The scariest thought that people get when looking to perk up their homes is not at all related to money.
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Most people are terrified of the amount of work that needs to be done, starting with clearing out rooms and packing their possessions to store properly to making other house arrangements and cleaning, all of which are necessary when looking to implement a new interior paint project.
Money, however, is also important whether you plan to hire a professional or do the work yourself. You’ll want to choose quality paint with the longest lasting effect, and to save money, here’s what to do.
Buy premium line paint when on sale.
Take time with your painting project and once decided on the colors, choose a manufacturer’s premium line and wait for a sale to start painting.
Less expensive paint from any manufacturer will most likely provide less coverage and will last a shorter amount of time, so always choose a top-of-the-line paint if you’re not planning a change in the next few years.
Most premium line paints are backed for 15 years or more.
Get a discount on color combinations.
Instead of mixing your own paint colors, which, yes, could be cost effective, but also disastrous since this is a bit of a trial and error process, have a paint company take the pain out of this process for you.
Companies such as Sears and The Home Depot have created various color combinations for a variety of home styles, including classic homes that you can buy on a discount. Some companies will even help you match colors with color-matching software, so always make sure you research what’s available.
Shop recycled paint
A mid-level paint may be good enough for your project, in which case you could consider buying recycled paint that’s available in many cities.
Various cities in the country have paint recycling programs that allow people to bring in old paint, which is then processed and sold for next to nothing. Many contractors use recycled paint for their building projects because it costs them so little and the paint is really good paint.
Check to see if a paint recycling business is available in your area and maybe try out some recycled paint before buying any of the cheap paint on the market.
Ask for mistint paint at your local hardware store
Mistints or mistinted paints are paints that customers return because the finish is not in the color that they wanted. So sometimes, hardware stores will get a paint color wrong when mixing colors for customers and they sell these products at clearance prices when customers return them.
You can get paint as cheap as $10 if you buy mistinted, the downside to this being a limited selection of colors. Check for mistints at hardware stores such as Ace Hardware and The Home Depot.
Buy in bulk for the best price
Just like buying groceries in bulk helps people save money, so does buying paint in bulk, which can save you a good $35 to $50 per gallon when you purchase a 5-gallon container. This works best, of course, when you limit your color choices and choose to paint several rooms using the same color.
Buy good paintbrushes and rollers
You can buy the best interior paint at the most convenient price, but if you’re not using the best tools, you could be losing instead of saving money because the wrong tools can have you needing to apply more paint.
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Using a primer when painting untreated surfaces is also important, so make sure you apply the correct primer for best results.