Painting a house can be very costly, especially if you’re looking at painting both the interior and exterior. But with careful thought and planning, you can find some cost-effective ways of painting your house and boosting its overall appearance and value. Here are 5 budget-friendly ways to paint your house:
1. Do it yourself
Painting is one of the easiest DIY jobs that just about anyone can do with little or no experience, and by doing it yourself you can save most of the cost of a professional. The biggest DIY expense is paint, but you can reduce this cost by shopping at direct-to-the-public warehouses and discount paint shops.
Pencil in a weekend to devote to your painting and ensure that beforehand you’ve removed furniture or laid down cloths to save you time. Painting using brushes and rather than a sprayer is recommended, as accidentally over-spraying can cause costly remedial work.
2. Compare quotes
If you’re looking at hiring a professional painter, be sure to get multiple quotes and compare them, as you’ll find that costs may vary from painter to painter. Make sure you ask them how much time will be devoted to preparation and painting, what paints they recommend using and why, and how many coats of paint will be applied. Choosing a licenced reputable painter within your location will give you peace of mind.
3. Be smart when it comes to colour
Sticking to neutral tones or a traditional colour palette will ensure a timeless appeal and make repainting jobs far much easier. If you’re looking at recoating or changing the colours of a room, think long-term. While bright splashes of paint may be good for the kids’ room while they’re young, in the future, it will mean having to repaint when they’re grown-up and looking for more mature decor.
If you’re wanting to add colour or bold features, think about keeping it to trims and accents only, since they’re easier to re-paint if you have a change of taste in the future or are looking to sell your house. For exteriors, dark paints may look great but they fade more quickly than light colours, meaning you’ll have to repaint more often which becomes costly in the long-term.
4. Share the workload
You can save money by hiring a painter and doing half the workload for them. This can include doing most of the prep work by cleaning and filling walls, laying down cloths, removing furniture from the room, and switching plates and doorknobs.
At least 30% of a good-quality paint job comes down to the prep time. Unclean walls can lead to uneven paint, while unprotected floors and furniture can lead to paint stains and spills. Cut the costs and prep-time in half by doing all of this beforehand and leave the professionals to do their job.
5. Don’t wait too long to repaint
A lot of homeowners make the mistake of waiting too long before repainting, particularly the exterior of the house. Waiting too long in between paint jobs and touch-ups will result in more visible signs of distress and repair. Don’t wait until you start to see flaking paint. By touching up tired areas and being diligent when it comes to repairing and preventing damage, you’ll save money on costly repair and prep work in the future.
Since the preparation is one of the biggest costs and labour-intensive parts of painting a house, regular maintenance will prevent any major paint deterioration, cracks, rot, mould, and water damage. Touching up the surface of your walls every 5 years and being proactive when it comes to maintaining your house will prevent you from spending thousands.
In 2014 Adrian quit his job and opened a painting business called MrPaint. Adrian is a strong believer in the ‘healthy body, healthy mind’ principle and backs this up by being a competitive track cyclist here in Australia.