A sure way to maintain the true value of your home is to have it painted inside and out before those tell-tale signs of peeling and faking paint appear.
Painting is one of the trades most of us think we can do, but a lot of us really don’t have the skills needed or the time. Still, cost is a big factor in our decision-making process.
If you want to go for a professional paint job but need to save some money, or make room in your budget for the better quality but higher priced painting contractor, here are four things you can do:
1. Do some of the work yourself
If you are keen and available to put a little time and effort in there are jobs you can do before the painting starts that will save you dollars. Do discuss this with your painting contractor in detail before signing any contract as it needs to be clear how much you will save by attending to these tasks. Your contractor may have other ways of cost savings. But here are some of the things you could potentially do yourself:
- Trimming shrubs
- Moving furniture and clearing a perimeter for painters to work
- Removing and reinstalling power outlet covers, switch plates and doorknobs
- Preparation work like patching, sanding and scraping, (but make sure you have the skills for this)
2. Don’t wait too long to repaint
Weather has a devastating affect on the exterior of house, don’t wait until your house is looking tired, old and in a desperate need of a paint job. Putting it off is only going to result in bigger costs, labour and paint. Regular maintenance in the long term preserves the value of your house inside and out, and well as saving you money.
3. Narrow the scope of the job
Regular house maintenance is wise but sometimes some aspects of our homes require less attention. Look closely at ceilings, cupboards and trims. If they are included in the original painting scope and there is no fading, peeling or blistering you might be able to get away with simply giving them a good clean.
4. Stick with your colour scheme
If you stick close to the original paint colour, you will use less. Avoid dark rich colours or limit the use of those colours to accent walls or trims. Bold colours often require many coats (sometimes 4 or 5) and if used on the exterior of a house can fade quickly, requiring re-painting sooner. Neutral colours are also much more appealing to buyers just in case you do consider selling in the future.
