How you prepare determines whether your paint job turns out to be average or all-out terrific.  Move all furniture to the centre of the room and cover it with plastic.  If possible, it is advisable to remove all furniture completely from the room.  Light fixtures should be covered with plastic too, and door frames, window frames, and mouldings should be taped.  Remove all switch plates and doorknobs and store them in plastic bags with all their screws and hardware so that they can be easily recovered and replaced when you paint job is complete.  We’d recommend that you wash the walls with a basic household cleaner to remove any dust or dirt before applying your fresh coat of paint.         

 Smaller holes should be filled with spackle or joint compound, although this step can be skipped if you are planning for a texturised finish, such as sponging, which helps to conceal minor imperfections.  Fibreglass tape should be used for larger holes and cracks.  An easy technique which can be used for detecting problem areas is to hold a flashlight against the wall at an angle and to run it slowly along the wall surface; shadows will indicate holes that will need to be repaired before paintwork can commence.

Although high quality paint and brushes are likely to be more costly, they provide excellent coverage and a smoother finish.  Inferior-quality paint might look like it’s serving its purpose while it’s wet, you will almost certainly see the imperfections when it has dried.  Better tools will enable you to cover a larger area using fewer coats of paint.  We’d recommend that you invest in a roller with an extension handle to paint your ceiling as this allows for smoother strokes.       

 If you are using a very dark colour, we’d advise that you use a tinted primer first as it will reduce the number of coats you’d need to apply to achieve full coverage.

Masking- and duct tapes are likely to bleed and leave a sticky residue on your walls, which are difficult to remove.  Some paints are likely to bleed even when using painter’s tape, particularly when dark colours are applied.  In the event of this, we’d advise that you apply the tape, and then brush the edges with clear varnish (which you need not remove afterwards) or latex caulk (which will need to be removed with the tape).

Not only will it drip and become terribly messy, you risk getting clotted/thickened paint in the can, which will then be applied to your walls.  For the best results, use a plastic bucket.  A metal bucket with a separate plastic liner which is built-in to control the drips, is even better.

Once a section of the wall has been completed, run the roller in long strokes over the entire wall to blend all of the layers together.

Run the cloth over the floorboards at least twice in order to ensure that all streaks have been removed.  If you get paint on the carpet, keep the stain wet, and blot it.  Do not scrub!  You will only work the paint further into the carpet and cause permanent damage.

Wash the brushes and rollers thoroughly in soapy water (for water-based paints), or white spirits and thereafter soapy water (for oil-based paints), remove excess water, wrap them in wax paper, and seal them with a rubber band.  Clean the exterior of the paint can(s), and seal properly for your next use.