So, you’ve booked a painting job — great. Now what? A lot of homeowners don’t realise there’s a bit of prep on their end before the painters show up. And honestly, a little bit of effort beforehand can save a lot of hassle on the day.
Here’s what you should do (and not do) to get your home ready for professional painters near you.
Why Your Prep Work Actually Matters
The better prepared your home is, the smoother the job goes — and the better the result. Painters spend their time painting, not moving furniture, wrangling pets, or waiting for someone to clear a room. When a home is ready to go, the team can get straight into it.
It also helps protect your belongings. Paint and furniture don’t mix well.
Before the Painters Arrive: Room-by-Room Checklist
Clear the Room (or At Least the Walls)
For interior painting, move as much furniture away from the walls as you can. Ideally, push everything to the centre of the room — the team can usually work around that. If pieces are too heavy to move, let the painting company know ahead of time so they can bring extra help or plan the job accordingly.
Remove anything hanging on the walls: pictures, mirrors, shelves, and hooks. Taking down curtains and blinds is also worth the effort, especially if the walls behind them are being painted.
Cover What’s Staying
If you can’t move something, protect it. Drop sheets go over furniture and flooring, but your team will usually handle this. What you should do is remove or put aside anything fragile or valuable that’s sitting on shelves or side tables near the work area.
Make Sure There’s Clear Access
This one’s often overlooked. Painters need to move freely through rooms and set up ladders and equipment. Cluttered hallways, packed cupboard doors, or rooms full of boxes slow everything down.
If it’s an exterior painting job, clear the driveway and any paths around the home. Access to walls, eaves, and fascias needs to be easy from all sides. Move pot plants, outdoor furniture, kids’ play equipment, and anything else sitting against the house.
Protect Your Floors and Carpets
Professional painters will lay drop sheets, but it’s worth putting away rugs you’re worried about and making sure any particularly delicate flooring is flagged ahead of time. In rooms with carpet, the team will tape off the skirting line carefully — but it doesn’t hurt to point out anything you’re especially concerned about.
What to Do About Pets
Pets and paint jobs don’t go together. Dogs and cats can wander into wet paint, knock over equipment, or get stressed by unfamiliar people working through their space.
The easiest option is to keep pets in a room that’s not being worked on, or arrange for them to go elsewhere for the day. If your dog is an anxious barker, it’s worth letting the painters know upfront — not because it’s a big deal, but so everyone’s on the same page.
Kids at Home During a Paint Job
If you’ve got kids at home, especially younger ones, think about which rooms they’ll be in during the day. Low-VOC paints are much better than older solvent-based products in terms of fumes, but any freshly painted room should still be well ventilated before it’s used again.
For interior painting jobs, keep kids out of rooms that are freshly done for at least a few hours — ideally until the paint is dry to touch.
Prep for Exterior Paint Jobs
Outside jobs have their own prep checklist. A few days before the painters arrive:
- Move outdoor furniture, BBQs, pot plants, and decorative items away from the walls
- Turn off irrigation systems near the house the night before (wet walls are a problem for paint adhesion)
- Trim back any plants or shrubs that are brushing against the walls or eaves — painters can’t properly prep or paint surfaces that are obscured by vegetation
- Let your neighbours know if scaffolding will be erected or if access to shared driveways or fencing is needed
What the Painters Will Handle
To be clear — a professional painting team handles the hard prep: filling cracks, sanding rough surfaces, washing walls, masking edges, and priming where needed. That’s part of the job, not something you need to do yourself.
What you’re doing on your end is making sure they can actually get to the surfaces, protect your belongings, and keep the job moving efficiently.
Quick Reference: Pre-Paint Checklist
Interior:
- ] Furniture moved away from walls (centre of room)
- ] Wall hangings and mirrors removed
- ] Curtains and blinds taken down (if wall behind is being painted)
- ] Fragile items moved to a safe spot
- ] Pets secured in a safe area
- ] Rugs rolled up in high-traffic areas
Exterior:
- ] Outdoor furniture and items moved away from house
- ] Plants trimmed back from walls and eaves
- ] Driveway and side access cleared
- ] Irrigation turned off the night before
- ] Neighbours notified if scaffolding is involved
Getting Ready for Your Painting Job?
At Aussie House Painting, we work across Condell Park, Bankstown, Padstow, and throughout South-West Sydney. Our team will walk you through exactly what to expect before we start — so there are no surprises on the day.
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