Can you afford to hire a contractor? By doing the job yourself, you can save a lot of money, however, having your home professionally painted will be faster and eliminates the need for you to buy equipment, prepare the surface, and do the actual painting.
Do you have the proper equipment? The highest quality acrylic latex paint costs more than $20 per gallon, but it takes more than paint and elbow grease to do the best job. You’ll also need ladders, scrapers, sandpaper, brushes or rollers and safety equipment. Do you have these items? Are you willing to invest in them?
Are you in good health and reasonably fit? Achieving professional-looking painting results are within the skill level of most do-it-yourselfers, but if you are out of shape, you may find the work somewhat taxing.
Do you enjoy physical work? From a psychological standpoint, many homeowners get enormous satisfaction from completing a home improvement project. Along with the cost savings, this is one of the rewards that go to those who do their painting.
Have you done exterior painting before? As with most home improvement projects, painting is easier “the second time around,” after you’ve mastered surface preparation and application techniques.
Are you afraid of heights? Look at the highest point of your house. Would you be nervous painting it from a ladder?
If you ultimately decide to do your exterior painting, proceed with confidence. Exterior painting is one of the top do-it-yourself projects (trailing only interior painting). Many homeowners go it alone and get great results.
Whatever you decide here are a couple of tips: Make sure the surface is properly prepared, and spend a few extra dollars for the best quality exterior paint. Properly-applied top quality acrylic latex paint can last up to ten years or more — so it will be a long time before you have to make this decision again.
