All Paramount rental properties require regular maintenance to stay in good condition. One significant component of this maintenance includes painting the interior walls. It appears like a pretty simple task to roll or brush some paint on wherever needed. But a prompt painting job can soon become a nightmare if you’re not properly prepared. Whether you are getting your rental home ready for a new tenant or giving your property’s walls a much-needed facelift, there are certain tricks the professionals use to ensure a better outcome. By applying these pro tips and tricks, you can create your next interior paint job both look better and become easier to accomplish.
Prep the Right Way
As anyone with experience painting interior walls will tell you, preparing your surfaces before you start to paint is half the battle. Not only will you need to prep the walls to be painted, but it is also necessary to protect any adjacent surfaces, furniture, and light fixtures. To act like a professional, start by removing all light switch and outlet plates, window coverings, and anything else on the walls. The next step is to use a tack cloth to clean your walls and trim. Tack cloth is a specific kind of cheesecloth designed to remove dust and debris from painted surfaces without water. After you’ve wiped down your surfaces, it’s imperative to take the time to mask off adjacent surfaces using low-stick painter’s tape and masking film. After using it both, you can easily cover windows, light fixtures, and floors. It is also advisable to use several larger drop cloths to cover furniture and to protect your floors from drips and spills.
Use Quality Materials and Paint
Like most other Paramount rental property owners, you are probably budget-conscious. However, aiming to cut costs by purchasing cheap materials and paint is not a good idea. To get a professional result, invest in good-quality brushes, rollers, and paint pans. It is also advisable to pick a quality paint. Cheap paint may seem like a deal, but chances are you’ll end up needing multiple coats to get the same coverage that a better-quality paint can achieve in one coat. You’ll probably end up buying more paint and spending more time coating your interior walls to achieve the ideal result than if you had originally purchased a higher quality paint.
Paint Like a Pro
When you are ready to begin painting, make sure that you have everything you’ll need on hand. Numerous pro painters will wear latex or nitrile gloves to keep their hands clean. You may need to cover your hair and clothes, as well. Paint rollers tend to splatter a little, mainly while painting ceilings. Go to the edges of the room and work your way toward the center. It will help to avoid roller marks. Finally, when your paint job takes another day to finish, wrap your brushes and rollers in plastic overnight. Just make sure your wrapping is airtight. This will shield them from drying out and save you time cleaning them in between painting sessions.
Or Hire a Pro
Undeniably, one of the most effective ways to get a professional result is to hire professionals to paint your rental property’s interiors. It can be a challenge to know who you can trust to do a good job, and simply picking a name off a list is not a good idea. You can look for a quality painter by asking around, especially at your local paint or hardware store. Other sources include local real estate professionals and the experts at Real Property Management Southland. After you got a shortlist of names, make sure to get at least three bids for the job. You may be pressed for time, but that doesn’t mean that you have to pay over the market rate for quality work. After all, never pay the painter upfront. That is a huge red flag and may mean they are trying to scam you. If the painter you hired asks for payment in full before starting the job, find another painter.
Painting your rental property’s interiors doesn’t need to be a hassle. That is particularly the case if you know all the tips and tricks the professionals use to get beautiful results in no time.
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