invest in quality tools

And look after them. Decent quality brushes and rollers will pay dividends with the finish you can achieve, although they are getting harder to find as most merchants seem to favour the ‘use it once and chuck it away’ approach.

Personally, I’m not a fan of rollers. A quality brush will give a better finish than any roller but I accept that they are significantly faster at covering large areas and a much easier way of doing ceilings. Fixed-arm roller brackets, which have an ‘arm’ on each side, are much sturdier; such as the Hamilton Vantage Double Arm Roller Frame 12inch, £10 from B&Q.

I do have a pet hate though: ‘tramlines’ made when rollers are used in only one direction. It’s a small thing and easily fixed but it happens a lot and often by people who should know better.

Work from the top down. Paint ceilings first so you can deal with any splash- es on the wall before you do the final coat, and use as big a brush as you can handle for cutting in walls and ceilings. You will get a better finish when you don’t have to keep stopping to reload with paint.

If you are having a different colour on the walls, bring the ceiling colour down the walls a little and then cut in the wall ➤