Homeowner guides
Preparing Your Home for Painting: A Cairns Homeowner's Checklist
The short version
What to do before the painters arrive so the job runs faster, costs less and finishes better.
A repaint runs smoother when the house is ready for it. None of this is hard, but doing it before the crew turns up saves hours of shuffling — and hours you're paying for.
Two weeks out: lock in your colours
Colour indecision is the single biggest cause of delays. Get sample pots on the actual walls, look at them in morning light and again at 4pm, and remember that a Cairns exterior in full sun will read two shades lighter than the swatch.
- Test colours on the wall itself, not on a card held against it
- Check exterior colours in direct sun and in shade
- Decide on sheen levels too — matt hides wall imperfections, satin and semi-gloss are easier to wipe down
- Confirm trim, door and ceiling colours, not just the walls
One week out: clear the way
Your painters will move heavy furniture and cover what stays, but the small stuff is faster if you do it.
- Take down photos, mirrors, wall hooks and curtains
- Empty shelving and clear the tops of wardrobes
- Clear a metre and a half around every wall being painted
- Outside: trim back shrubs touching the walls, move pot plants and clear the path around the house
- Make sure there's access to an outdoor tap and a power point
The day before
- Sort out pets — a fresh site with open tins and drop sheets is no place for a curious dog
- Let the neighbours know if we're working near a shared fence or using their side for access
- Arrange parking for the crew's vehicles, especially in the CBD or on narrow streets
- Decide who's the day-to-day contact if you're going to be at work
What your painters should be doing (not you)
You shouldn't be washing walls, filling cracks or sanding anything. Surface preparation is the job, and it's the part that decides how long the finish lasts. A quote that skips it isn't cheaper — it just fails sooner.
- Pressure cleaning or sugar-soap washing every surface
- Scraping and sanding back anything lifting or flaking
- Filling cracks, nail pops and gaps, then caulking joints
- Priming bare timber, render repairs and stains
- Masking, drop sheets and full floor protection
The Cairns weather factor
Exterior painting here has to respect the season. High humidity slows drying, afternoon storms in the wet can ruin a fresh coat, and surfaces that look dry after rain often aren't. A good painter plans around the forecast and will happily push a day rather than coat a wet wall — if we reschedule on you, that's why.
A quick word on quotes
Make sure your quote spells out how many coats, which products, and what preparation is included. Two quotes with a big price gap almost always differ on those three lines, not on the painting itself.
If you're getting ready for a repaint anywhere in Cairns, give Pete's Painting Solutions a call on 0467 533 970 and we'll come and take a look.
Need a hand with your place?
Pete's Painting Solutions covers all of Cairns and the Northern Beaches. Free quotes, no pressure.
