A Homeowner's Repainting Checklist
Plan the Job Before You Buy the Paint
A successful repaint is decided long before the first coat goes on. The homeowners who get a result that lasts are the ones who plan the job properly — reading the signs, specifying the right system, timing the work, and reading the quote carefully. This checklist walks you through it, drawn from more than four decades of repainting homes and buildings across Accra, Kumasi, and Tema.
Step 1 — Confirm It Actually Needs Repainting
Repaint on the evidence, not the calendar. Look for the real signs:
- Fading, chalking, cracking, or flaking on exterior walls
- Algae, mould, or green staining where humidity has fed growth
- Damp patches suggesting moisture is getting in
- Interior marks that no longer wipe clean, or worn high-traffic areas
If you see early signs, act before they become a repair. Damp patches in particular may point to a cause that needs waterproofing, not just paint.
Step 2 — Separate Interior From Exterior
These are two different jobs with different products, preparation, and timing. Sort your walls into those that face the weather and those that don’t, and plan each on its own terms. Exterior needs a weather-rated system; interior needs washable, room-appropriate finishes.
Step 3 — Plan the Timing
- Exterior: schedule for the drier weather so the system cures before the rains. Plan ahead rather than reacting after a wet season.
- Interior: sheltered and year-round, so it suits the wet months while the exterior waits for its window.
Step 4 — Specify the Right System
Match each surface to its exposure and use. Exterior walls need a UV-stable, weather-rated exterior system; busy and wet interior rooms need washable, moisture-tolerant interior finishes; feature walls and textured effects are a specialty coating. Choose colour and sheen together, and test colours on the actual wall before committing.
Step 5 — Insist on Preparation
This is the step that decides whether the job lasts. Make sure preparation is scoped and priced: cleaning, mould treatment at source, crack and render repair, removal of failed old coating, and priming. A quote that omits preparation does not save you money — it is a repeat job waiting to happen.
Step 6 — Read the Quote Properly
Painting is quoted on survey, per square metre or per room as an indicative figure, confirmed after the walls are measured. When comparing quotes, check what each includes: preparation, the system specified, number of coats, access, protection, and clean-up. The lowest number is not always the best value — and no honest quote comes before the walls are seen.
Step 7 — Book the Survey
Everything above comes together in a free on-site survey, where the walls are assessed, the system specified, and a real figure measured against your home.
Start With a Survey
Work through the checklist, then let us turn it into a plan. City Painting Ghana has been repainting homes and buildings across Greater Accra, Kumasi, and Takoradi since 1983. Call +233 23 063 0012 to book your free on-site survey.