How to prepare your home for a painting crew

A short checklist that shortens the job, protects your belongings and keeps the crew working instead of moving your furniture.

None of this is required of you. We will do all of it if you would rather we did. But every item below is time the crew spends not painting, so if you have an hour the evening before, this is where it is best spent.

1. Step 1

   Clear the walls

   Take down pictures, mirrors, shelves and anything mounted. Removing the hardware too means the holes can be filled and the wall reads flat rather than dotted.

2. Step 2

   Move what you can, and say what you cannot

   Small furniture and breakables are best moved out of the room by you, because you know what is fragile and what is irreplaceable. Anything heavy stays and gets moved to the middle of the room and covered.

3. Step 3

   Make the perimeter reachable

   Painting happens at the edges. Beds pushed against walls, bookcases and full closets all cost time on the clock, so clearing an arm width around the room is worth doing.

4. Step 4

   Flag repairs before the first coat

   Point out cracks, nail pops, water stains and soft spots at the walkthrough. Repairs are cheap before painting starts and disruptive once a room is masked off.

5. Step 5

   Plan for pets and parking

   Doors open constantly during a paint job. Pets need somewhere else to be, and the crew needs somewhere close to park, because ladders and equipment get carried in and out repeatedly.

6. Step 6

   On exteriors, clear the outside too

   Patio furniture, grills and planters move away from the house, and shrubs near the walls get trimmed back so the surfaces can actually be reached, washed and coated.