A coat of neutral paint and a new floor are the two refreshes most often done before a property is sold or relet. Getting the quantities right matters: run short and the job stops while you fetch more from a different batch; over-order and the extra sits in a garage.
Use the free paint calculator and flooring calculator to turn measurements into tins and packs. Both work in metric or imperial units and give an estimated cost.
How much paint do you need for a room?
- Find the wall area. Add the lengths of all four walls (the perimeter), then multiply by the ceiling height.
- Take off doors and windows. Allow about 1.6 m² (17 sq ft) for a standard door and 1.4 m² (15 sq ft) for an average window.
- Multiply by the number of coats, usually two.
- Divide by the coverage on the tin, given as square metres per litre per coat.
- Add a small allowance, around 10%, and round up to whole tins.
Example: a bedroom 4 m × 3.5 m with a 2.4 m ceiling has walls of (4 + 3.5) × 2 × 2.4 = 36 m². Take off one door and one window, 3 m², leaving 33 m². Two coats is 66 m². At 12 m² per litre that is 5.5 litres, or 6.05 litres with a 10% allowance: one 5-litre tin and one 2.5-litre tin, or two 5-litre tins if you want leftovers for touch-ups.
The paint calculator does this from the room size, including an option to add the ceiling.
How much does a litre of paint cover?
Check the tin, because coverage varies with the paint and the surface. Typical figures:
| Paint | Typical coverage per litre, per coat |
|---|---|
| Standard matt or silk emulsion, walls | 10–13 m² (about 110–140 sq ft) |
| Ceiling paint | 10–12 m² |
| Gloss or satinwood, woodwork | 12–16 m² |
| Fresh plaster with a mist coat | Much less; follow the manufacturer |
Bare plaster, rough surfaces and strong colours being covered all use more paint, and may need a third coat.
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How much flooring do you need?
- Measure the floor area of each room, or add rooms together if the same product runs through. The square footage calculator adds up L-shapes and bays.
- Add a waste allowance for cuts and offcuts.
- Divide by the coverage of one pack, printed on the box.
- Round up to whole packs.
Example: 20 m² of laminate with 10% waste is 22 m². At 2.2 m² per pack, that is exactly 10 packs. A room of 20.1 m² would need 11.
What waste allowance should you use for flooring?
| Laying pattern or room | Typical allowance |
|---|---|
| Straight lay, simple rectangular room | 5–7% |
| Straight lay, room with alcoves, bays or many doorways | 10% |
| Diagonal lay | 12–15% |
| Herringbone or chevron | 15% or more |
| Tiles with a pattern to match | Follow the supplier |
Buy all your flooring at once so every pack comes from the same batch, and keep a spare pack for future repairs.
Is it worth decorating before selling or letting?
Often, if it is cosmetic. Scuffed walls, a bold feature wall or a worn carpet make a room look tired in photos and give buyers a reason to negotiate. A neutral repaint and a clean floor photograph well and appeal to more people. Major renovations are a different decision and rarely pay back in full before a sale.
Can you see the finished room before buying anything?
Yes. Splatr’s Splatr can try new paint, flooring and finishes on a photo of the actual room, so a vendor or landlord can compare options before committing, and an agent can show buyers what a dated room could become, clearly labelled as a visualisation. Put the original and the result side by side with the before and after slider, and see how it fits a listing in the Virtual Studio guide.
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