Every decade or so, most homes need a fresh coat of paint. Painting your home helps protect it from the elements, keeps it looking good and allows you to enjoy it more. The thing is, painting a house yourself can take a LOT of time. Also, if you don’t live in a rancher, you will need tall stairs to get to the second or third floor. This leads many people to hire a professional painter, which comes with its own challenges. They’ll have to research house painters, find one that is really affordable, schedule some interviews, etc.
1. Should you do it yourself or hire a professional?
Most people consider painting to be a fairly easy task. Dip a roller or brush into the paint and then apply it evenly to the walls. Simple, right? Well, for the most part, yes, that’s it. Most people can paint their own house if they really want to. It’s a good way for them to save a few euros, go out and take pride in their own work. But there is a different side of the coin to consider, because hiring a professional has some advantages.
Here are some of the most important ones to consider:
Time savings.
Although you can save a few euros if you do it yourself, don’t forget about all those hours you will spend on this project. If you’re on your own, it can take a few weeks to paint the whole house! That’s a few hours of work every day. Obviously, it depends on how big your house is, but you’d be surprised how long it can take to paint a house properly in your spare time.
You’re busy enough, do you really want to spend your small amount of free time painting?
Safety
Painters are constantly up high ladders. They have to climb on roofs, lean out of windows, and often do other crazy things to get the job done. While 90% of painting is relatively safe, it’s that last 10% that keeps mums up at night. Why would you do this yourself when you can easily hire someone to do it for you? Professional painters know what they are doing, they do it every day. They know how to use a ladder correctly and how to measure their level of fatigue. They won’t push their own limits because they realise what’s at stake.
Do you?
Quality
It’s not rocket science to brush paint a wall, but can anyone make paint look good? More importantly, do you know how to make the paint look good every time? Do you know how to get those hard-to-reach places and critical parts of your home painted? Probably not, because most people don’t. Professionals know that certain areas of the house, such as small gaps under baseboards or above a door, are extremely important. If you don’t paint those critical areas, your home is more susceptible to mould, bugs or other types of damage.
Therefore, a professional will not only help the paint look better, but also better protect your home.
Speed
A professional will probably have at least 3-4 people working on your home at any given time. Sometimes it may only be 1-2 for finishing touches, but usually a full crew is expected. Don’t you think they can finish the job faster than you can if you do it alone during your free time? Of course they can. Then, instead of the job taking a full month, you’ll be sitting in your beautiful, freshly painted home in just 7-10 days. This gives you peace of mind. You will know that this project is complete, so you can concentrate on other tasks, whether at home or at work.
To conclude …
You can definitely save a few euros by doing everything yourself. But a professional will do everything better and faster, saving you precious time to concentrate on other things. But before you go out and hire the first painter you find, let’s look at some things you should do.
2. What to do to prepare for professional painting
Although some professionals can do these things for you, remember that you are mainly paying them to paint, not to move things and time is money. If you want to save a little, we recommend doing these things yourself – you’ll get more bang for your buck.
Moving furniture
Your painters will probably cover furniture with cloth or plastic sheeting, but you still need to make sure it’s out of the way. They don’t want to trip over your furniture, especially if they have a full paint bucket in their hand! If you can, move the furniture out of the room you are painting. If you don’t have the space available, move everything to the centre of the room. Paintings, pictures, calendars, clocks, mirrors and anything else you have hanging on the wall. It’s not exactly easy to paint a wall that’s covered in pictures and clocks, is it?
Remove outlet covers and switch plates.
A lot of people forget this little step. Although it’s not really a big deal if most switch plates or outlet covers get paint on them, it’s easier to avoid it by removing them. Because these things are usually plastic, removing dried paint is not always easy. This step is especially important if you have fairly nice covers and switch plates. Most people have the cheap ones, but you definitely don’t want to stain the nicer, older ones with paint.
Allocate at least one space as a “prep area”.
Professional painters don’t just carry their one-gallon bucket around. They set up a storage room in one or two areas that allows them space to store their ladders, plastic sheeting, paint, etc. Although painters will bring all their stuff, you may want space for them to store all this stuff. This is especially important if you have a lot of belongings in your home, as this can create a lot of clutter.
Clean the walls
You might think “these walls are about to be painted, why should I clean them?” In fact, it makes more sense to clean them because they are about to be painted. Paint tends to highlight physical differences in a wall. Things like dust or dirt are especially more visible after painting, as paint basically glues these substances to the wall permanently. To clean walls, you don’t need anything fancy. Simply make a mixed solution of water and a mild detergent, and then apply it to the wall with a sponge. Don’t soak the walls, you’re just trying to get most of the stains and dust off the surface – be sure to allow enough time for the walls to dry before painting day! Consider using fans to help speed up the process if you’re short on time.
Put those pets away
Every professional painter has had this happen at least once, probably dozens of times. The family doesn’t want to lock Fifi up, so the dog or cat can come and go as they please. The problem with this, especially when painting doors or the corners of walls, is that sometimes the animal rubs against the fresh coat of paint, staining it and leaving hairs stuck to the wall. We understand that your pet doesn’t like to be in the cage or in the laundry room, but it should be fine for a few hours. If you really don’t want to do that, take care of them, have a loved one take them away for a few days or risk having to clean up a painted animal!
All set?
Now that you know what you need to do to get ready, let’s find a painter.
3. Where to start looking for a reputable house painter
et’s start with the most time-tested and proven method: friends and family.
Word of mouth referrals
Word of mouth has always been the most powerful form of marketing there is. If someone you know and trust recommends a service or product, you are more likely to buy it. That’s all there is to it. So, when you start looking for a good painter, ask your local friends and family if they have had their house painted recently. If they liked the painter and the quality, find out who it was.
Keep in mind that you will probably have to talk to a lot of people just to get some references. Most people don’t paint their house very often, so plan to ask neighbours, family, co-workers, friends at church, etc. The more people you ask, the better your chances of finding a good painter.
Now that you know where to look, let’s start talking about what to look for in a good professional painter.
4. Things to expect from a house painter
When you hire a professional painter, there are some standard things you can expect. Here is a list of some of the basics:
Walkthrough
Do you think a professional would just “guess” how much your project will cost, how much paint is required and how long it will take? Absolutely not. Instead, they will do a complete walk-through to see what is being painted. They will take measurements, ask lots of questions and probably take pictures or notes.
Colours, finishes and end goal
A professional house painter wants to make sure you are happy. They will ask you what colours you would like, specific finishes, etc. If you haven’t already selected a specific brand, they can also give you a good recommendation on their favourite paint brands. This is good because most consumers have no idea what is considered a quality paint. Even if they see advertisements on TV or hear them on the radio, that doesn’t mean it’s a quality brand!
Insurance and licensing
A professional painter should be insured and licensed. This will help you feel confident in hiring this company, as it adds a layer of protection for both you and them in the event of an accident. The painter should provide you with this information for your records.
Questions?
Painters know that their service is not a cheap investment. They realise that some people have many questions or concerns about hiring a painter. Finally, they realize that they would be working on your biggest asset, your home, and that you would be worried about damage or something going wrong. That’s why they should be more than happy to answer any questions you have. From insurance to experience to paint colour, they should be more than willing to help you.
Cleaning
Let’s face it, painting is complicated. But a professional knows how to keep the house as clean as possible during this time. And in case they make a mess, they should clean it up quickly at their own expense. This also applies to cleaning up at the end of the day. Unless you have specifically given them permission to leave a mess, they should do their best to move things out of the way in case they don’t finish the job.
Touch-ups
Are you happy with the paint job? Or are there a lot of spots that don’t match the rest of the wall? Or maybe the moulding spilled a ton of paint. Whatever the case, you’re paying the painter to make you happy. Full stop. This doesn’t mean you can ask them to do additional unpaid work just because they changed their mind halfway through a project. But it does mean that if they make a mistake, they should fix it. Sometimes it’s a simple touch-up, sometimes it’s repainting an entire wall.
Conclusion
Hiring a professional painter will save you a lot of time and money in the long run. The key is to make sure you do your due diligence while researching different house painters. There will always be a balance between cost, schedule and quality, so consider which one is most important to you.
If you have other questions or concerns about hiring a house painter, let us know; we’ll be happy to help.