Should You Paint Before or After Moving in?

New paint makes your home feel fresh and clean and can change the feel of your home entirely. It gives you the freedom to choose whether you want your home to feel crisp, cozy, moody or any other atmosphere you’re looking to create. While you’re certain about wanting to paint the walls, you may be wondering whether it’s better to paint before or after moving in. Painting before moving in is obviously more practical. There are no obstructions and the space is completely empty. Plus, you’ll have your home ready once you arrive. But there are also some benefits to painting after you move in.

If you wait to have the walls painted after moving in, you’ll get a chance to take a better look at the walls’ condition and pick the color carefully. So the decision is entirely up to you and depends on which benefits are more important to you. In the following text, we’ll list the pros of both approaches. Hopefully, it will help you make an informed decision on should you paint before or after moving in.

Pros Of Painting Before Moving In

It makes painting easier and faster

When you have an empty home and all the space available to move around freely, you’ll do any job much easier compared to having a home full of things and moving boxes and having to navigate around them. So naturally, an empty home is way easier to paint. That’s why many people find it better to paint before they move in. Also, you’ll paint your place faster if it’s not occupied with furniture, for the aforementioned reasons. In case you decide to hire professional painters they will also complete the job faster. They won’t have to worry about covering each household item to protect it while painting. This advantage of painting your home before moving in appeals to many homeowners who are looking for a fast and easy way to refresh their new space.

It’s cost-effective

The next pro of painting before you move in is the cost. It’s cheaper because painters won’t have to spend so much time and so many materials to finish the job successfully. Firstly, they don’t have to move furniture around and use protective coverings. So, they’ll spend less time in your home resulting in lower costs for you. The affordability is another advantage of painting your walls before moving in. It works for most people who need affordable options when relocating.

It helps avoid damage

Different areas of your home get affected by the relocation. So, it’s not unusual to get the paint spilled on your floors or precious furniture pieces. Therefore, if you bring your stuff only after everything is nice and painted, you’ll prevent them from damage and make sure they’re in their best condition.

Pros Of Painting After Moving In

Although we’ve already learned that painting before moving in is more practical, there are also benefits to postponing and taking care of it only after you settle into your new home. Here are some of them.

It makes decorating easier

If you choose to wait a bit with the paint job, it may help you add a personal touch to a new home. If you take a good look at your existing style you may come up with a different wall color that works perfectly for your space. You can go ahead and choose new colors for your rugs, cushions, and the rest of décor, and find the perfect balance when it comes to wall colors. If you paint before moving in, you may have to do things twice and paint over already painted walls just to create a harmonious space. So in case you know already that you’ll be decorating after relocation, it’s better to paint your walls after you move in.

It lets you check the condition of your walls

When you choose to paint after you move in, you have more time to look at your walls and your entire space. You can contemplate for a while before you choose what exactly you want to do with the place but you can also check your property’s condition. It is also not rare to get your floors or walls damaged during the move. So, you may have to do some repairs after you move in. You may have to deal with scratches, dents, or scuffs your walls suffered from accidental hits. All that makes it smarter to wait until everything is unloaded and unpacked and ensure the good condition of your walls before you paint them.

It gives you more time to choose

When you postpone the painting job, you have all the time in the world to make decisions and choose new pieces and colors carefully. Work on the fine details without a rush. Take your time if you want your space to feel perfectly harmonious. You can observe how the light changes through the day and see how it affects all the colors in your space. By using that as a guide you’ll find the perfect shades and nuances easily. You can even hire a designer to help you find the best solutions for your home, as you’ll have no pressure to do the job.

As you can see, painting before moving in can be somewhat cheaper and faster. That’s why many people find this to be the best option. While this is a more practical choice, some experts suggest you postpone the painting until after the move is done. That way you can focus on the details, such as the condition of the walls, the light change, and your décor. It will help you find the perfect shade to create a harmonious style throughout the home.

The conclusion brings us to both options being viable and leaving it up to your preference to choose what works best. In the meanwhile, don’t forget you’ll need trusted NYC movers to pack and transport your belongings to a new home. If you’re still searching for the best NYC moving companies rates, check out Dumbo Moving and Storage. Don’t hesitate to contact us and request a free moving quote – we’d be more than happy to help with any questions you have.