The $4,000 Lesson That Changed How I Talk About "Saving Money"

Let me tell you about the Arrowtown job that still haunts me.

Homeowner bought the cheapest exterior paint he could find. Hired a mate's nephew who "knew a bit about painting." Skipped the primer because "the old paint's still good, mostly." Painted in late autumn because "it's not that cold yet."

Eighteen months later, I'm on his doorstep quoting $12,000 to strip the lot and start again. The paint had peeled in sheets. Moisture had gotten behind the weatherboards. Two boards needed replacing.

His "savings"? Cost him an extra $4,000 and two years of embarrassment every time visitors pulled into his driveway.

Here's what 14 years in Central Otago has taught me: there's a massive difference between being smart with money and being cheap. One saves you thousands. The other costs you thousands.

These are the money-saving strategies that actually work - and more importantly, the ones that'll survive our brutal UV, those -10°C Cromwell mornings, and everything in between.

1. Calculate Paint Quantities Properly (Before You Buy Anything)

This sounds boring. It is boring. It also saves the average Wanaka homeowner $300-500 per project.

Here's the formula I've used for 14 years:

Total litres = (Wall area ÷ coverage per litre) × number of coats × 1.1

Wall area (m²): Height × Width × number of walls, minus windows and doors

Coverage per litre: Check the tin - usually 10-12 m² for quality paint, less for budget stuff

Number of coats: Minimum two for exteriors in Central Otago (our UV destroys single coats)

The 1.1 multiplier: 10% safety margin for touch-ups, waste, and that tricky bit under the eaves

Real example from a Queenstown job last month:

• Living room walls: 45m²
• Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen: 12m²/L coverage
• Two coats needed
• Calculation: (45 ÷ 12) × 2 × 1.1 = 8.25 litres

I bought two 4-litre tins. Perfect amount with a bit left for touch-ups. The homeowner had guessed "probably need about 15 litres" - that's $180 in unnecessary paint sitting in his garage.

Pro tip: Pop into Resene ColorShop on Gorge Road or your local Dulux. Bring your measurements. The staff will verify your calculations for free - and they'll often suggest a slightly smaller or larger size that works out cheaper per litre.

2. Score Trade Discounts (Yes, Even If You're Not a Tradie)

Here's something paint shop staff won't advertise: you don't need a trade license to get trade pricing.

Most paint suppliers offer "project cards" or DIY accounts with 15-30% off retail. All you need:

• Your measurements (shows you're serious, not just browsing)
• A photo of your project on your phone
• A friendly attitude (this matters more than you'd think)

I've watched customers walk into Resene, chat with the staff about their bach project, and walk out with 20% off because they were nice about it.

What to say: "I'm doing a decent-sized project - is there any way to get better pricing on this?"

What NOT to do: Be demanding, quote "what I saw online," or mention competitors' prices. That's a great way to get the standard retail rate and nothing else.

Timing matters too: Mid-week mornings are golden. The shop's quiet, staff have time to help, and they're more likely to throw in extras like stir sticks, drop sheets, or free testpots.

3. Hire Quality Equipment Instead of Buying Cheap Tools

I see this constantly: homeowner spends $400 on a cheap sprayer from Bunnings that clogs after one day. Then spends another $200 on brushes, rollers, extension poles, and trays they'll use once.

The smarter move:

• Hire from Hirepool or Kennards for the weekend
• Quality airless sprayer: $150-200/weekend
• Professional-grade sander: $80-100/weekend
• Extension poles, proper ladders: $50-80/weekend

That $400 you "saved" buying cheap? The hire gear is industrial-grade, properly maintained, and won't leave you covered in paint when it fails mid-job.

Even smarter: Borrow from tradie mates. Beer currency is universally accepted. I've lent out my spare roller frames and brushes dozens of times - costs nothing but karma.

Queenstown/Wanaka specific: Check if your community has a tool library. They're popping up everywhere and often have painting gear.

4. Prep Like Your Paint Job Depends On It (Because It Does)

Here's the industry secret that'll save you more than anything else on this list:

80% of a paint job's longevity comes from preparation. Only 20% comes from the actual painting.

Thorough prep is almost free. It's just time and elbow grease. And it can genuinely save you an entire coat of paint - that's $200-400 in materials alone.

The prep checklist that pays for itself:

1. Wash everything with sugar soap ($12 from Mitre 10). Our Central Otago dust, pollen, and schist grit will stop paint adhering properly.

2. Scrape and sand any loose or peeling areas. Don't paint over problems - they'll come back worse.

3. Fill holes and cracks with appropriate filler. Takes 30 minutes, costs $15, prevents moisture damage that costs thousands.

4. Spot prime only the problem areas - bare wood, stains, patches. You don't need to prime every surface if the old paint is sound.

Why this saves money: Properly prepped surfaces need fewer coats for full coverage. I've seen the difference: rushed prep = three coats minimum. Good prep = two coats with paint to spare.

5. Master the "Cutting In" Technique (And Skip Most Masking Tape)

Professional painters don't tape every edge. We "cut in" - painting clean lines by hand with an angled brush. It's faster, cheaper, and looks better.

The technique:

• Use a quality angled brush (50-63mm) - this is worth buying, not hiring
• Load the brush properly: dip halfway, tap gently on the tin, don't wipe
• Paint a 50mm band along edges before rolling
• Work quickly to maintain a "wet edge" (prevents lap marks)

The money-saving bit: Good masking tape costs $15-25 per roll. A typical room needs 2-3 rolls. A typical house needs 8-10 rolls. That's $150-250 on tape alone - and you still need to spend time applying and removing it.

Learn to cut in and you'll spend $30 on a quality brush that lasts years.

The catch: This takes practice. Start on a less visible area (laundry, garage) before tackling your feature wall. Watch some YouTube tutorials - there are hundreds showing the technique.

6. Invest in Microfibre Rollers (They Pay for Themselves)

Cheap rollers shed fibres into your paint, leave texture marks, and need replacing constantly. You'll use 2-3 cheap rollers per room.

Quality microfibre rollers cost more upfront ($25-40 each) but:

• Apply paint more evenly (less paint needed for coverage)
• Don't shed fibres (no picking bits out of your wet paint)
• Wash and reuse 10+ times if you clean them properly
• Give a smoother finish that looks professional

My recommendation for Central Otago walls: 10-13mm nap microfibre. Works on most interior surfaces and handles our slightly textured gib without issues.

How to clean them properly: Rinse immediately after use. Roll out excess paint on newspaper. Wash with warm soapy water. Spin dry (put the roller in a bucket and spin the handle between your palms). Store in a clean plastic bag.

7. Paint in the Right Conditions (Not Just "When You Have Time")

Our Central Otago weather destroys paint jobs done in wrong conditions. I've seen more failures from timing than from any other cause.

The magic window: 15-25°C, low humidity, no rain forecast for 48 hours.

For Queenstown/Wanaka, this typically means:

• Exterior: Mid-November to mid-March
• Interior: Year-round (but ventilate properly in winter)

Check MetService obsessively. Seriously. I check it three times before starting any exterior job.

The time-of-day trick: Paint the east side of your house in the afternoon (after morning sun has warmed and dried the surface). Paint the west side in the morning (before afternoon sun overheats wet paint). Direct sun on wet paint causes it to dry too fast and fail prematurely.

Money saved: Paint applied in proper conditions lasts 10-15 years. Paint applied in marginal conditions? You're repainting in 3-5 years. That's the cost of a whole new job.

8. Repurpose Drop Cloths and Protect Your Gear Creatively

Professional drop cloths are expensive. You don't need them for a DIY job.

Free or cheap alternatives:

• Old bed sheets: Perfect for indoor floors. Tape down the edges so they don't bunch.
• Flattened cardboard boxes: Great for under ladders and high-splash areas.
• Compostable bin liners: Line your paint trays. Peel out when done, tray stays clean for next use.
• Old shower curtains: Waterproof, reusable, perfect for bathroom floors.

The one thing you CAN'T cheap out on: Protecting your deck, driveway, or any outdoor surface you care about. One paint splatter on a $50/m² deck is an expensive mistake. Use proper plastic sheeting outside - it's $20 for a massive roll.

9. Mix Leftover Paint Into Free Undercoat

Got half-empty tins from previous projects? Here's a trick that's saved my clients thousands over the years:

Combine leftover neutral colours (whites, creams, greys) into a single bucket for use as undercoat.

Rules:

• Only mix water-based with water-based (or oil with oil)
• Stir thoroughly until completely uniform
• Test on a small area first
• Works perfectly under your new topcoat

I've got a "frankenpaint" bucket in my workshop right now - probably 15 different leftover paints mixed together. It's an ugly grey-beige colour. It's also completely free undercoat that performs exactly as well as store-bought.

Important: This only works for undercoat/primer purposes. Don't try to create a custom topcoat colour by mixing randoms - it'll look terrible and fade unevenly.

10. Touch Up Strategically Instead of Full Repaints

Not every tired wall needs a complete repaint. Smart touch-ups can extend your paint job by 3-5 years.

Keep labelled jars of your paint colours. When you finish a project, pour the leftover into small glass jars (pasta sauce jars work perfectly), label them with the room and colour code, and store somewhere cool and dark.

For minor scuffs and marks:

• Clean the area first (sometimes that's all it needs)
• Use a small foam roller or brush for touch-ups
• Feather the edges so the new paint blends with the old
• Multiple thin coats rather than one thick glob

When touch-ups WON'T work:

• Significant fading (the new paint will be obviously different)
• Large areas of damage
• Colour changes
• Surfaces that have been washed repeatedly (sheen will be different)

Money saved: A $400 touch-up kit (brushes, matching paint, supplies) versus $3,000+ for a full room repaint. The maths speaks for itself.

The Bottom Line: Smart Spending Always Beats Cheap Shortcuts

After 14 years painting homes across Queenstown, Wanaka, Cromwell, and everywhere in between, here's what I know for certain:

The homeowners who save the most money are the ones who:

• Buy quality paint (not necessarily the most expensive, but quality)
• Spend time on preparation
• Wait for proper weather conditions
• Use the right tools for the job
• Know when to DIY and when to call a professional

The homeowners who spend the most money are the ones who:

• Chase the cheapest quote
• Rush the preparation
• Paint in marginal conditions
• Buy cheap tools that fail mid-job
• Try to DIY projects beyond their skill level

Every shortcut I've seen backfire has cost more to fix than doing it properly would have cost in the first place.

When DIY Doesn't Make Sense (Honest Advice)

Look, I could tell you to DIY everything and save maximum money. But that's not honest advice.

Hire a professional for:

• Two-storey exteriors (safety risk isn't worth the savings)
• Lead paint (pre-1970s homes - requires certified handling)
• Large-scale exterior work (we're faster, we have better equipment, and we guarantee the result)
• Heritage properties with council requirements
• Anything involving scaffolding

DIY confidently:

• Interior rooms at ground level
• Single-storey exteriors (if you're comfortable on ladders)
• Fences, sheds, and outbuildings
• Touch-ups and maintenance

Need a hand with the bigger stuff? I've been painting homes in Central Otago for 14 years - check out Painters Wanaka for professional work in the area.

Got questions about your specific project? Drop a comment below - I'm always happy to help fellow Kiwis keep their homes looking sharp without breaking the bank.

Cheers, Brad

The author also runs lakeside painting, a professional painting company serving the Central Otago region.