Warmer days and longer sunshine hours are coming to an end. Which means less time you can spend painting, especially outside. So if you haven’t already completed your painting jobs around your house and rental properties, now is the time to do it.
Here are just 5 tips to help you get the most out of your DIY painting jobs:
1. Price
Make sure you spend some money on good quality paint. Don’t be frugal on cheap paints because that is what they are. Do it once every 10 years, rather than every 5, because having to go back again will cost you more in time than money. Cheaper paints also do not cover that well, so you might end up applying more paint than expected.
2. Preparation
In anything you do preparation is key, so why should painting be any different? By putting in the preparation, the job will look and last much longer. If the paint starts to peel off months later, you will not only need to fix that area, but paint the entire wall or area again.
3. To Shine or not to shine
Low sheen & matt: Use these paints mainly on walls and ceilings. Good for bedrooms.
Semi-gloss: Great to use on walls. Use in family room – is easy to clean and hide imperfections.
Full-gloss: Great for areas that need lots of cleaning as it has a good resistant to dirt, ideal for the kitchen (though it does show up imperfections).
4. What colours should I use
Neutral colours are always the best. If you are painting your own house you can do what you wish with the colours, but do take into account that if you are going to sell your house in the next 5-10 years, would this put buyers off? When painting your rental property, its definitely neutral colours and nothing else. Neutral colours create light, depth and cleanliness in a rental property. You are more likely to rent your property out by using a neutral colour, plus they cost less.
5. Ultimate tip number 5
Before pouring paint into your paint tray, line it with tinfoil (making sure not to make a hole in it), then pour your paint in. Then at the end of the day you only need to throw out the tinfoil without having to clean the tray as well.
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