Repainting a mainland house before a move: the order of jobs from the islands

Families who pack up a house on the mainland to move home to Nassau often say the hardest room to leave is the one with scuffed walls, nail holes and a child's height chart pencilled on the door frame. Fresh paint sits on the list from the start, along with a dozen other jobs.

When someone types interior painting Colorado Springs CO into a search box from the islands, they are usually trying to get a house ready to sell, let or hand over before a move. This is the order I suggest for the decisions, so the painting helps rather than holds everything up.

Decision 1: What the paint is for

Before choosing a colour, decide what the house needs to do next. A house going on the market wants calm, neutral walls that photograph well. A house being let wants durable finishes that clean easily. A house staying in the family while you live abroad may only need the worst rooms refreshed.

Sort the rooms into three lists

• Must paint: rooms with marks, patched holes, old colours that put people off, or signs of damp
• Would be nice: rooms that are tired but clean
• Leave: rooms that are fine as they are

This simple sorting stops the job growing. It also gives a painting contractor a clear brief when they come to look, and it gives the family something to agree on before anyone starts arguing about shades of beige. If you are selling, an estate agent's view on which rooms buyers will notice first is worth having before the list is final.

Island logistics

• Moving between the islands and the mainland means many jobs at once. Decide the painting scope early so it does not compete with packing and shipping.
• Take photographs of every room before you leave, even if you are not painting it. They help when you are arranging work from far away.
• If the house will sit empty, note which rooms get the most light; they fade first.

Decision 2: Doing it yourself or hiring a painter

On the islands, many of us paint our own verandas and shutters because waiting for a tradesperson can take a while. Moving house is different. Your time is the scarcest thing you have, and a professionally painted interior usually looks better to buyers and tenants than a rushed weekend job.

A painting contractor will also see things you might miss: hairline cracks that need filling, water stains that need sealing before paint, and trim that needs sanding. In older homes, paint may contain lead, and disturbing old paint is a job for trained professionals, not something to sand yourself.

What to ask when getting estimates

• What preparation is included: filling, sanding, priming?
• Which rooms and surfaces are covered: walls, ceilings, trim, doors?
• How will furniture and floors be protected?
• How long will the work take, and in what order?

Island logistics

• Arrange estimates before you leave, if you can. Walking a painter round in person saves misunderstandings later.
• If you are already in Nassau, ask a relative or neighbour to let the painter in and to send photographs after each room.
• Agree how you will pay and when, with the final payment after you have seen the finished rooms.

Decision 3: Colours and finishes for a dry, sunny climate

Island homes are painted for salt air and humidity; we think about mould and peeling. Colorado Springs is a very different place: dry, bright and high, with cold winters and strong sunshine. Inside a house, that means rooms that get a lot of light and air that is often dry.

Light, warm neutrals tend to suit most rooms and most buyers. Finishes matter as much as colour: flatter finishes hide wall imperfections, while slightly shinier ones clean more easily in kitchens, bathrooms and hallways. A good painter will suggest finishes room by room.

Small choices that make a big difference

Ceilings often look tired before walls do, so ask about them. Trim and doors take a beating in a family home; fresh paint on those alone can make a room look cared for. And if the walls have a strong colour, plan for extra coats to cover it.

Island logistics

• Bright light shows every brush mark. Ask the painter to check walls in daylight before calling a room finished.
• Dry air can affect drying times. Your painter will know how to work with it.
• Keep a small amount of each colour, or at least a note of the colour names, for touch-ups later.

Decision 4: Fitting the painting into the move

The order of jobs matters more than the paint itself. Painting a room full of boxes is slow and risky, and nobody wants wet paint on the cartons that are about to cross the sea. Painting after the furniture has gone, but before the cleaners come in, is usually the smoothest sequence.

A sensible order

1. Sort and pack the rooms to be painted first, or move items to the centre.
2. Book repairs, such as patching or minor carpentry, before the painter starts.
3. Let the painting contractor work room by room.
4. Clean after painting, not before.
5. Do a final walk-through, in person or by video, before any photographs for a sale or letting.

Book the painter before you book anything else that depends on empty, finished rooms, such as the photographer or the final clean.

Island logistics

• Shipping a container or booking a removal from the mainland to the islands has its own timing. Keep the painting dates clear of the packing days.
• If the move happens in winter, ask how the painter manages ventilation and drying in cold weather.
• Leave the house keys with one trusted person, and give the painter that person's number.

Decision 5: Looking after the house once you have gone

A freshly painted house that sits empty can still collect problems: dust, a leak, a scuff from a viewing. Somebody has to keep an eye on it until it is sold, let or occupied again.

Ask a relative, friend or property manager to check the house regularly and to send photographs. If something is damaged, a painter who already knows the house can often fix it quickly. Keep their details with your other house papers. A short note of which colour and finish went in which room, kept in the same folder, means any touch-up matches the first time rather than leaving a patch that shows in the afternoon light.

Island logistics

• From Nassau, a monthly photo update of each room is reassuring and easy to arrange.
• In a cold climate, make sure the heating is set so that pipes and paint are protected while the house is empty.
• Keep the leftover paint somewhere it will not freeze.

Before the next season

Walk through every room this week and sort it into must paint, would be nice, or leave. Then ask a qualified painting contractor to look at the list and give you a written estimate with dates. A tidy, freshly painted house makes leaving easier, and the height chart can come with you in a photograph.

Frequently asked questions

Should I paint before selling a house?

Often it helps, especially in rooms with marks or strong colours. An estate agent or painter in the area can tell you which rooms are worth doing.

Is it safe to sand old paint myself?

In older homes, paint may contain lead. Leave preparation of old painted surfaces to trained professionals.