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| -This post is in collaboration- |
Get Motivated
First of all, if the thought of getting your paint brushes or grouting filler out is the last thing you want to do right now then I highly recommend seeking out some motivation first. I love watching people doing up their homes on Youtube and quite a few people I've been watching on Youtube over the years have started to move into their own places which tend to be fixer-uppers and it's so nice to see their homes go from basically a shell of a house to a cosy home.
Wall Prep - Smoothing/Skimming
If you're planning on painting walls in your home, make sure you have a nice smooth surface for the paint to go on. Obviously, if you have wallpaper then you don't need to worry about this step. But if you have smooth walls then make sure to get rid of any sort of texture on the walls from the previous paintwork by using a sandpaper block. Adding to that, if you have any areas on the wall(s) in question that need smoothing out then you will need to do some wall skimming - a plastering technique. This involves applying a thin coat to the wall to create a smooth surface which is required prior to painting or decorating. You can find super easy how-to-do tutorials by googling "how to do wall skimming".
If you're planning on painting walls in your home, make sure you have a nice smooth surface for the paint to go on. Obviously, if you have wallpaper then you don't need to worry about this step. But if you have smooth walls then make sure to get rid of any sort of texture on the walls from the previous paintwork by using a sandpaper block. Adding to that, if you have any areas on the wall(s) in question that need smoothing out then you will need to do some wall skimming - a plastering technique. This involves applying a thin coat to the wall to create a smooth surface which is required prior to painting or decorating. You can find super easy how-to-do tutorials by googling "how to do wall skimming".
Get Painting!
Once you've prepped your walls with the above and also cleaned your walls of any dirt and dust build-up with sugar soap, it's time to get on with the painting. I highly recommend buying a couple of tester paints first. Whatever you do, don't go in blind by buying a full-sized can of paint and hope for the best. Also, try to put the tester paint(s) on the wall that's in natural lighting so you can see the colour(s) properly and not in artificial/dull lighting. Then once you've chosen your paint you can get painting! I actually find painting quite therapeutic, I tend to just put on one of my many overplayed playlists on Spotify and get cracking.
Once you've prepped your walls with the above and also cleaned your walls of any dirt and dust build-up with sugar soap, it's time to get on with the painting. I highly recommend buying a couple of tester paints first. Whatever you do, don't go in blind by buying a full-sized can of paint and hope for the best. Also, try to put the tester paint(s) on the wall that's in natural lighting so you can see the colour(s) properly and not in artificial/dull lighting. Then once you've chosen your paint you can get painting! I actually find painting quite therapeutic, I tend to just put on one of my many overplayed playlists on Spotify and get cracking.
Lay New Flooring
Something else which you could potentially do if you've got the materials or can get the materials in is to lay new flooring. I'm not talking about fancy, complicated flooring that's in hundreds of pieces, I mean laminate flooring that comes in planks and slots together quite easily, carpets, lino or even those sticky back "tiles" that everyone seems to be buying for their bathroom or kitchen just to "refresh the area" that you just stick down onto the previous surface. You could also sand down your floorboards if it's something you've been thinking of doing and then paint them if preferable (I really want to do this on our stairs).
Something else which you could potentially do if you've got the materials or can get the materials in is to lay new flooring. I'm not talking about fancy, complicated flooring that's in hundreds of pieces, I mean laminate flooring that comes in planks and slots together quite easily, carpets, lino or even those sticky back "tiles" that everyone seems to be buying for their bathroom or kitchen just to "refresh the area" that you just stick down onto the previous surface. You could also sand down your floorboards if it's something you've been thinking of doing and then paint them if preferable (I really want to do this on our stairs).
Get The Pesky Little Jobs Done...
We all have little pesky jobs to do in our home that just keep getting put off because no one really wants to do them. But as I said at the beginning of this post, now is the perfect time to do these types of jobs. Whether it's fixing a leaky tap, doing some grouting in the bathroom or kitchen, sanding down wooden doors to give them a refresh etc. Sometimes the little jobs give you the most satisfaction once they're done.
We all have little pesky jobs to do in our home that just keep getting put off because no one really wants to do them. But as I said at the beginning of this post, now is the perfect time to do these types of jobs. Whether it's fixing a leaky tap, doing some grouting in the bathroom or kitchen, sanding down wooden doors to give them a refresh etc. Sometimes the little jobs give you the most satisfaction once they're done.
