How to Prepare Your Home for Interior Painters

A professional painting crew will cover your floors and protect your furniture, but a few simple steps before they arrive make the project faster and keep your things safe.

One week before

• Confirm your colors. Make your final choice for each room and surface, including ceilings and trim. Test samples on the wall and look at them in the morning and evening light.
• Plan around your schedule. Tell your painter about work-from-home days, pets, and rooms you need to use at certain times.
• Book the order of rooms. If you need a bedroom or the kitchen back first, say so.

The day before

• Remove small items. Take decorations, books, lamps, and breakables off shelves and tables in each room.
• Take down wall art and mirrors. Leave the nails or hooks in place if you want the items back in the same spot. Tell the painters, and they will paint around them or mark the spots.
• Clear the walls. Move furniture about two to three feet away from the walls if you can. Your painter will move and cover the heavy pieces.
• Remove window treatments. Take down curtains and blinds in rooms where the trim is painted.
• Clear a path. Make sure the crew can reach each room and has a place for supplies.

On painting day

• Plan for pets. Keep pets in a closed room or out of the house so they stay safe and away from wet paint.
• Agree on bathroom and water access. Painters need water to clean brushes and rollers.
• Point out problem spots. Show the crew any cracks, stains, or areas that matter to you.

After the painting

• Wait before you hang things. Give the walls a day or two before you hang art, and a few weeks before you scrub.
• Keep leftover paint. Label the cans with the room and the surface for future touch-ups.
• Do a walkthrough. Walk each room with your painter and point out any touch-ups.

Ready to start?

KLW Painting paints interiors across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. Call (781) 921-6489 or request a free estimate.