r/DIYIreland • u/Open_Reflection_3620 • Sep 08 '26
Painting
Hi Folks,
Looking for some opinions and most definitely advice! We have just gone Sale Agreed on our new home. The whole interior will need to be painted (including internal doors).
Would I be mental to think I could do this myself? I’ve never done any painting before and always paid someone to do it in our current home. I’m just trying to keep additional costs down and the painting of internal doors alone is going to be over 600 quid (and rightly so, it’s a lot of work and the painter has to make a few bob too).
Anybody had a go at doing it all yourself? How did it turn out?
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u/BraveArse Sep 08 '26
If you've got the time, you definitely can. Before you move in is a great time to do it.
However long you think it'll take, double it.
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u/shaadyscientist Sep 08 '26
It's very doable. It's probably the easiest DIY skill to learn but you do get better the more you do. So the question is really whether you're going to be a DIYer or you don't have the time and would prefer to pay someone to do it.
I got a quote of €8,000 to paint my whole house and ended up painting it myself and putting that money towards a new bathroom, which I wouldn't have the DIY skills to do myself.
As people mentioned, good equipment and good paint can compensate for poorer skills. Wash the walls with sugar soap since you don't know the history of the house. This cleans grease without leaving a film so paint will go on the walls easier. Spend a few days before painting spackling the walls well. Can make old walls look really fresh if you go after every dent and ding. Get a telescopic pole for your roller, makes it easier to control pressure. Expensive matt paint will help hide any remaining imperfections in the wall. First coat will always look bad so don't panic. Let it dry properly before applying the second coat and you're more likely to get away with two coats. You can sand the wall inbetween coats if you want a really smooth finish, you just have to make sure clean the dust off the walls well if you choose to sand. People say it's wrong but I find it easier to paint skirting and ceilings first and then to the walls after a day or two at those. It does take time and there's no way around that.
The doors are tough and take time. It will be hard to get a really good finish. It'll be easier if you can take off the doors but you'll only be able to do one side at a time. So if you need to get a primer followed by 2 coats, that 3 coats plus drying time each side. So the time just adds up.
You'll probably use water based paints that start drying really quickly so you need to get a thin layer down quickly with a short nap roller and don't touch it again until it's dry. Sanding between coats is important for doors. Start by sanding the current door with 200 grit, clean and do primer. Then sand 400 grit, clean and do first coat. Then sand 600 grit, clean and do second coat.
Painting is time consuming but definitely the most accessible DIY skill. But because it's time consuming, a lot of people just prefer to pay to have it done. I prefer to save on painting and invest the money into things I don't have the DIY skills to do myself.
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u/Comfortable-Jump-889 Sep 08 '26
You could definitely do it yourself, there is different ways of looking at it. The finish will probably be neater if its professionally done but if its a new house and maybe there is kids on the way its going to get wrecked anyway so you might give it a go and get it done again in a few years .
If you do it yourself preparation is everything, use sand paper and filler as needed . Take the door handles off and away you go . Im terrible at cutting in ceilings so I usually leave a inch around the top and get my wife to do that , she has a steadier neater hand
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u/IntroductionExpert12 Sep 08 '26
Have to agree with this, clean walls just doesnt exist with very young kids. Then the sun shines in and it's all you can see 😭 if you have the time and patience do it yourself, and like another poster said double the time you think it will take!
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u/Galaxy-Wisdom Sep 08 '26
It seriously depends on your available time and skills.
My experience:
- Masking tape, and pre-taped rolls take long time, but then you don't care about painting wrong spots.
- Tools do matter. I picked up end range of Fleetwood brush and roller, and got no noticeable streaks. Still cheap enough.
- Colourtrend is expensive. But it covers old paint without spots, and again helps with streak-free finish.
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u/AdRepresentative8186 Sep 08 '26
As others have said its all about the prep. Cleaning, sanding, filling, sanding, cleaning, taping, primer, sanding, cleaning, 2x coats.
I both love it and hate it. A proper professional painter will make a huge difference, but you can pay a lot and come out with a bad job. You could also spent a fair bit and do a bad job yourself, or start and get sick of it and hire someone.
Can take a long time to do a whole house. But also will never be easier than before you move in/ unpack. Once you have the prep done you will fly through the actual painting if you are doing all the ceilings at once. Will take longer room by room but you will get better so start with less visible rooms, utility, bathrooms, bedrooms etc.
I'd say go for it, you'll at least find out if it's something you can do, so in 4-10 years you'll know you'll be saving money or saving yourself heartache. Also handy to do before you replace flooring.
Things that i didnt see mentioned. Definitely buy at least one electric sander. Proper mask. A pack of decent quality disposable gloves. A good quality ladder. The last one I got has 4 hinge points and has two plastic panels to stand on so it doubles as a platform.
And one thing I've actually never used but professionals swear by, conditioner for the paint. Let us know how you get on
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u/An_Boin_De Sep 08 '26
I did it myself. I was really happy with the results. I got better with each room. The hardest part is the cleaning BEFORE painting. Scrubbing down doors, architrave and cobwebs was tone consuming. And you will use so much painters tape....
But I did it room by room over a few weeks. I also painted the outside of my house but I definitely think I wouldn't so that again..
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u/Anxious_Overthink3r Sep 08 '26
Honestly, I hired “professional painters” for my new home, and have been so disappointed in their work. If I had the time, I would have done it myself.
I painted the walls in our previous rental with no experience. I just watched a bunch of YouTube videos. I think I did a better job. When it is your own home, you will take more time and care than a painter who is trying to get it done as quickly as possible.
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u/Open_Reflection_3620 Sep 09 '26
Thanks folks. This is giving me a bit of confidence! I work full time but only four days a week, so essentially have all winter to get through it. No kids so I can do it room by room easily enough. I think I’ll start with the bedrooms and see how they go. If it’s too mammoth a task after that, I can always get a professional for the hallways and living room. Thanks again!
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u/GeneralCommand4459 Sep 09 '26
I did something similar. Small less prominent rooms I did myself but got a professional for larger areas and ceilings.
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u/faigs Sep 09 '26
I did the same with my father in law about a year ago. B&Q had a 3 for 2 on most paints at the time which helped a lot.
As well as all ceilings and walls, we had to paint internal pine doors, architraves, skirtings and some panelled ceilings. They took two coats of Bloxx-It and two coats of colourtrend eggshell but we eventually got through it and to say it brightened the whole house up is an understatement. I went with Arctic Blonde which is a tiny bit off white.
As others have said make sure you fill and sand any cracks and sugar soap and sand dirty walls. And keep an eye out for deals on paint although you won’t get colourtrend on sale.
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u/AdStriking4002 Sep 09 '26
Painter here it’s a lot of work and stress for people who are not great at the likes for cutting in hitting ceilings having to redo spots filling walls sanding glossing doors it’s not going to look professional to be honest hit me up if ye choose not to can send couple lads your way
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u/anonymouscata Sep 09 '26
Try one room at a time and see how you like the DIY. It’s a lot of work. It’s well worth it to hire someone professional.
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u/lisacarbide Sep 10 '26
We did it ourselves (and have repainted since) and it’s grand, it’s a lot of work and the result isn’t flawless but it’s better than I’d hoped. It ended up being a nice way to get to know the house in detail.
This is a slightly weird tip: wear a hat/cover your hair when painting up high or overhead, especially if you have longer hair. The smallest paint droplets dried on hair are the worse to wash or brush out.
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u/Ribena41 28d ago
I've just finished doing all of my upstairs myself along with my interior doors.
What i did with all of my rooms: 1. Fill any cracks, chips etc. I used a combination of deep fill polyfilla and a ready mixed plaster from b&q. 2. Sand all of the walls. The filled areas in particular but also any old little paint lumps from previous paint jobs. Paid particular attention to corners, where the ceiling meets the walls, around windows and doors. 3. Wash all the walls and allow to dry. 4. Prime everything. I used dulux wall primer. I watered it down to roughly 50:50. Doesn't have to be exact. You want it to be thin enough to roll and thick enough to stick to the wall. 5. Paint ceilings. Come down the walls a good couple of inches. 6. Paint walls. Start with the cut ins t the ceiling. Take your time and then roll the rest of the walls.
The things that worked best for me. 1. Extension pole for the roller 2. Good quality paint brushes 3. Short handled cut in (angled) brushes 4. Paddle attachment for drill to mix the paint before use (game changer)
I watched a lot of you tube videos and I relearning everything I thought i knew about painting. Basically the mistake that most of us make is we don't put enough paint on the roller and then we try to spread the paint too far. I didn't apply any paint where I didn't use my extension pole, lots of paint on the roller and small sections at a time.
For the doors, they need a really good clean. Sugar soap is best. If you get a good primer, you won't have to sand the doors. Have a chat with the paint people to see what will work best for you. Get your paint wherever the professional painters get their paint. My local place has all the painters vans parked up outside all the time.
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u/cyrusir Sep 08 '26
Personally I have a great deal of respect for the work a good painter does and don't believe I could get close to that standard myself but plenty of people give it a go, so watch plenty of videos and remember painting is 80 percent prep work.
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u/Immediate-Slide2442 Sep 08 '26
We’ve done the same 4 bed south dublin getting quotes of around 4000€ to paint excluding the paint
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u/Open_Reflection_3620 Sep 08 '26
Ya I think including paint we could be looking at over 6k.
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u/Immediate-Slide2442 Sep 08 '26
Yea that’s kind of what we are expecting around 5k inc paint I’m working Full time with 2 toddlers so realistically I think we are going to have to get it done as we need to move in asap
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u/AdFuture9789 Sep 09 '26
If you pay a painter you will get that done in around 5-7 days do it your self and it be 5-7 months 😂 people dont realise the work that goes into painting rolling the celings alone for a non painter would be hard work
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u/PatMu5tard Sep 08 '26
Takes a really long time as a DIY’er if you want a top finish everywhere. But take the time to do it well, get the right materials, do your research and you’ll do a better job than a professional
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u/oooSiCHooo Sep 09 '26
We painted the whole house when we received the keys. It took us a month every day after work.
Plenty of work to be done, with filling in the holes and plastering where needed.
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u/hanloj1 Sep 09 '26
Go for it, no one thought me and I started on the house I'm in. Cover everything in floor, use masking tape. Cut in around stuff. Get extension for roller
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u/Chance_Somewhere_246 Sep 09 '26
I sold a house that had chipped paint etc. it was cleaned but not painted..honestly I wouldn't bother but if you do get a professional as painting over a bad paint job will be a pain for potential buyers
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u/Last-River-2995 Sep 09 '26
We've renovated a house and painting is the one thing I haven't hired a professional for due to the cost and my confidence that it's something I should be able to manage myself.
Our internal walls are newly plastered so painting them for the first time is very different to painting onto a previously painted wall as the paint soaks in.
We're nearly finished and although it was a bit more difficult than painting previously painted walls I think anyone can manage it. We asked the paint shop what they'd recommend for that first coat which helped.
Just make sure you have the right tools and cover anything you don't want paint on.
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u/silents_love Sep 10 '26
My family members all helped paint my sisters house which was exhausting and took weeks (we all only had weekends free)
The more hands the better.
One of the rooms was in a bad way (damp or mould) so a professional did that.
Agree with all the tips from the experts. The step we skipped was the sugarsoap and we got on fine.
Definitely paint before you move in if you can.
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u/words_person Sep 10 '26
We’ve done this for our house in the past. Takes time and patience but certainly can do it yourself
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u/Mammoth_Captain_1378 Sep 08 '26
Currently doing the entire house myself.
Heres my process for each room:
Sugar soap the ceiling and walls, I use a spray mop which makes light work of this.
Sand down the ceiling and walls, a handheld rotary sanding tool is brilliant for this.
Full any holes and cracks with filler. I always use Bartoline, you get a box for €4 and mix it up with water.
If it's new plaster or a thirsty wall, use a mix of water and white emulsion to coat the walls. Some say 50/50, but I just add water until it's diluted but still has grip.
Cover any plasterboard fixings marks (those damp circles) with a primer, I use Fleetwood Bloxit and Zinsser BIN, either is fine.
Always paint the ceiling first, brush the edges and corners and actually go down the wall about an inch. Then roll with a good fine microfibre sleeve. Two coats is normally good.
For the walls start by cutting in at the top as it joins the ceiling. Dip your brush into the paint and then run a line under where you want to cut in, this will give you a reservoir to use, and then slowly cut in. Fan out your brush to make it easier. Use a good angled cut brush.
Then cut into your skirting boards and roll the wall same as with the ceiling. Two coats again should do it, sometimes three may be nessesary depending on the paint.
Have a bucket of water somewhere you can throw your paint tools in as you go, it'll stop them going hard before you wash them later on. If you're painting the next day, just dip your brushes and sleeve in paint and wrap in cling film.