Repainting a whole villa/apartment — how do you sequence it and what drives the cost?

Short answer: a good whole-home repaint follows a fixed SEQUENCE — protect/clear, then PREP (fill, sand, wash, prime/seal repairs and stains), then paint TOP-DOWN in each room (ceilings first, then walls, then woodwork/trim last), working room by room in a logical order so you always have somewhere to live. Cost is driven mostly by PREP and ACCESS, not the paint: the condition of the surfaces (lots of cracks/repairs/skimming = more labour), the number of coats and colour changes (dark-to-light needs more), high ceilings/stairwells (access/scaffolding), how much woodwork/trim there is, and the paint quality/system. Doing it in one project (occupied, room by room) is usually cheaper and faster than dragging it out yourself over months.

The sequence (order matters): 1. Protect + clear: move/cover furniture, mask floors, trim, sockets. 2. Prep (the bit that decides the result): fill cracks/holes, sand, wash off dust/grease, treat any damp/mould, and prime/seal bare, repaired or stained areas so they don't flash or bleed through. This can't be skipped — paint is only as good as the prep. 3. Paint top-down, per room: ceilings first (so drips don't spoil finished walls), then walls (keeping a wet edge), then woodwork/doors/skirting last. Two proper coats. 4. Work room by room in a sensible order (e.g. bedrooms first so you can sleep, living last), so the home stays liveable.

What drives the cost (roughly): - Prep/condition: lots of cracks, repairs, skimming, stain-blocking = the biggest labour variable. - Coats + colour change: more coats for dark-to-light or strong colours. - Access: high ceilings, stairwells, double-height spaces need scaffolding/time. - Woodwork/trim quantity (fiddly, slow). - Paint quality/system and area/number of rooms.

One go vs room by room: - One project, occupied, done room by room is usually the smart route — cheaper and faster than doing a room yourself every few months, and the crew keeps the sequence tight. Just stage it so you always have a clear room to retreat to.

Common mistake: skimping on prep to save money (patchy, peeling, flashing results) or having no room order (living in chaos). Insist the quote itemises prep, sequence it top-down and room-by-room, and use a professional painting team who plan the order around you. Anyone repainted a whole home occupied — what order worked best?