Everybody knows that all McFarland rental properties need regular maintenance to remain in good condition. Part of this maintenance includes painting the interior walls. It sounds like a pretty simple task to roll or brush some paint on wherever needed. Except that a quick painting job can then become a nightmare if you aren’t 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 make 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 you also need to protect any adjacent surfaces, furniture, and light fixtures. To prep like a pro, start by removing all light switch and outlets plates, window coverings, and anything else on the walls. Afterward, 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. Once you’ve wiped down your surfaces, it’s important to take the time to mask off adjacent surfaces using low-stick painter’s tape and masking film. When used together, you can fast cover windows, light fixtures, and floors. It would help if you also used several larger drop cloths to cover furniture and to protect your floors from drips and spills.
Use Quality Materials and Paint
Like most McFarland rental property owners, you’re most likely budget-conscious. However, trying 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. You’ll likewise want to select quality paint. A 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. You’ll probably result in buying more paint and spending more time painting your interior walls to get full coverage than if you had originally purchased a higher quality paint.
Paint Like a Pro
Once you’re set to start painting, make sure that you have everything you’ll need on hand. Most pro painters will wear latex or nitrile gloves to keep their hands clean. You might want to cover your hair and clothes, as well. Paint rollers tend to splatter a bit, especially when painting ceilings. Start with the edges of the room and work your way toward the center. This will help avoid roller marks. Lastly, if your paint job will take more than one day, wrap your brushes and rollers in plastic overnight. Just make sure your wrapping is airtight. This will keep them from drying out and save you time cleaning them in between painting sessions.
Or Hire a Pro
Obviously, one of the simplest 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 spot a quality painter by asking around, especially at your local paint or hardware store. Other great sources include local real estate professionals and the experts at Real Property Management Greater Madison Metro. Once you have a shortlist of names, make sure to get at least three bids for the job. You may be pressed for time, but that shouldn’t mean you pay over the market rate for quality work. Finally, never pay the painter upfront. This 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 burden. This is especially true if you know all the tips and tricks the professionals use to get beautiful results in no time.
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