roof with water from a garden hose.

Damage to Shingles, Flashing, and Gutter Guards

Shingles in decent shape will lie flat against the roof. If patches are cracked, buckling, curled, sparse, or missing, this could be a sign that your roof is at the end of its durable life. Some other signs could be that you spot grit or fragments in your gutters and downspouts or the roof surface sagging from trapped moisture. Moss can also indicate trapped moisture, which can ruin the roof. You can carefully remove moss with a stiff brush, but addressing any underlying problems is important.

Roof Age

Check records to see how old your roof is and if it’s time to be replaced. A typical asphalt roof lasts between 20 and 25 years, while metal and slate last much longer. If the top is younger than 15 or 20 years and there are only a few damaged shingles, it may only need repair. When in doubt, consult with a licensed roofing contractor. Another good indicator is that your neighbors with similarly aged homes as yours may be having their roofs replaced around the same time. That may tell you it’s time to replace yours.

High Heating Bills

If you’ve seen a steady increase in your bills every winter, this could indicate a poorly insulated roof. Once a roof begins to deteriorate with age, so does the home’s energy efficiency.

If you are good and attentive with inspecting your home for these telltale signs, this saves you time and frustration with guesswork. However, if you are unsure whether your roof needs a simple repair or major replacement, have a roof specialist provide a thorough inspection. If you need a replacement or even a patchwork repair, a professional can guide you by explaining all the options regarding durability, style, and cost.

Should you sell your home in the Fall?

Spring is the most popular time to sell a home, yet there are some advantages to getting your house on the market in the autumn months. Although you may feel you have missed out by not putting your house on the market in the spring, the fall months for selling your home could be a feather in your cap. Look at the following four benefits to selling your home in the fall, along with tips for leveraging those to find a buyer.

Demographics Most Likely to Buy in the Fall

Serious homebuyers for this time are often millennials, empty-nesters, or relocated employees without children. Without having to consider a new school year, they are more apt to buy before the end of the year to lock in mortgage rates, avoid the hassle of a move in the winter weather, or get settled in a new location for their job before the start of a new year.

Less Inventory—Less Competition

Homes listed for sale are generally lower in autumn, so you are not competing as much with other buyers. While sellers are more susceptible to the pressure of buyers’ demands during the peak season, you have a better chance of attracting buyers to your home and getting them to accept your selling price during a slower period.

Seasonal Attractiveness

The fall brings vibrant colors, a cooler temperature, and more choices for décor. The heat and humidity of summer have mostly passed, and the new season of harvest and festivals lures people out into the environment. It is a time when people may want to make a big purchasing decision before the rush of the holidays and the end of the year.

Improve the curb appeal of your home and stage the inside. You can do this in the following ways:
1. Clean and De-clutter
2. Replace dim lighting
3. Add flowers
4. Paint and caulk
5. Purchase new pillows, curtains, and candles
6. Re-arrange your furniture for better social interaction
7. Use gas or electric fireplaces for ambiance
8. Don’t overdo decorations.
9. Photograph the property while you still have natural lighting.

Quicker Closing

Since the fall tends to be an off-peak season with fewer home sales and real estate transactions, your closing should go quicker and with less stress. You should be able to book with mortgage lenders, home inspectors, attorneys, and other vendors related to your home’s sale without delay or hassle.

There is never a right or wrong season to sell your home. Although spring may lure many enthusiastic families into wanting to buy in the warm weather, the fall can be equally enticing for others. You’ll find that many are motivated during this time to buy because they want to settle in before the winter and holiday season. Still, whatever season you decide to sell, it’s always important to prepare your home adequately and know the strategies to attract the aptest buyers.

Tips for Your Basement Remodel

Having a finished basement is a great addition for just about any house. It can give you a place to relax, a play area for your children, or even additional bedroom space if you need it. Some people even use basement areas to create fully furnished workshops, craft rooms, and other furnished DIY areas so they’ll have comfortable places for hobbies and keep DIY clutter out of the main house areas. The possibilities of a finished basement are limited only by your imagination.

With that said, finishing or remodeling a basement area can be a big undertaking. There are ways to keep it from becoming overwhelming, though, as well as things that you can do to avoid potential problems down the line. While the specifics of your basement project will depend on where you live and how you’re designing your basement, here are some tips that should help you to remodel your basement space into something closer to your liking.

Plan for the Basics First

There are a few things that you’re going to want to tackle before you get too far into planning your basement remodel. Some issues such as stuffy air, moisture problems, and poor lighting often plague basements and cause finished basement areas to be underutilized compared to the rest of the house. You’re going to want to make sure that any foundation cracks or other leaks are taken care of, that the basement has good ventilation and air purification as needed, and that there’s sufficient lighting for your needs.

Heating and cooling issues are another thing you’re going to want to plan for early on. Finished basements can become stuffy or drafty if you don’t have proper HVAC extensions or other heating and cooling options in place, and pipes running through the basement ceiling can make a huge mess if they freeze and burst during especially cold winters. Proper insulation, good seals around windows and doors, and some way to keep temperature-regulated air flowing can go a long way toward avoiding these issues.

Make the Room Your Own

Before you really dive into a major remodeling project, take the time to figure out exactly what the space is going to be used for. Once you have this in mind it will help a lot with other design decisions. Having a purpose in place can help you choose wall and ceiling colors, aid in determining storage needs, and even help you choose the sort of flooring or furniture that you want in your finished basement area.

As you plan out your basement and what you want to use it for, your needs can also make it easier to tell whether you’ll need a single large room or if you’ll want to partition the basement space into multiple smaller rooms. Having a plan in place will go a long way toward making sure that all of your needs are covered and that your new space will actually meet your needs.

Bring in Some Help

While there are a number of jobs that you can DIY in a basement remodel, there are still some areas that are best left to the professionals. This is especially important if your basement needs new lighting installed, new plumbing, or an extension to your HVAC system to ensure that you have adequate ventilation in your new basement area. While it may be tempting to try and do some of these things yourself, that can set you up for a lot of problems down the road.

Painting can be a great way to customize your house and make it into a home. Whether you’re just adding a splash of color or redoing entire rooms to match your favorites, a fresh coat of paint is a great way to take a home that you bought and really make it yours. Unfortunately, not everyone is great at picking the best colors for their home. After some unfortunate paint jobs, some homeowners may even wonder why they were allowed to go near a paint store at all. This doesn’t have to be the case, however.

There are a number of things that you can do to find paint colors that better match your home. You can pick up paint swatches, get some small cans to test in different colors, or even use software to see how different colors will look in your rooms. The big thing is making sure that you know how to take what you’ve learned and make your rooms look their best. Here are a few tips that may help with that.

Things to Consider

There are several things that you should think about before picking out a specific paint. One of the big considerations that many people overlook is stopping to look at the colors of your existing décor. Even if you don’t have a specific theme to your furniture and decorations, there may be predominant colors that you should keep in mind when choosing paint. Even thinking about whether most of the décor is on the darker side or the lighter side can affect your color decision.

You should also consider the type of finish you want on your walls. Depending on the paint options you’re considering, you might find colors in everything from flat and eggshell to the high-gloss paints that are typically used for trim and accents. The finish affects the shininess or flatness of the colors and can produce significantly different effects with similar colors. It can also affect how resistant the paint is to stains and dirt, with flatter colors being harder to clean while higher sheen paints are easier.

Finding the Right Color

There are a few considerations to be mindful of when it comes to actually choosing a color, too. Ideally, you should pick up swatches of multiple colors that you like and bring them home to see how each one looks with your lighting and home environment. Once you’ve narrowed it down to a few, get a few samples of the colors you like the most and actually put some paint on the walls to see how each one looks once dried. Don’t put these sample bits too close together, though, as it might be harder to tell which you actually like when you’re distracted by a number of samples right next to each other. Larger areas are better than small spots, and if you’re doing the entire room, you should try different colors on different walls.

Bring Your Walls to Life

When it comes time to paint, it may be tempting to just grab a brush or roller and go for it. That may not be the best approach, however. First you should make sure that you have everything that you need, including enough paint to cover the entire area and tools of high enough quality that they aren’t going to leave streaks or fuzz in your paint as you go. You should also go over your plans one last time, especially if you’re doing one wall in a different color as an offset or otherwise trying to use accent colors. A bit of prep time before you actually start painting can make a huge difference in the end result.

Of course, if you’re concerned about the scope of the job, you can always hire professional painters to come in and get the job done. This can take a lot of the stress off you, and they can usually offer suggestions on colors, textures, and other elements that you might not have even considered.