7 Tips for Saving Money on Your Next Home Painting Project
- Don’t go with a big name franchised house painter just because you saw them advertised on TV or in your newspaper. This may be a no-brainer but advertising costs money and guess who foots the bill? That’s right, homeowners pay for all of that fancy advertising in their paint service bill. We recommend either taking the do-it-yourself approach or ask friends and family about their experiences with local house painters.
- Buy the right amount of paint for your project. Taking the time up front to determine coverage needs will cut down on initial costs as well as expenses associated with paint disposal. Your experienced, trustworthy home painter or a paint store customer representative can help you decide. You’ll need to know the size of the area being covered and what you’re painting over to get a recommendation on how much paint you’ll need.
- Check out free or low-cost paint options. Sometimes hardware stores – even the big box chains like Lowes and Home Depot will carry high-quality paint that has been rejected by customers because the color was off by a shade. This is a very viable option when you are painting a small area inside your home or garage. It’s often free or low-price, and some stores will mix it again for free as long as you’re taking it off their hands, so you can get the color adjusted to suit your needs.
- Hit up Goodwill or ARC thrift stores for drop cloth material. You don’t need expensive durable hardware store drop cloths. These types of stores often have sheets or tablecloths that are great for the job, at a fraction of the price.
- A little primer goes a long way. If you’re covering a dark or unusually porous surface in your home, buy a heavy primer before you start painting. The up-front cost can be higher but you’ll save money having to layer on quality paint to get to a final product that you’re proud of.
- Check the Sunday Denver Post for ads on paint specials. Sounds like an obvious avenue but surprisingly, many homeowners just don’t take the time to hunt for specials or coupons. We suggest searching online for home improvement couponing sites, which regularly round up the best coupon deals for their visitors.
- Prepare the surface. Scrape off bad paint. Power-wash. Repair bad wood. Fill in cracks and crevices with caulk. The sun, hail and rain we see each season in the Parker area – and the southeast Denver metro area in general – takes its toll on outdoor surfaces. Taking care of these prep issues will ensure your high-quality paint will last as long, or longer, than originally intended.
