I’ve heard people say paint is the easiest place to save money during a renovation. A project in Chicago, Illinois showed why that’s not always the case.
At first, everything looked fine. The walls were prepped, and the color choice actually worked well with the space. The problem didn’t show up until a few weeks later, which was very annoying.
Before or early painting photo showing walls being painted.
The paint started to scuff easily, especially in high-traffic areas. Cleaning marks off the wall became difficult, and touch-ups didn’t blend well. Eventually, repainting became unavoidable.
That meant paying for labor twice, which wiped out the initial savings.
Close-up photo showing scuffed or damaged paint.
When the room was repainted using a higher-quality product, the difference was obvious. The finish looked smoother, and cleaning the walls became much easier.
In the end, spending more upfront would’ve saved both time and money.
Finished room with clean, even paint finish.
If you’re renovating in Chicago, don’t choose materials based only on price. Some shortcuts end up costing more later.
Anyone else learned this lesson the hard way?