Recession is a term we have become familiar with in recent times, not only in our beloved country Nigeria but all over the world. It simply follows that reducing cost in whatever areas of our lives has become a global norm. Most families are learning to live within their budgets to avoid the pitfalls of lack or indebtedness. If you are a part of the majority being affected by the recession (and I believe you are), I advise that you create and live within your budget too. Hence, the need to reduce painting cost in recession.

Having to budget every income does not imply that you leave your walls a mess especially when children are in the picture. It just might be part of the learning process for the children to either write on the wall, place their hands and feet on it, or pill the wall paints off entirely. They are children so they are immune to the consequences, let the children play!

Whether you are painting a new building or remodelling an old one, there are things you can do to drastically reduce cost. Given that the cost of the paint project is the major determinant, here are some tips to help you get the job done without digging a hole in your pockets.

Use emulsion paint: This is relatively the cheapest house paint type in the market and it has nothing to do with the product brand; so whether you are interested in foreign paints such as Dulux, Berger, or to further save cost, you buy a local brand – emulsion paints are relatively cheaper than the others types of paints such as Texcoat (texcote), Silk, Matt, etc…


For a very small project – Do the painting yourself: This means labour cost will be zero. When your paint project requires less than 5 buckets of paint i.e. 20 litres each, and you or someone you can use has some form of painting experience, just go for it i.e. do the painting yourself. However, ensure its normal emulsion paint because it is the easiest to apply. My first attempt at painting was a terrible one, I had seen people paint and it seemed as easy as dipping the roller into the paint bucket and rolling it on the wall. Even though this is correct, it happened that the paint type was texcoat (texcote) so by the time I was done with the first bucket, almost half of the entire paint was on the ground; I made a great mess and the level of waste was enormous. As if that was not enough, while trying to be firm on the roller, I mistakenly broke 2 different rollers. At the end of the day, the budgeted 2 buckets wasn’t enough so I had to get another bucket; and with the help of a professional painter, the job was concluded the next day. The project was a small one, just a room which two (2) 20litres buckets of the paint brand would normally cover. However, I ended up using 3 buckets and 3 rollers (2 rollers broke beyond repair).


For a sizable project – Get certified professional help: With a paint project of more than 5 (20litres) buckets or paint types other than emulsion, it is advisable to get certified professional help. Before now, I am sure you probably got painters either via recommendation, off the street or through advertisements and most often than not these actions were regretted. I advise that for your next sizable paint project, you enlist the help of certified professionals; by ‘certified’ I mean, a painter that is certified professional by a paint advisory outfit such as Expert Paint Advice. This is extremely important especially given that we now have major cost constraints. There are so many dubious practices painters indulge in that will leave you in a state of deep chaos. I have taken out the time to under list some of them.
– Stealing: Except you have a trusted supervisor and one that is quite thorough, a painter might just move some paint away from your site without your knowledge. House belongings can also be stolen, this is especially true when you enlist the help of road side painters that you have no trace of.

– Waste: Out of wickedness or just being plain evil, painters have been seen to waste paints on site. This can be done either to justify his inflated estimate, prove a point, or just to be mean to you. Waste is a common practice among some painters.

– Cheating: If you get a painter and agree to pay him on a daily-pay plan; be informed that he could tactically delay the job for days, even when you never see him resting or playing.

These three (3) are the most popular wrong practices of painters that should not be encouraged. Get certified painters to ensure the project remains within your budget and does not overwhelm you even before it is over. There are tested professionals bound by a code of conduct that attracts strict penalties. To employ such painters in your area visit https://expertpaintadvice.com.ng/directory-1/.



Paint visible areas first: Since cost is an issue, you might have to start by painting where people can see. For example, you can paint the living room (parlor) and leave the rooms where visitors hardly enter. The children room should be the least considered when painting with cost in mind considering that it won’t take them long to mess it up. The exterior walls and walls covered by a fence should also be left for the least consideration.


Purchase average quality paints: There are paint qualities that are completely inadvisable; those very cheap road side paints might save cost today but in the long run, when they begin to chalk (bring out dust) and fade, you most likely would need a repaint. This is why it’s better to buy average quality unpopular paint brands. In the long run you will find out they are cheaper than the very cheap brands, popular brand and even the bigger brand names.


Purchase locally made paints: Locally manufactured paints are usually cheaper for obvious reasons. To cut cost drastically, I recommend its use.


Trade empty buckets: Further cost can be reduced if you negotiate to return the paint buckets for a discount; 20 litres can fetch you up to 500naira per bucket and a 5 litres bucket will fetch about 100naira per bucket. It is better to communicate your intentions to the supplier before payments are made to avoid being disappointed. Few companies can decline this offer; so to further save cost, find a company that is willing to trade its buckets. Also, prices might vary in different areas, but to increase the value of the buckets, ensure to wash them clean immediately after use; leaving them to dry will incur additional cost when it’s time to wash them.




Get expert advice: Most of these tips cannot be effectively achieved without the help of a professional paint adviser. Visit expertpaintadvice.com.ng for free paint advice, estimate, a list of certified professional painters and a catalog of local and foreign paint products to choose from. You can further ask for a free site visit, this will assist in increasing the accuracy of the estimate to about 98% guaranteed.
Please drop your comments, questions and observations – I will like to hear from you. Also, Share with your friends, you never can tell who might be in dire need of this.