California-based start up Adzookie said it will paint participating houses with its brightly coloured advert and pay the homeowner’s mortgage for every month the house remains painted.

The brains behind the idea, Adzookie chief executive Romeo Mendoza, told CNN Money that it had received 5,000 inquiries in two days since launching the offer on its website.

He said: “It really blew my mind. I knew the economy was tough, but it’s sad to see how many homeowners are really struggling.”

People who sign up must keep their houses painted for at least three months and the agreement can be extended for up to one year. Adzookie said it will even paint the houses back to their original colour at the end of the deal.

Mendoza said he came up with the idea after seeing signs outside homes saying “bank-owned” and feeling for the families who had lived there.

Sponsored

EPC planning: act now or risk the rush later

Sponsored by BM Solutions

He said: “I was trying really hard to think of ways to help – then it hit me. Our company buys advertising all the time. We could buy ad space on their house and pay them for it.”

Adzookie has the budget to paint around 100 properties, with Mendoza listening to each story before deciding which applicants to help.