When we talk about refreshing our homes, we often opt for big-hitting improvements like total renovation or making major layout changes. But did you know that there’s a far simpler option for bringing your home back to life?
Yes, a simple lick of paint really could be all you need. This relatively minor improvement can entirely transform the space, as well as making your entire home look good as new. But, unlike total renovations that could last you a decade or more, a paint-based refresh tends to have an unfortunately shorter shelf life.
Does that mean you need to get the paints out or hire a handyman to decorate every five minutes? No. Instead, you can decide whether you really need a redo based on the following criteria.
1 – It all Depends on the Room
You probably clicked on this article in the hopes that we were about to arm you with a magic repairing number by which you could more easily schedule paint jobs across your home. Well, we’re sorry to disappoint, but no such number exists. And that shouldn’t be all too surprising, considering that your usage across every room is so varied. For instance, paint in relatively low-use areas like your spare room will always need less regular refreshes than paint in an incredibly heavy-use area like the kitchen. That’s not rocket science, but how often should you redecorate based on those considerations?
As a rule, experts generally recommend updates every five years or so, especially in heavier-use areas like the kitchen. Statistically, a lot of people actually update rooms like their bedroom or living room more than this (between every 3-5 years), but this tends to be more about personal taste than need. Ultimately, you could get away with redoing these rooms far less often than this if you wanted to. Meanwhile, whole-house redecoration is only really necessary every decade or so, and sometimes not at all if you frequently redo individual rooms along the way.
2 – Moving With the Styles
Basing your redecoration schedule on current interior styles will always be an inexact science, and it really depends on what kinds of styles you prefer. If you lean into the top decor trends of the season, then you’ll undeniably need to redecorate more than someone who sways towards more timeless styles like minimalism or cottage core.
All of that said, if you start feeling like your rooms look outdated or simply no longer suit your style preferences, then remember that it’s your home – you can really redecorate as often as you like. Even if it’s only been a couple of years since your last update, you should lean into these preferred style shifts to ensure a home that you’re always happy with. Admittedly, most people don’t decorate this often because it’s a pretty heavy-going task, but hiring professional help to tackle this for you means that more regular updates shouldn’t be a problem.
All of this said, if you’ve selected sleek, neutral colours or whites for your walls, then you may find that no other decor styles turn your head for a decade or more. And that’s totally fine too!
3 – As Needs Must
As you’ve probably gathered by now, decor doesn’t operate to some invisible timeline. While you may want to keep your rooms pristine or perfectly in keeping with your lifestyle requirements for five+ years, there are times when you’ll simply need to bite the bullet and redecorate.
The most obvious example of this need-based approach is if your existing paintwork becomes stained, scratched, or otherwise damaged. Often, you’ll be able to hide these issues with some basic patching, but that’s not always the case. Besides, if you’re patching up often (which can happen with kids or pets in the house), your repair work will soon start to show. In this case, it’s far better to just redecorate, rather than entering an ongoing paint-based battle.
Equally, you may find that needs dictate a redecoration requirement because of simple lifestyle changes. Let’s say you fall pregnant, or are planning to start a family. It doesn’t matter how freshly painted your spare room is; you’ll still want to start from scratch for the sake of your dream nursery!
4 – Bear Budget in Mind
It would be great to simply redecorate without a thought for cost, and some homeowners can definitely do that. But a professional, whole-house decoration is an expense. Sometimes a high one if you’re working across multiple rooms and leaning towards higher-quality paints. As such, budget can also impact how often you tackle this task.
Admittedly, it is possible to keep costs down by choosing more affordable paint or painting your rooms yourself, but this is the definition of a false economy. After all, affordable paints and DIY efforts will inevitably need replacing more often anyway.
By comparison, while it may mean that you need to wait five years to save between decor updates, high-quality paints and professional painting services are far more likely to stay looking great for the duration of that gap.
5 – Do What Feels Right
You might be starting to think that the ‘right’ redecoration date is frustratingly elusive, but it couldn’t actually be simpler. Why? Because you don’t need a set timeline to know when your home needs a refresh. You live and function here daily, after all. And, if you feel like this space needs an upgrade, then it probably does. You need to be happy here, after all, and in pursuit of that goal, it really couldn’t matter less if you redecorate every two years, or every decade.
Takeaway
Redecorating your home can be an ideal middle ground between improvements and total renovation, and can have significantly more of an impact on your space than you might think. But, how often should you tackle that all-important task? It all depends on you, but we hope that these signifiers help guide you towards the ideal timeline!
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