Most painting projects go over budget for reasons that were avoidable before anyone opened a tin: the wrong season, an unrealistic timeline, and a budget that assumed paint was the main cost when it is usually the smaller half.
This guide is the plan, in the order you actually need to make the decisions.
When to paint
Exteriors belong in the dry season. Paint needs dry conditions to cure, and a wall needs to be dry through, not just dry to the touch. Painting an exterior wall during or immediately after the rains traps moisture and blisters the film within months.
Interiors are less seasonal, but humidity still slows curing. A humid room painted in the rainy season takes longer to harden, and it marks more easily in the first week.
Harmattan is a mixed blessing. The air is dry, which is good for curing, but the dust settles on everything. In harmattan, walls have to be wiped down immediately before the coat goes on, and the work has to be planned so dust does not settle on a wet film.
If the job is urgent and the season is wrong, do the interior first and schedule the exterior for the dry window.
The budget, honestly
People budget for the paint. The paint is rarely the largest line.
- Preparation — filling, sanding, washing, priming. On a house in poor condition this is the biggest single cost, and it is the first thing a cheap quote removes
- Paint and materials — usually the smaller half, once primer, filler, tape, rollers and brushes are counted
- Labour — charged by the day or the square metre, and it scales with coats and with preparation
- Access — stairwells, double-height rooms, upper exteriors. This is the line people forget
- Making good — moving furniture, protecting floors, cleaning up
Our guide to what painting costs in Nigeria sets out how to compare two quotes on the same basis.
How long it actually takes
A three-bedroom flat takes most of a week with two people, and most of that week is preparation. The painting itself is fast; the filling, sanding and priming are not.
A useful rule: if paint is on the walls on day one, the preparation was skipped. Expect dust for the first day or two, then paint.
Add time for drying between coats, and more time in humid weather.
Working out how much paint
Measure wall area, not floor area. Perimeter times ceiling height, minus doors and windows. Then multiply by the number of coats and divide by the coverage figure on the tin — Prestige Standard Emulsion and Prestige Matt Finish both publish theirs.
A three-bedroom flat is roughly 200 square metres of wall, which is about 36 litres for two coats, plus waste. Our guide to how much paint a three-bedroom flat needs works through it room by room.
Living in the house while it is painted
It is possible, and it is unpleasant. Practical rules:
- Do the rooms in an order that leaves one habitable space at all times
- Move furniture to the centre and cover it; accept that some things will need moving twice
- Keep children and pets out of a room with wet paint — not just for the paint, but for the fumes
- Plan meals around the kitchen being out of action for a day or two
- Expect dust everywhere for the first phase, and cover accordingly
If the budget allows, moving out for a week is worth more than it costs in sanity.
High walls and ceilings
Stairwells, double-height living rooms and high ceilings need a tower or scaffolding, not a step ladder. That changes both the timeline and the price, and it should be agreed before the quote is signed rather than discovered on site.
If the room has tall walls and you plan to paint yourself, be realistic: this is the part where amateur jobs look worst and where injuries happen.
The mistakes that cost money
- Buying paint before the walls are inspected. A cheap quote is often cheap because the preparation was left out
- Painting over a failing surface. Chalking, damp and mould all come back through a new coat. See fixing a failing wall
- One coat instead of two. It reads thin wherever light rakes across the wall
- Choosing colour from a card. Test on the wall, at the times of day you use the room — our colour guide explains why
- Paying in full up front. Hold a balance until you have inspected the job in daylight
- Rushing back into the room. The film is dry before it is cured. See looking after a paint job
How often to repaint
Interiors in normal use: every five to seven years, with touch-ups in between. Kitchens, bathrooms and hallways sooner, because they take more moisture and traffic. Exteriors: a well-prepared texture coating in a light colour should give several years; a thin emulsion on a dark wall in full sun may look tired in two.
The signs that it is time: colours that have gone flat or chalky, walls that mark when you wipe them, and paint that rubs off on your hand.
Planning it with us
Tell us the property, the rooms, the season you have in mind and whether you are staying in it. We will tell you what the job needs and in what order. Call +234 802 562 5333, message WhatsApp, or send your project details.