With an extra day to tag on to your weekend, make the most of it and get your house looking tip-top..
Studies show that a lick of fresh paint can add up to £3,000 to the value of your home, so it’s well worth the effort if you’re thinking of selling. If your house is looking a bit tired, follow our tips from DIY expert Tommy Walsh…
1. Plan, plan and plan some more
If you wake up on Sunday morning and your first inclination is to get the paintbrushes out, stop! Sit down, have a cup of tea, grab a pen and paper and make a list. Plan it properly and work out what you want to achieve, and the tools and materials you’re going to need. There’s an old saying in the building industry: if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.
2. Start from the top
Always begin at the top of the house and work your way down. If you start redecorating on the top floor, by the time you get to the ground floor you’ll be super efficient, and this is the floor people will see most. If you live in a terraced house, always start home improvements at the back of the property. Think about it logically: you don’t want to drag debris from the back garden through a lovely new kitchen.
3. Know your paint
A gloss paint is fine if you’re putting it on smooth timber, but elsewhere it will amplify every mark and imperfection. Eggshell normally looks much better because it has a semi-matt finish – it’s far more subtle. Water-based paints are eco-friendly, but to achieve a deep and solid colour you’ll need more coats than if you use an oil-based one.
4. Brighten up your paintwork
After a while, paintwork can start to look yellow – this is caused by the oil reacting to heat. If you don’t want to redecorate just yet, scrub the walls with sugar soap. This is a bit like exfoliating your house. It takes a microscopic coat of paint off, so the fresh colour shows through. Put some on a scouring pad, rub it down, and rinse off with clean, cold water. This is a great way of tidying up the place without the expense and hassle of having to paint, and it also prepares the walls nicely for the next time you do decide to decorate.
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