The inherent power of a first impression is beyond measure, even if it turns out wrong. When appraising anything new—works of art, people, music, living space, etc.—most people form a first impression within two minutes. This first impression tends to influence all elements of future interaction and often makes or breaks sales, determines personal relationships, and even affects where people live.

Given the power of first impressions, the commercial painting experts at FCI Painting always encourage their apartment and condo building clients to consider whether the chosen colors for their properties make a great first impression. From exterior facades to interior walls, those colors are the first thing prospective apartment renters and condo buyers will notice. And if they’re not impressed, they will undoubtedly move on to a condo or apartment building with more appealing color schemes.

Multifamily Building Exterior Paint Color Considerations

While the Rolling Stones may have recommended painting everything black in their hit 1966 song, you probably haven’t seen any black apartment or condo buildings, let alone many other black-colored buildings. So, you’re probably willing to cut black hues from your multifamily building potential color choices, but what else should you consider?

Rather than initially focusing on color, FCI Painting tells its clients to start their search for the perfect exterior façade color choices by weighing these three factors:

• Building’s architectural details
• Character and style of surrounding buildings
• Buyer or renter demographic

Your multi-family building’s architectural details should play a significant role in the ultimate color choice. Paint colors can help enhance the building’s distinct style and be used to moderate its apparent size and scale. Color choices should coordinate well with decorative finishes and building materials that may look better if left unpainted. Paint color choices can also be used to highlight any of the building’s distinguishing features, such as entranceways, balconies, and solariums. And don’t be afraid to mix it up because covering everything with just one-tone neutral paint can make a large building look institutional.

The right paint color choices can help make your multifamily building stand out from the crowd, which can raise its appeal to buyers or renters. While you probably don’t want your condo or apartment building to stick out like a sore thumb, you can use paint color choices with varying degrees of subtlety to help make it unique among the similar style architecture in its neighborhood.

Demographics should play a role in your color choices because your prospective tenants or buyers may have differing tastes according to their age. In general, older condo and apartment seekers will have more conservative tastes that may not be as amenable to bolder color choices. Younger condo buyers and apartment renters may be more attracted to bolder color choices that make their buildings distinct.

What to Consider with Your Multifamily Interior Color Choices

As with the exterior of your multifamily residential building, we suggest that black and similar hues are not a wise choice for attracting buyers or tenants. White might not be the smartest choice, either. While the neutrality of white lets potential renters or buyers better envision how they can apply their own color schemes in rooms, it can also make the spaces being viewed seem blander than they are. Thus, we recommend using neutral hues that provide at least some color.

When picking the right hues, consider how they complement other room features, such as wood or tile floors, bathroom fixtures, and kitchen appliances. For trim work and other accents, use a similar tone to enhance the primary color without overwhelming it. For common areas, you can use bolder neutral colors, but pick ones that will attract your primary market—older tenants and buyers tend to prefer warmer colors, while younger ones seem to prefer cooler shades.

Consult with Naples, FL-Based FCI Painting on Your Multifamily Paint Job

Naturally, there are other factors to consider when painting a multifamily residential building with an eye on attracting tenants or buyers. Naples-based FCI Painting has helped hundreds of Southwest Florida-area condominium and apartment building owners renew their spaces to boost market prospects. For a professional assessment of your multifamily building’s painting needs and ideas for color schemes that will attract your renters or buyers, contact FCI Painting online or call us at (239) 435-1001.