When the time comes to spruce up interior space with a fresh coat of paint, there are basically two ways to go:

Reach for the brush yourself, or hire help.

These days, the vast majority of homeowners don’t think twice about trying their hand with the DIY option. With a little forethought and a strategic approach, interior painting can be surprisingly simple and quite enjoyable. Nevertheless, approach things haphazardly and you’ll be looking at a disappointing result.

But assuming you’re perched firmly on the fence, what can you do to make the decision a little easier?

The answer – ask yourself the following questions and determine whether the DIY or professional painting option is best for you:

1. Do I Really Have The Time?

First up, it’s important to remember that even the simplest interior painting jobs almost always take longer than expected. We personally recommend budgeting at least 25% additional time on top of whatever timeframe you expect, in order to deal with unexpected delays and issues along the way. The worst thing you can do if looking to produce a decent result is rush the job. So it’s worth asking yourself before getting started – do you really have sufficient time to dedicate to the cause? If you’re already busy and struggling for time, the answer is probably an obvious one.

2. Do I Have The Right Tools?

One of the most important secrets to success when painting interior spaces is tackling the job with the very best hardware money can buy. Head to your local hardware store and you can’t help but note an enormous difference in price and quality from one piece of kit to the next. Most DIYers instinctively opt for more affordable options, often unaware of the fact that they’re compromising quality in doing so. Unless you work with professional-quality hardware, you can’t expect to produce a professional-quality result. And if you don’t already have elite hardware to hand, you could be looking at a pretty heavy expenditure to pick it up.

3. Do I Know What I’m Doing?

Aside from having the equipment needed to get the job done properly, you also need to consider whether or not you have the appropriate skills and knowledge. Contrary to popular belief, painting interior spaces like a pro isn’t as simple as just throwing paint randomly all over the place. There are certain skills you need to master and techniques you need to know about, if you’re going to come out with a truly immaculate result. If you have no real idea what you’re doing, it just isn’t going to happen.

4. Do I Know The Approximate Costs?

One of the best ways of determining whether the DIY option is the better option is to think exactly how much it is going to cost you. After you’ve picked up all the hardware, paints, primers, and everything else you need, you could be looking at a project that is anything but cheap. It’s common to underestimate just how much you could end up spending by doing it yourself, so it’s worth adding things up ahead of time and seeing what kind of costs you’re looking at.

5. Do I Know The Price Of Pro Services?

Last but not least, after working out how much you can expect to pay if you do it yourself, you might as well contact the pros and request a quotation. In many instances, you could be looking at a similar or even cheaper price for the experts to come in and do the job on your behalf. And in doing so, produce a far better result in a much shorter period of time and with less disruption. It costs nothing to arrange a quotation, so it simply makes sense to do so before you reach for the brush and get busy on your own.