Posted by GL(ON) on February 05, 2002 at 11:03:27:
If hardwood floors are real bad, don’t kill yourself trying to save them. Install carpet.
Paint the ceilings with white ceiling paint. It is cheap, not much extra work, it brightens up the place and looks better than painting them wall color.Use one of those fleece things to cut around the edge. Paint the whole inside the same color except bathroom and kitchen. Don’t use the cheapest paint, it’s too thin but you don’t need the most expensive stuff either. Good mid grade hardware store paint is fine.
Those new flat light switches add a luxury touch for only a couple of bucks. I would put them in every room.
Be sure to get all new light switch and outlet covers in beige or white. They are only a few cents each and make a big difference.
I paint all the rooms in bright white. It makes the rooms look bigger and there are never any complaints on the color.
New commercial tile or linoleum floor in the kitchen is inexpensive and makes a big difference.
Be sure to update the electric service to breakers if it is an old house. The bigger the electric box, the better, even though some people may tell you otherwise.
Before you paint, be sure to use a good primer. This is necessary if you want the paint to look good. I use Zinzer Bullseye 1-2-3 and it works wonders. I find it to be well worth it. After a couple of coats of that, you only need one coat of a good medium to high grade paint.