Home painting projects still remain one of the least expensive decorating tasks that anyone can do on a budget! In today’s economy, it’s one of the best ways to spruce up a room or revamp your entire house quickly and effectively. With those of you trying to sell your homes today, painting is a great way to freshen things up and add new life to an outdated space. Though it’s an economical way to go, there are still some ways to cut costs…a few ‘Tricks of the Trade’ if you will. Listed below are a few of my favorites.

• Try to hire an independent painter and not a Painting Company. That may sound silly or confusing but you want to make sure that you have hired and are paying the one that is doing the actual work. There is no need in paying overhead fees to a “boss” or company owner. Typically additional overhead fees can run 20% higher than the actual cost of labor.

• When building a new home, the Construction Company will sometimes tack on an additional 20-30% to the painters labor quote. For instance, if the total cost to paint your new home is $25,000, you could end up paying more like $32,000. You’d never know the mark-up because it’s hidden in the overall price of your new home. Some builders will let you hire and supply your own Paint Contractors. In doing this, you can eliminate those additional mark-up fees.

• Always buy your paint from a good, reputable source. The three that I use are Porter Paints, Sherwin-Williams, and Benjamin Moore. They all offer good quality products but there is a large gap in pricing. You should compare pricing between the three and use the one that best suits your budget. Ask your painter to use one of these companies. Using good, quality paint will eliminate the number of coats needed for complete coverage and increase washability and durability.

• Some painters will give you their discounted pricing on the paint and supplies that they use on the project. I personally have worked with a lot of painters who don’t mind passing along their pricing…some will even give you receipts and copies of the invoices. It doesn’t hurt to ask if you can get the paint and supplies at the discounted cost and just simply pay for labor. There are a lot of painters out there who will do business like this.

• For those true “Do-It-Yourselfers”, go ahead and sign up as a preferred customer online or in person at your favorite paint store(s). They often run sales and promotions so if you’re patient and can wait; it’s worth the extra savings.

If you’ve always thought painting was inexpensive, try some of my money saving tips and strategies to see if you can save yourself even more on your next painting project. I enjoy sharing my ideas and solutions with others so they can Spend Less and Save More while creating space that inspire.

Everyone is always saying, “Don’t be afraid of color, it’s just PAINT!”….well now you really don’t have to worry. It’s a whole lot easier to paint over a $20 coat of paint than a $50 one

Happy Painting!