BY VIKTOR CHONG

Color matters

PETALING JAYA: Vibrant colours will enhance the resale and rental value as well as occupancy rate of your property. More people will want to stay in a house that is beautifully painted as the property’s exterior visual appeal is enhanced.

“Color gives people a different feel towards your building. This is the same as your face make up,” said Kansai Paint Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd business development manager Khiew Wei Yi.

According to Khiew, the easiest and fastest way to add value to a house is by repainting it. “It is cheap and cost-effective. I also tell people, if you cannot afford to change your furniture, then change your wall colour. It will give you a better feeling of the house,” she said.

Khiew also stressed the importance of using the appropriate external paint for your property.

“For your exterior paint, it must be weatherproof, especially with the Malaysian climate. Previously I had customers telling me that they are interested in importing paint from China or Europe.

“Such paints are not suitable for our country’s weather. Make sure your paint is fungal and algae proof and weather resistant with external colour retention. Bear in mind that not all external colours are suitable for your property due to the issues of pigmentation.

“The area where you are staying is also an important factor especially if you stay near the seaside. Please ask your hardware shop for consultation and do not forget to tell them where you are staying,” said Khiew.

“Customers should also be aware that most exterior paints come with a warranty. You can make inquiries with your hardware shop on how to obtain said warranty. At a minimum, Kansai provides six to ten years of warranty to our customers,” she said.

Khiew also advised the audience to be mindful of lead content inside their paint. “Currently in Malaysia, there are no regulations to remove lead in paint products. We only have such rules governing children’s toys."

“You can determine the lead content in your products by checking the Consumers Association of Penang's website,” said Khiew.

She recently spoke at the Malaysian Property Expo 2017 (Mapex) organised by Real Estate And Housing Developers’ Association Malaysia (Rehda).