Happy woman paint wall at home.
College rentals can be a mess, no matter how diligent the landlord is with cleaning them out at the end of the school year. If a group of students has spent years in a place, it can be a real pit. One way to enhance the living space of Ohio University rental houses is to paint the interior. There are, however, a few “rules of the road” to consider before you break open your first can of paint.
Get Approval
Go over your plans with your landlord. Nothing is worse than souring a relationship with them before your time in Athens, OH, university off-campus housing even begins. Nothing, that is, except having to undo everything you just spent time, money, and sweat painting. Go over what you would like to do with them and be open to their suggestions (treat suggestions like directives).
Remember that they have to present something livable to Ohio University rental companies at the end of the year and it has to look like someone would want to live there. You are temporary. Their ownership of your interior paint creation is not. They do not want to change it after you have left their Ohio University off-campus housing if they can help it.
Check Your Budget and Live Within It
Painting is generally cheap, but in terms of time and money, it can get very expensive very quickly. Identify a number you want to spend, verify you can afford it, and then live within it. If your plans exceed your finances, modify your plans. Do not go into debt over painting something you do not own.
Do the same approach with your time. Figure out how much time you can spend on the project and schedule it out. Map it out carefully and stick to the timeframe. If you are not done within the timeframe you planned, finish the job, but only when you have spare time. Whether you finish before that first party or months afterward really does not matter in the grand scheme.
Make Sure You Want to Paint
People renovating the house
Painting can be a massive and massively challenging job. Lots of it is tedium mixed with the occasional excitement of dumping a can of paint all over yourself. If you want to preserve your equipment, it has to be dealt with after each painting session, which means lots of time spent cleaning out brushes and pans. That means you have to be super dedicated and disciplined. Painting also takes up a lot of time.
You have to lay drop cloths; tape trim, sills, and light fixtures; put a primer coat on everything; and then, you can start your actual painting. If the paint job that is there is really bad, you may need to put two or even three coats of primer on it, and a few coats of your primary paint. When it is done, as mentioned, you have to clean everything up.
If you are not dedicated, it might be best to punt the idea until a better time.
Finally, remember that you are living in a rental. Ohio University rental properties will see many tenants over the years, so while you want to leave your own colorful imprint, remember that the next tenants have to live with your whims as well. Be considerate.
