Painting a room checklist
Most of a paint job happens before the tin opens. Get the prep right and the actual painting is the easy part.
23 items
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
The items
- Sugar soap and a spongeWash the walls first — grease and dust under new paint is why it sometimes lifts off in sheets months later.
- Filler and a filling knifeFor holes and cracks, left to dry fully before sanding — painting over wet filler just seals in a soft patch.
- Sandpaper, fine gradeSmooths filled patches flush with the wall so they don't show once painted.
- Dust sheets×2One for the floor, one over any furniture too heavy to move out.
- Masking tape, low-tackSkirting boards, sockets and window frames — low-tack so it doesn't pull the plaster off with it.
- Furniture moved clear or grouped in the centre of the room
- Sockets and switches taped over, not touchedTaping around a socket is fine. Anything past that is mains wiring — an electrician's job, not this list's.
- Primer or undercoatNeeded over bare plaster or a big colour change — skip it and the new colour never quite covers.
- Paint
- Ceiling paint
- Wall paint
- Woodwork paint, a different finishSatinwood or eggshell — gloss straight from the wall tin reads as a mistake immediately.
- Roller, tray and spare sleeves×2
- Paintbrushes, a couple of sizesA small one for cutting in the edges the roller can't reach.
- Extension pole for the rollerSaves a ladder for the ceiling and keeps the finish even rather than patchy near the top.
- Step ladder
- Paint kettle and a stir stick
- White spirit or water for cleaning brushesDepends whether the paint is oil- or water-based — check the tin before you start cleaning up.
- Painting order: ceiling, then walls, then woodwork lastEach stage covers the mess of the one before it, so it only works in this order.
- Windows open while painting and while it dries
- Second coatNearly every wall needs one, even with paint that claims one-coat coverage.
- Tape removed once the paint is fully dry, not just touch-dryPulling tape too early tears fresh paint away with it.
- Leftover paint labelled and keptFor the touch-up in a year's time, when nobody remembers the exact name of the colour.
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
Questions people ask
- What order should a room be painted in?
- Ceiling first, then walls, then woodwork last — each stage covers the drips and mess of the one before it. Doing it backwards means repainting over splashes on finished work.
- How many coats does a wall actually need?
- Two, as a minimum, even with a paint that claims one-coat coverage. The first coat is patchy over anything but a wall painted in the exact same colour before.
- Do walls need washing before painting?
- Yes — sugar soap removes the grease and dust that stop paint keying properly, and skipping it is why paint sometimes lifts off in sheets months later.