Why it matters
Labour dominates a paint bill, so patching, sanding, and priming drive the number, not the colour. Paint is also the first thing a seller reaches for, which is why one freshly painted patch on an otherwise tired wall is a question, not a finish: something was covered. And on a pre-1980 home, peeling or chalking paint is a lead question first. Test before you sand or disturb it. See the lead-paint card. Paint also has a clock, which is worth knowing when a listing brags about it: interior paint lasts 10 to 15 years per InterNACHI. So "freshly painted throughout" on a home last painted in 2013 is not a gift. It is maintenance that was due.
How to spot it
Scuffed or marked walls; visible drywall patches; cracked plaster above door and window openings; ceiling stains; and a single fresh patch of paint that does not match the age of the wall around it.
What it costs
Toronto, 2026: $2 to $3 per sq ft for walls only across a whole house, rising to $3 to $4.70 per sq ft once ceilings, trim, and doors are included. A 2,000 sq ft home is roughly $5,000 to $9,000; a two-storey detached runs $7,000 to $15,000.
What to do
Monitor. Price repainting per square foot and treat it as a small negotiation item. Where you see one fresh patch, ask what it is covering: a stain, a crack, or a repair. On a pre-1980 home with peeling paint, test before disturbing.
Education and triage, not a home inspection. Casaroo prices repainting from your photos and points at anything a fresh coat might be hiding. It never tells you the wall is sound underneath. Warning: a stained ceiling is not a paint problem. Water came from somewhere, and painting over it does not change that. Ceiling stains, tide-lines, and blistered paint are moisture findings and belong on the mechanical side. Cracked plaster running diagonally from the corner of a door frame is a structural finding, not a decorating one.