Is it cheaper to paint your own house interior?

The cost to paint a house in Australia will depend a lot on whether it’s the interior or exterior that’s getting painted. Exterior house painting can cost anywhere between $3,500 and $35,000 depending on the size, condition and material of the house. Interior house painting can cost between $800 and $10,000, with the final price often based on room size, number of rooms being painted, preparation, type of paint used, and whether the ceiling and trims are included.  

Keen to freshen up your home’s appearance with a new coat of paint, but not sure how much to set aside? 

How much it costs to paint a house in Australia depends a lot on whether it’s the exterior or interior that’s being painted. Professional house painting can cost as little as $600 or as much as $30,000. 

This guide will help you work out how much money you need to put aside for your house painting plans. In each section, you’ll find costs taken from popular service sites along with price estimates from Hunter Coast Painting, which are based on our first-hand experience of costing and completing hundreds of house painting jobs. 

Cost to paint a house exterior

Pricing a job means considering several different factors, such as:

• the age and condition of the house
• the material the house is made of
• how much of the house needs painting. 

This explains why we’ve seen costs for painting house exteriors range from $3,500 all the way up to $35,000. 

From our own experience, the cost to paint the exterior of a single-storey home is anywhere from $3,500 (which includes eaves, gutters and fascia boards) up to $15,000 (which includes cladding, windows, eaves, fascia boards and gutters). 

This may sound like a big investment. But when you consider your home’s exterior only needs repainting every 5-7 years, it’s actually pretty economical. That said, the material your home’s exterior is made of and the weather conditions it’s exposed to, may have you painting it more or less frequently. 

For best results, the exterior surfaces should be prepared before painting begins. Some prep work takes longer than others, and specialist products or paint may be needed. And once again, this will affect the final price. 

To give you an example, imagine two different, three-bedroom, single-storey houses. One has a brick exterior, and the other’s exterior is either wood or weatherboard cladding. 

Before painting the first house, the brick needs cleaning and a primer applied. Only once the brick is dry, is the topcoat put on. As such, the typical cost for painting a house like this is around $10,000.

For a wood or weatherboard house, the existing paint needs to be removed. Then the cracks and gaps are filled. Finally, the surfaces need sanding so they’re smooth and ready for painting. This takes more time, labour and materials, and so the typical cost for painting a house like this is between $10,000 and $15,000.   

Painting the exterior of a two-storey home is different again. Extra equipment, such as ladders or scaffolding, is needed to reach the second storey, which will bump up the price. Painting a two-storey, three-bedroom house could cost:

• around $15,000 for a brick property,
• between $15,000 and $20,000 for a wood or weatherboard property.

Note: professional painters will consider windows, doors and extra detailing in their estimates. 

Cost to paint a house interior

There are a huge number of painting jobs you can ask a professional decorator to do inside your home. Smaller jobs, such as painting a hallway, will cost considerably less than painting all interior surfaces in a home. 

Here are some ballpark figures for interior painting jobs: 

• $1,000 for a professionally painted bedroom and ceiling
• $5,000 for repainting a two-bedroom unit
• $7,000 for all interiors in a three-bedroom property (including windows, doors and trims)
• $9,000 for all interiors in a five-bedroom property.

Interior painting isn’t restricted to walls, either. It can also include:

• ceilings
• doors and doorframes
• window frames and ledges
• skirting boards 
• flooring. 

Is the cost of painting different for each room?

Some rooms are quicker and easier to paint than others. For example, an interior hallway can cost between $600 and $1,000. But bathrooms and wet areas — which need suitable, high-quality paint for steamy, wet conditions — cost around $1,000–$1,500. So yes, the cost of painting can be different for each room. 

The number of rooms you want to be painted can also affect the price. Some painters and decorators will happily adjust their estimates if you hire them to paint multiple rooms. But this isn’t always the case, and it depends on how the individual or company chooses to work. 

What affects the cost of house painting?

As we know, the size of the job and whether it’s the interior or exterior being painted can influence the price. But these aren’t the only factors. Professional house painters also consider:

• the cost of the paint being used
• the colour of the paint (some colours may need multiple coats or extra treatment to get the desired results)
• the surfaces that need to be cleaned and prepared before painting
• whether or not trims (skirting boards, cornices, mouldings, railings, etc), windows and doors are included 
• the time needed to complete the job and the number of labourers needed to complete it 
• extra materials and equipment such as scaffolding and ladders to paint hard-to-reach areas.

Getting quotes from professional house painters

Most painters will ask to visit your property to ensure you get an accurate and fair price. Seeing the areas firsthand allows them to make recommendations on the type of paint that’s needed. It’s also an opportunity to identify any challenges they might face. If they spot mould, dirt or uneven surfaces that need addressing before painting begins, they’ll take this into consideration when pricing up the job.

If you’re at the start of your journey and looking for an estimate, you can request a quote online or over the phone. Be specific when doing this. Give the painter as much information as possible about:

• the structure of your home 
• how many square metres you want to be painted
• the condition of the surfaces
• access to the painting area 
• any trims windows or doors that need painting or protecting during the work. 

Treat phone and internet estimates as a rough guide. Professional painters should make an appointment to inspect your property before delivering a final price. This is in your best interest. It’s one thing to visualise a home based on a simple conversation or website message. But it’s another to have someone cast an expert eye over the area that’s being painted. They may spot things you miss, or make cost-effective suggestions on how to approach the project.  

What to consider if painting your house for sale

Ploughing loads of money into a property you’re about to sell doesn’t make much sense. But investing in a few cosmetic touch-ups before going to market could increase your home’s value. 

Read any real estate blog about adding value to your home before selling and you’ll be told to do up the kitchen and the bathroom. It’s not surprising. Think about how many hours you and your family spend in these two rooms. If you want to keep decorating costs to a minimum before selling, refreshing these rooms with a lick of paint may be as much as you want to do. 

But if you’re looking to significantly increase the value of your home before a sale, you may consider painting all interiors and exteriors. The fewer people have to do to a property when they move in, the easier it is for them to imagine themselves living there. 

Before committing to renovations and improvements on a home you’re selling, weigh up the cost of painting services versus your agent’s valuation. It’s only worth doing if it will deliver a return on your investment.  

How much does it cost to paint your house?

As you’ve read, there are a lot of factors that affect the cost of painting a house, from the size of the room to the type of paint needed. As such, it’s always helpful to have a professional painter and decorator visit your property to get an accurate estimate. 

If you’re at the stage where you’d like to start working out a budget for your house painting project, please ask for a quote.  

Disclaimer: All prices shown in this article are in Australian Dollars and are useful as a guide only. Costs researched at the time of writing: June 2022.

Updated: 14th June 2022

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