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Painting your new home yourself to save money? Here are some questions you need answers to first.

   Taking on the task of painting your new home can be a rewarding and money saving DIY project. It can also be a nightmare. I have just a few questions you should give some thought to before you take on this project.

 #1  Just how much money will you save?
   Here in the mid-west the normal cost for a professional paint job
(including labor and materials) on new construction is 3% of the cost of constructing the new home. 
  Example, if the construction cost of your new home is $250,000 it would be $7,500.
Of that cost the materials will account for about $2,500 to $3,000.

#2 What are your (as the painter) Responsibilities?

Sight clean up.
   If you have ever entered a new home after the dry wall has been just finished the mess left behind is huge. Scrap dry wall, dry wall dust and miscellaneous debris fill the home. Check with your general contractor on who's responsibility it is to remove this debris and clean the floors.
   Disposal of the empty paint buckets.  Just throwing them into the dumpster would appear to be the fast answer to that question.  Not so fast though. Your disposal company will not be happy if you throw liquid paint into his dumpster not to mention the EPA. 

#3 Scheduling
   Your general contractor and his sub-contractors will have a time schedule they would like to stay with. Your ability to keep this schedule on time will be very important. If you are taking to long to complete work on time and are delaying a sub-contractor from staying on his/her schedule this will not only delay the final completion date but can cause cost over runs.
  Those cost over runs can add up fast and quickly take much of the money you hoped to save by painting your home your self.

#4 Time
  Do you have the time to do the job?
A few hours after work and weekends will not work.
  Please....Please do not have a (paint party) by buying a case of beer and have family and friends over one week end to paint the house.  Locally it is called a (six pack paint job) and it's not a pretty sight.


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