How to prepare walls for painting

The paint gets the credit, but the preparation does the work. A well-prepared wall with a mid-range emulsion will look better and last longer than a badly prepared wall with the most expensive paint in the shop.

Steps

1. Clear and cover. Move furniture to the middle, take down pictures and curtains, and cover everything with dust sheets. Take off socket and switch covers if you are confident, or mask around them.
2. Wash the walls. Sugar soap and warm water, especially in kitchens and anywhere near radiators. Paint will not stick to grease or nicotine.
3. Fill. Rake out cracks into a V, fill with a flexible filler for cracks and a lightweight filler for holes. Slightly overfill, as it shrinks.
4. Sand. Sand the filler flush and lightly sand the whole wall with a fine grit to take off any nibs. Wipe the dust off with a damp cloth.
5. Caulk. Run decorator's caulk along the gaps between skirting, architrave, coving and wall, and smooth it with a wet finger. This is what gives crisp lines.
6. Prime where needed. Spot-prime filler, and prime any bare plaster or stains. Water stains need a stain-blocking primer or they bleed through every coat.
7. Mask. Low-tack tape on skirting edges and window frames, pressed down firmly along the edge.

Then two coats of emulsion, cutting in first and rolling while the edge is still wet. Let the first coat dry fully before the second. Pull tape off before the final coat is fully hard for the cleanest line.