How to Prepare Your Home for Interior Painting

Before an interior paint job, clear small items off surfaces, take down wall hangings, and make a path to each room. Your painting crew should handle moving and covering furniture, protecting floors, and all the surface prep.

What to do before the crew arrives

• Take down photos, art, mirrors, and curtains in the rooms being painted
• Clear countertops, shelves, dressers, and nightstands
• Unplug and move small electronics; coil cords out of the way
• Move fragile or valuable items to a room that isn’t being painted
• Make sure the crew can park and reach an entrance
• Plan for pets — a closed room or a day away is easiest for everyone

What the painters should handle

• Moving larger furniture to the center of the room and covering it
• Covering floors with drop cloths or paper
• Removing outlet and switch covers
• Filling nail holes and dents, sanding rough spots
• Caulking gaps along trim and baseboards
• Spot-priming patched areas and any bare surfaces
• Masking trim, windows, and fixtures
• Cleaning up at the end of each day

Choosing colors and sheen

Test colors on the actual wall, in a two-foot square, and look at them in daylight and at night. For sheen, flat or matte suits ceilings and low-traffic walls, eggshell or satin works for living areas and hallways, and semi-gloss holds up on trim, doors, kitchens, and bathrooms. A good painter will talk this through with you during the estimate. See our paint sheen guide.

During the job

You don’t need to be home the whole time. Many homeowners give the crew access and check in by phone. Expect a walkthrough at the end so you can point out anything to touch up before the job is called done.

Common questions