painting the living room is a repair
Ummmmmm.... no. Or yes. Or Maybe. it's kinda weird really. Painting is generally a maintenance expense. Not a repair.
If you paint a room merely to paint it because maybe the walls are dirty, the color is outdated, or perhaps the old paint is peeling, its a maintenance expense. For a rental property the cost is included on line 7 of the SCH E.
If painting is "a part of" a repair, such as painting a wall after repairing a gaping hold in it, then the cost of painting is "a part of" the repair expense. For a rental property the cost goes on line 14 of the SCH E.
But of course, the point is, maintenance or repair expenses do not add to the cost basis and are not a sales expense on the sale of a personal use 2nd home.
