Do I need to move all the furniture out of the room?

Usually not. Most furniture can be moved to the middle of the room and covered. What you can help with is emptying it: books off shelves, things off dressers and tables, so the pieces are light enough to move safely. Anything very heavy or delicate is discussed at the estimate.

Should I take down my wall-mounted TV?

Decide that at the estimate. A mounted TV can be painted around, but the wall behind it will not match perfectly if it stays. If you want the wall painted fully, the TV and mount need to come down before work starts, and putting it back belongs to whoever is agreed in the plan.

What should I do about the nail holes from my pictures?

Tell the painter which holes and hooks you want to keep for rehanging. A small piece of tape next to each one makes it clear. Everything else is normally filled and sanded as part of the wall preparation, so the wall goes back to a clean surface.

Does the painter remove the outlet covers and switch plates?

Yes, outlet covers and switch plates are normally taken off so paint goes behind them rather than around them, and they are kept together and put back at the end. Light fixtures, thermostats and anything wired are discussed at the estimate rather than assumed.

Getting Ready for Interior Painters

Before interior painters arrive, take down art, mirrors and curtains, empty shelves and the tops of dressers, pack away fragile and valuable things, and empty any closet that is being painted. The painter moves and covers the furniture agreed at the estimate, protects floors, and removes outlet and switch covers. Heavy or delicate items are decided in advance.

Interior painting goes best when the rooms are ready on the first morning. The work can start on the walls instead of on the clutter, nothing precious is in the way of a ladder, and the questions that would otherwise come up halfway through a wall have already been answered. A little preparation in the days before also protects your things far better than any drop cloth can.

The list below divides the work three ways: what you do, what the painter does, and what should be decided together at the estimate. The division matters, because “who moves the bookcase” is exactly the kind of small question that causes friction if nobody asked it in advance.

What should you do before the painters arrive?

Clear what is personal, fragile or valuable, and empty what will need to be moved. Painters handle furniture and protection, but they should not be packing your belongings, sorting through drawers or deciding where your grandmother’s vase goes. If you clear the small things, the large things can be moved safely.

Your list

Take down wall art, mirrors and photos. Store them flat, out of the rooms being painted. Heavy mirrors can be left for the painter to take down if you agree that in advance.
Take down curtains, drapes and their rods, unless the rods are being painted around. Blinds are often left up and raised or covered, but say what you prefer.
Empty bookcases, shelves and the tops of furniture. A full bookcase is too heavy to move safely and can rack or break. Dresser tops, side tables and window sills should be clear.
Pack fragile and valuable items and put them somewhere outside the work area: ornaments, lamps, jewelry, medication, documents, small electronics.
Empty closets that are being painted. A painted closet means the shelves, rods and floor need to be clear.
Clear bathroom and kitchen counters in rooms being painted, so the walls and backsplash edges can be reached.
Roll up loose rugs and move plants, which do not like drop cloths or dust.
Mark the holes you want to keep. A small piece of tape beside each picture hook or anchor you plan to reuse. Everything else is filled.
Have your colors confirmed and labeled by room, including the sheen for walls, trim and ceilings.
Find the leftover paint from the last time the house was painted, if you have it. The labels tell the painter what is on the walls now.

What the painter takes care of

Moving and covering furniture that stays in the room, to the center and wrapped, as agreed.
Protecting floors edge to edge, and covering anything fixed that is not being painted.
Removing outlet covers and switch plates, keeping them together, and putting them back.
Masking trim, cabinets, windows and anything else that meets a painted surface.
Filling holes, sanding and repairing the walls as part of the preparation.
Putting the furniture back at the end, in the places it came from.

Interior work follows the same order Ebenezer uses outside, minus the wash: check the surfaces, protect, then paint. The full process is written out step by step.

What to decide together at the estimate

Some things are neither obviously yours nor obviously the painter’s. These are the questions to settle at the estimate, so they are written into the plan rather than discovered on the day:

Pianos, aquariums, safes, gun cabinets, large antiques and anything very heavy or valuable. These are usually painted around or moved by a specialist, not by the painter.
Wall-mounted TVs and sound systems. Painted around, or taken down beforehand, and by whom.
Beds and large wardrobes. Usually moved to the center of the room, but a bed that has to come apart is worth mentioning.
Light fixtures, ceiling fans and thermostats. Masked and painted around, or loosened so paint can go behind.
Built-ins, inside of closets and cabinet interiors. In or out of the job.
Which rooms must stay usable, and in what order the rooms are painted.

Precise answers protect you as much as the painter. The estimate should list the rooms and surfaces included, so that what is done matches what you expected.

Access, parking and the practical things

Parking. Ladders, drop cloths and paint arrive in a vehicle, and a space close to the door saves carrying through the house.
A clear path. A route from the door to each room, without furniture to squeeze past with a ladder.
Keys and alarm codes, if you will not be home for part of the work.
Water. Where tools can be cleaned is worth agreeing in advance, so it is not your kitchen sink.
Pets. A plan for where they will be while doors are open.

Homes with a lot of things in them

Larger homes on generous lots, like many in Bonita, and older homes full of built-ins and collections, like many in La Mesa, can take more than a weekend to get ready. Start a week ahead with the rooms that hold the most. Doing it in stages also lets you see what you would rather store elsewhere for the duration.

Ready when you are

None of this has to be perfect. If something is still in a room on the first morning, it gets sorted out, and Ebenezer will tell you plainly what needs to move and why. Every client gets the same treatment and quality, whether it is one bedroom or the whole house.

When you are ready to plan it, ask for a free estimate. He will walk the rooms with you and agree what is moved, by whom, and what is included. More on interior painting, or on what the days are like in living at home during interior painting.