A Realistic Guide to 2 Bedroom House Painting Costs

BEDROOMS

With ample wall space, expect around 50% of your total paint outlay invested here. In my experience, about 10-12 square meters of wall space is pretty standard. This allows room for a queen bed, side tables, and a dresser or two without things getting too cramped. If you’re working with a more spacious master suite or squeezing in a twin bed setup, you can scale my estimate up or down accordingly.

The big variable with bedrooms is how much furniture and decorative flair needs working around. If I’ve got to navigate a bunch of knick knacks on cluttered walls, that slows down painting and can add to cost. But if we clear things out ahead of time, I can breeze through the room without hassle. 

My tip? Have a cleanout before calling a painter so there’s less obstruction. You’ll complete the job faster and ultimately spend less out of pocket.

Regarding paint selection, I always recommend a durable interior enamel for bedrooms. It stands up to wear and tear better than flat finishes. Plus, it’s easily wipeable, which comes in handy around bedheads! I’d be happy to guide you through an array of quality colour options that suit the mood you’re going for.

LIVING ROOM & HALLWAYS

You can expect to spend about 15% – 20% of the total $1,800 to $4,000 interior painting budget on these spaces. I’ve picked up some insider strategies that save both money and effort:

1. My number one tip is tackling accent walls separately from main coats. By budgeting labour and materials strictly for an accent wall rather than the entire room, you optimize spending on these visual focal points. We apply quality primer and paint only where it counts most.
2. For DIYers, limiting your colour selection also decreases costs. Stick with one bold accent wall versus multiple loud tones competing for attention. And cut down on paint volume by avoiding dark hues that require extra coats.
3. Now in hallways, creating a cohesive look while saving on paint is all about strategic color placement. Use lighter shades in high traffic zones near outside entrances where scuffs show. Deeper colors work best only at bedroom hallway openings where less wear occurs. Minimizing the dark paint quantity needed saves you dollars.
4. And here’s a bonus insider tip – forgo painting hallways altogether by wallpapering instead! The material cost is comparable, but it creates more visual impact when stretched vertically across a narrow hall. That creative touch masks imperfect walls rather than requiring heavy prep.

BATHROOMS

Now, let’s talk about one of the trickier rooms to paint – the bathroom. Between all the moisture, lack of ventilation, and various appliances and fixtures, bathrooms require extra care and attention compared to standard bedrooms.

Confining colour above the shower tile line maximizes the 15% -20 % invested for this humidity-prone room.

I define a standard bath as around 5 – 7 square meters – enough room for a tub/shower combo, vanity, and toilet without things getting too cramped. The wide range in price comes down to factors like whether tiling needs working around if I’ll be painting the ceiling, and how much prep is required.

Here’s an inside tip – make sure your bathroom is properly ventilated before calling a painter. Eliminate any moisture damage on walls and ceilings ahead of time. This prevents from discovering issues halfway through the job and tacking on extra repair fees. It also ensures the new paint job lasts without bubbling or peeling.

KITCHENS

Limiting cabinet and appliance masking during painting keeps the 10% – 15% allocated here under control.

Kitchens require more prep work than basic bedrooms before I ever uncork the paint. That’s hours of labour masking off countertops, cabinets, and appliances beforehand. 

My secret for saving clients money? Be ruthless in limiting what gets covered up. Think smart about removing items that can be quickly stashed rather than masked. Only keep the essentials shielded.

For example, clear out small appliances and decor from countertops completely rather than going through tedious painter’s tape hassle. Same goes for unhanging specialty racks – it’s cheaper to temporarily dismount than work around. Evaluate which cabinets really need shielding versus just cutting in freehand. Getting creative with clearing clutter first makes all the difference.

The other big area clients try to cut corners is on the paint itself. But don’t sacrifice quality to save a few bucks or you’ll pay for it later through premature cracking and yellowing. Kitchens need durable finishes that withstand heat, grease and daily wear-and-tear over flat wall paints.

Bonus tip! Consider semi-gloss finishes that withstand grease near cooking areas.