How long to paint .....

[GypsyMay]

two reception rooms, biggish kitchen, stairs and landing and one bedroom?

Am I being unrealistic to think that if I start clearing tomorrow I could decorate that lot by the end of the Easter weekend?

I really want to get my house on the market straight after Easter.

Do you just need to paint? Or do you need to fill in holes and re-paper? You can do one room in a couple of hours for one coat with a roller, just depends on the colour you are covering up.

If you spent your evenings and the weekend I think you should be ok.

Thanks Pinkle,

Will need to do some filling and woodwork needs sanding and painting.

I can paint a 10ft square bedroom in half a day, 2 coats and cutting in (different colour) but then I'm used to it and I'm pretty fast.

If you are just painting the same colour again then you don't need to cut in round the edges just roller it. Very quick.

Woodwork is more problematic from a drying time, but I got Crown satin for woodwork, as it is waterbased rather than oil based it is touch dry in 1 hour and repaintable in 6 hours, although I cheated and repainted in 1 hour as I was doing skirting boards in my son's bedroom and wanted it done.

Make sure you sand the painted woodwork though or the new paint can peel back off. I tend to use a detail electric sander as it is quicker and you only need to give it a tiny sand to give it a key.

Also the moving the furniture out of the way takes a lot of time. I'm lucky, we have just moved house so I kept the room completely empty because I knew I would decorate that one first.

Good luck.

Thanks Fizzylemonade,

I'm having trouble getting started as the task is daunting and we have too much stuff in the way.

Any tips for dealing with ceiling cracks gratefully received.