Money saving tips - paint your the house yourself!

In these challenging economic times, most of our home improvement projects have to be put on hold. Fortunately, there are some improvements that are still cost effective. One of them is painting your home's interior. Whether you do it yourself, or decide to hire a professional, it is one of the most inexpensive ways to give your space a makeover.

Sometimes, it isn't even necessary to paint the walls. Painting the trim, mouldings and door can often give rooms a fresh new look. The darker the colour, the more recessed these features will appear. When you choose a white or bright paint to touch up trim, mouldings, and doors, you highlight them and bring them out.

Looking for more of a statement? Why not paint the walls? Choose a bright paint for your breakfast nook and cooler, relaxed colours for your bedroom. There are different painting techniques that can add dimension and texture to your project as well.

For the most texture and dimension, faux painting is a technique that can help you achieve the look of granite, marble, wood or suede. It is achieved by painting with tools such as sponges or rags. There are also more involved techniques that are best left to the professionals. If you're determined to try, pick a smaller space. A laundry room or a closet would be great.

Stencilling is another great painting method. Stencilling is not that difficult. It involves buying a design cut out and then painting or sponging over the top of your stencil to reveal the design. Stencilling adds interest into kitchen back splashes, bathrooms, or bedrooms. It's important to make sure that your stencils are substantial, to prevent the paint from spreading.

A quick and easy painting technique is rubber stamping. Remember the rubber stamps you used back in school? This is the same principle, using larger stamps and dipping them in paint to stamp the wall. This technique is often used in nurseries or children's rooms. You can buy different character themes, or nursery-themed rubber stamp sets.

Painting often seems like an easy task, before you start prepping your space with tape and drop cloths. If you have the time and patience, it may be a project that you can tackle on your own. However, if you don't know about different paint finishes, you can end up wasting a lot of time and money.

Wouldn't it be better to hire a professional, who will get the job done in two to three days? You won't have to deal with picking out the paint, buying brushes, stencils, or rags. There will be no mess when he's done.

In today's tough economic times, painting is the one trade that isn't too expensive to pay for. With most of us working around the clock to pay the bills, wouldn't it be nice to come home to your freshly painted space?

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