I would never put flat paint on my interior walls. You need paint that can be cleaned if someone puts a fingerprint on it, etc. You could also use Matte paint. Its got a bit of sheen, that flat doesnt have, but, its still basically flat finish, and it can be wiped off if necessary.

I use Behr Premium Plus which is available in Matt/Flat though I use Eggshell which has a moderate sheen. Yes, flat paint will show fewer defects but walls painted with eggshell will be easier to clean -- which the purchaser of your house will appreciate. At $32/gallon it's reasonably priced. Home Depot can mix any Behr color but it can also mix Sherwin-Williams colors. You just have to provide the SW color code to the HD employee who mixes the paints.

I recommend Behr Scuff Defense Paint and Primer in one. Matte sheen shows the least level of flaws on the drywall. We painted our entire house with Behr, matte for walls and ceilings, satin for doors and moldings. Make sure you wash and rinse all ceilings, walls, doors and molding prior to painting, so the paint adheres well. Also use top quality brushes and rollers. Behr paint goes on beautifully, no dripping. Years later our paint job still looks great!! Best of luck on your journey.

Realtors will often suggest renovations, but be careful. Often the things they suggest cost you more than what they increase the sales price. You end up with a negative ROI.

Some homes do need to be painted. I don't know what you have to paint. If you are not painting the whole home I would use the same sheen as you used on the other rooms. Having the Living room and hall one sheen and the bedroom a different sheen will highlight the fact that you used two different sheens.

Can you share a bit more about what has to be painted and what rooms won't be painted?

We are removing wallpaper in 3 rooms that was overdue to remove though 2 of them I still loved and I see on a TV at least 5 times a week so are forced into painting. When you have lived in a house 35 years a little freshen up is needed. Every Realtor we talk to is adamant about flat wall paint. We are only freshening up paint in rooms more recently painted.

Behr doesn't make Behr Scuff Defense Paint and Primer anymore. "Scuff Defense" is now a feature/claim of Behr Ultra (all sheens) which costs $9/gallon more than Behr Premium Plus.

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"Every Realtor we talk to is adamant about flat wall paint."

I'd base the decision -- flat vs. Eggshell -- based on the quality of the wall's surface. I think the modest sheen of Eggshell adds a bit of depth to the wall's appearance. However, if the wall is in bad shape, I'd use flat. I had a "painter" patch and repaint a wall with eggshell. However, the surface was redone poorly so it looks bad when the sun shines (at a steep angle from a skylight) on it; I should have specified flat. My other walls are in better shape so I made the right choice in using eggshell.

They keep changing formulations on me and what I am being told in the stores is not much help. I certainly do not paint often enough to keep up with the way different paints perform. I keep seeing painters complaining about how some of the pricier paints perform. I trust other people's recent experiences more than the advise of the people I am running into at the paint department. The same Realtors who are saying to only do flat walls for reselling are also advising me to use a less expensive paint like a PPG rather than spend on something like SW also.

Behr Premium Plus and Behr Ultra are both CR recommended and "smart buy" paints. I searched "flat" in the owners' reviews of Premium Plus and several noted that the paint had a bit of a sheen to it -- so it won't like you painted with chalk. Use quality 3/8" rollers and brushes. FrogTape is great painter's tape. Don't over-analyze this!

I was told to paint rooms to be changed in house with Flat paint for resell because shows better and can be touched up easily.

Not entirely wrong but just because it's flat doesn't mean it touches up easily - Ben Moore's UltraSpec and PPG's Speedhide are the best for move out, touch up IMO. And most painters love using both because their flat finishes are easy.

You are painting so that the next person can come in and repaint with the colors they like. I would go with PPG Speedhide (about $20 a gallon if you buy 5 or more gallons at Home Depot).

It was the go to for a guy I knew who did maintenance on apartment complexes for a property management firm.