Sooner or later the time that will come that you need to get your house painted. I can be daunting, but with the right help and the right advice the talk can be quite rewarding. House painting gives you the opportunity to modernise your home and to add value, often far beyond the cost of painting.
Here we map out the tasks to a successful end result.
Having painters in and around your house can be intrusive, no matter how careful they are. If you get the outside painted, it may be a good idea to get some of the inside rooms painted at the same time.
Decide which rooms (if any) need to be painted or whether there are touch up’s necessary.
Even if the exterior of the house needs more attention on the whether or sunny side of the house, it’s probably a good idea to get the entire exterior painted. Our own research has shown that if you get as much of the painting done in one go it will save costs in the long run.
This is a good time to get some color ideas and it’s worthwhile to work with a color consultant. Some painting companies include a consultation in their pricing, others may charge a small fee. It is well worth getting color ideas from a professional to make sure that your home is fitting the new trends and for you to get to know all the colour options that are available.
But don’t fall into the price trap. Price is probably the last consideration, unless it’s far off other quoted. Compare apples with apples. Take care that your quote includes scaffolding and other costs that may be necessary. There is also a significant difference in paint quality. Go with known brands like Dulux or Resene and don’t be swayed to choose paint of unknown quality based on price. Good paint lasts a lot longer than an inferior product and over time this will be a cost saving rather than an added cost.
Many issues can be hidden with a coat of paint, only to re-surface soon after the painting company has left. A good painting company will outline issues that have to be addressed before paint can be applied. An example of this are window sills that need fixing and leak-proofing before they can be painted. A house with plaster cladding or monolithic cladding may need attention that requires expertise in that field. You should deal with a company that can identify and address these issues as part of the complete paint job.
If there is remedial work to be done, then get this included in the quote.
If you look at customer reviews online then be aware that some of them could be fake, but they will give you an idea of how the company performs. Get some references from the company as well and if possible ask to see the result.
Before work begins, ask your painting company to give you a walk-through of that work that they will be doing. That should include them pointing out all the remedial work that will be done and how it will be addressed.
Here’s is a good opportunity for them to tell you about their company, what guarantees they give and whether they are insured, just in case things go wrong.
At Homesmart we know that our reputation rests on the quality of house painting we do as well as the quality of the remedial work. We treat every that house we paint in Auckland as a potential reference for more business.
Get in touch with us for a free quote.