8 ways to save money when painting
Painting your home or business can be a costly activity. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to make sure you save money and stay in budget. There are many tips, but we’ve focussed on 8 ways you can make sure you don’t spend more than you need to when painting.
Here’s how to save money on paint projects
1. Plan
Like anything in life, it’s always good to have a plan before you get into action. Don’t purchase a single thing until you know exactly what you want to achieve with this particular paint project. Avoid impulse purchases! Figure out exactly what areas you would like to paint and stick to it. You don’t need to paint everything all at once.
2. Bargain
Now that you have a plan, take your time to find a great deal on the paint that you need to purchase. Now that doesn’t mean going for the cheapest paint you can find because that can often end up costing you more in the long run as it may cause issues. This simply means being patient enough to get your paint when it’s at the best price. This could mean waiting for a sale, bargaining with the sales assistant helping you or buying in bulk so that your cost per litre is less.
3. Calculate
Make sure you’ve correctly calculated how much you are going to need for your paint project. You definitely don’t want to purchase too much paint (and overspend)! Read our article, which provides 7 questions that will help you determine how much paint you will need. Please also make use of our free paint calculator tool.
4. DIY
Professional painters can be expensive. It can work out a lot more reasonable if you do the paint job yourself (if you know that you won’t mess it up as this could end up costing you more in the end). Instead of calling on professionals, why not call on your friends to lend you a helping hand so that you can do the paint job yourselves. That way, the paint job will get done quicker and you’ll get in some quality time together.
5. Swatches and samples
A colour may look marvellous in the paint store, but when you put it on your walls at home it could have a completely different look and feel. The moral of the story is never to buy paint impulsively. It is always best to get colour swatches and samples that you can take home to test on the areas you want to paint. Leave them on your wall for a while so that you can think about it.
6. Some not all
One way to save money is to use less paint. You can do this by not painting all the walls in your home, but select just some rooms to do first or focus on doing one wall in a room that can become an accent wall. You can also make use of paint stencils that can give your walls a lift without using too much paint at all.
7. Right supplies
Even though you may think that you’re saving money by buying the cheapest supplies, equipment and paint, you’re not! Rather invest in good quality supplies for your paint job and don’t skimp on anything. An excellent paintbrush and the best paint will make the world of difference.
8. One colour
A straightforward way to save heaps of money when painting is to use one colour instead of multiple. That way you can purchase it in bulk, which will most likely be discounted. Just make sure you choose a neutral colour that works across your whole home.