Just these 2 tips will make your DIY paint job look like a pro did it!

As a Realtor, it can be frustrating showing buyers their dream home only for them to complain about the interior paint color, and be reluctant to make an offer on the home.  “It’s just paint.  That’s a simple fix,” is something most of my buyers have heard me say.  Well, Karma got me on this one!

My husband and I purchased a home two weeks ago (that’s another blog post!), but we really couldn’t live with the paint colors.  I told my husband, “it’s just paint.  That’s a simple fix.”  Famous last words!  This home is larger than what we previously had, and there are a lot of walls that need new paint.

In order to tackle this big job ourselves, we followed these two tips, which saved us a lot of time and money.

Tip #1:  Use quality paint. 

We used Benjamin Moore paint, and it made our paint job look like a pro did it.  Benjamin Moore paint is leaps and bounds above the best box store paints.

What I like about Benjamin Moore paint is:

  • This high-quality paint hid our amateur roller and brush marks.
  • This paint covered the existing dark paint with one coat.  (It would have taken two or more coats if I used a lesser quality paint.  Paying slightly more for good paint actually was the better bargain between my time and money.)
  • Benjamin Moore has an anti-splattering additive (so no more paint in the hair!).
  • Low VOC, which means no choking fumes or a smelly house.
  • We used a washable matte finish, which is also made our work look professional.
  • We purchased in 1 gallon increments but all the paint was mixed expertly with no variation in color from can to can. (Maybe that’s due to Keith Lovell’s expertise!  See below….)

Where to buy Benjamin Moore paint in Olympia, WA? 

There is only one place to go and that is Northwest Paint & Supply located at 1027 Fourth Avenue East in Olympia.  Keith Lovell is the owner and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to paint, painting techniques, supplies, color choices, etc.  Anything you want to know about painting, talk to Keith.  His expertise will save you a lot of painting heartache.

Tips for a better paint jobTip #2:  Use Frog Tape.

Better than blue painter’s tape, Frog Tape really holds up to its claim of preventing paint bleed.  This is another tool that created a professional look to our paint job, with clean, precise lines along the molding and trim.

Our walls have a heavy texture.  I equate it to trying to paint an English Muffin.  The Frog Tape didn’t give in to paint bleed and kept a clean line even with all the nooks and crannies of the drywall.

Just these two tips can easily make your paint job look like a pro did it.  So the next time I have a buyer who dreads painting, I’m sending them to see Keith Lovell at Northwest Paint & Supply!