DIY interior house painting

we are about to jump into a cosmetic/fix necessities reno.
Max budget is 18k, though if we can get out of it for half that great.
I initially planned to outsource the painting since I really hate doing it and don't have confidence in the finish my hubby will achieve after the paint job he did on our PPOR a few years ago (though he was trying to paint white over mocha walls- maybe that's a excuse for the poor end result)However after receiving quotes ranging from 3-6k for a small 3 bed house, I think we may just have a crack at it. I figure worst case scenario it just turns out crap, and we haven't really lost much.
Id like to hear opinions on whether you can DIY a decent paint job. I was planning on white walls to freshen up the house but if we are doing it I think it will have to be a light grey or something to deflect from our poor painting skills.
Is it really that hard to do yourself? I just can't warrant forking out that type of money for something that can be done ourselves.
Hubby is pretty handy , just not with a paint brush imo- though he thinks he is!
We need to do walls, ceilings, architraves and skirtings. I'm scared that if we do outsource it and go with say the 3k cheapest quote that the finish may be no better than us DIYing it

 

Absolutely you can do it yourself. One of the easier DIY jobs. Just spend time on the prep and get some advice and good paints. Don't skimp on cheap brushes and rollers. Youtube is your friend if you are an absolute beginner.

 

I'm no expert but I do all my painting myself. Use an undercoat and put 2 coats on top. Good quality paint. Let hubby do the other stuff and you do the painting. It is hard work but there's simply no reason you can't do it yourself unless you're as rough ss him.

 

White is the best colour to hide imperfections, the darker the paint the more the imperfections in the plastering and painting show up.

Use old sheets or a decent, big groundsheet to protect the floors - I bought a huge one for about $40 - and the correct masking tape on windows etc.

Don't forget to 'cut in'. Doing it by myself, I had to do the two cutting in ceiling coats first, then do the ceiling. The guidebooks suggest doing it at once, but my way worked fine.

With two people, one could cut in and one could follow with the roller.,ll

 

Painting is easy.
Prep the wall first - sand any extrusions and fill any intrusions. Wipe it down if dirty/dusty.
Paint ceiling first then trims then walls (I find it's easier to go from lightest to darkest - you can control the cutting in lines more).
Don't skimp on the brush and roller. A good $15-25 brush and $18 roller should sort you out.
Cut in carefully and start at the back of the house so you get a feel for the brush. After you get the knack of it - you'll often get a better finish without taping up. (Saving time and money!)
Tip: don't put too much paint on the brush or roller. Common rookie mistake is trying to put it on too thick.
Double coat and you're done.

 

Thanks all you have renewed my confidence!

 

And just to add my 2c worth, if you are doing white over a dark colour an undercoat of plasterboard sealer is a miracle cure.

 

Personally I'd pay someone. You can always tell a DIY paint job, especially if you're inexperienced, and the time it takes for all the prep and actual work, let alone cleaning all the gear - $3k sounds like a bargain to me. Don't forget there's a cost when you do it too - all the paint, brushes etc, and emotional capital when you have to yell at hubby for his less than pro attempt.

 

I do all my own painting too - except for the last IP when I realised that it would take a painter 2 weeks or me part time 6 weeks to complete. Using the painter got a tenant in paying rent 4 weeks sooner, so it was a no brainer.

On a PPOR though, I'd do it myself. I'd recommend you do the same except if you cannot do a good job. Bad paint jobs actually devalue a property IMO.

 

For sure, especially when you've done it before. You get better each time.
But you forget about all the prep time.

 

Order should be: ceiling, walls, trim

 

My in laws just paid 5k to have their IP painted. What a waste of money!!

If you have the time do it yourself.. It's tedious and time consuming and you get a sore back, neck and knees, but something that even a novice can do easily..

 

Mate, I painted my first house in that order.
I painted the current house in ceiling, trim, walls - got a much neater finish. So each to their own.

 

Before I painted my house, I drew it, got it approved, built it, then painted it.

 

I've never painted a whole house but did kitchen, bedroom & bathroom repaint. It's not that bad. Time consuming but quite satisfying when it's finished. Just don't leave the painters tape on too long. I made that rookie mistake and had to repaint some sections where it pulled the paint off.

 

Doable by yourself for sure but not an easy job. Preparation work is crucial. If you do this well, you will end up with great results. I would go ceiling,Trim and then walls too. I did the prep work on my place (3 bedroom) a month or so ago and it took a good very long 4 days but will do the painting in another month or so...

 

I go trim last because it allows you to cut in the walls along the skirting quicker.. Also if wall colour is light it can help with priming the skirting as trim paint if glossy is slightly thinner..

If you do trim first you spend time cutting in then if you accidentally hit the trim with the roller (after cutting the wall in) you will need to touch up trim again..

 

Preparation is the key!

 

You can get special masking tape for painting ( green or purple) that lasts for several weeks and pulls off beautifully. Even the cheap versions of this tape work well.

 

Definitely are going to tackle it ourselves. The more I look at it the more confidence I have. Got Dulux paint dirt cheap from a painter that sells his excess buckets that builders supply for $35 per 10L. Since Im going white he has plenty of Dulux White for walls and ceilings. Im looking forward to getting stuck into it. If It doesn't come up as good as I hope I will get a pro in next year once the tenants are in and when its actually deductible. We are knocking out 2 big walls too so really its just bedrooms and 3 walls in the living area that will be noticed.