Painting guide · Naperville, IL
How to get your home ready for painters, room by room and outside
A little preparation saves time on the first morning and keeps your things out of the way. Here is what to do before painters arrive, and what a good crew will handle for you.
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By Douglas Woodruff, Painting Guides Editor · Updated October 2026
Guide
Preparing for painters
By Douglas Woodruff · October 2026
Short answer
To prepare your Naperville, IL home for painters, clear small items, wall hangings and breakables from each room, make space to reach the walls, and plan for pets and parking. A good crew moves and covers large furniture, protects floors and fixtures, and handles the prep work on the walls themselves.
Part 1
What to do before the first day
Clear shelves, tabletops and dressers of small items, and take down pictures, mirrors, curtains and wall-mounted TVs if you can. Store anything fragile or valuable in a room that is not being painted. That leaves the crew to move the large furniture to the middle of the room and cover it.
Decide on colors and sheens for every room before the job starts, and write them down. If you are still choosing, ask for samples on the actual walls a few days ahead.
Part 2
What the painters should handle
A professional crew moves and covers large furniture, lays drop cloths, masks floors, fixtures and outlets, and removes switch plates. They fill holes, sand patches, caulk trim gaps and spot-prime repairs as part of the job. Ask what is included so there are no surprises on the first morning.
They should also clean up each day, keep their tools in one place, and put furniture back when the room is finished.
Part 3
Kids, pets and fresh paint
Most modern interior paints are low in odor, but rooms still need fresh air while paint dries. Keep children and pets out of the rooms being painted, and plan where pets will stay so doors can be left open for ventilation and access.
Let the crew know about any allergies or sensitivities before the job, so products and ventilation can be planned.
Have questions before your job starts? Call any hour and a painter will walk you through it.
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Part 4
Getting the outside ready
For exterior jobs, trim back shrubs and branches touching the house, move grills, planters and patio furniture away from the walls, and turn off sprinklers on painting days. Close windows on the side being worked on, and park cars away from the house.
If you have an HOA, confirm your colors are approved before the start date.
Part 5
Living in the house during the job
Interior painting usually moves room by room, so you can keep using the rest of the home. Plan bedrooms so no one is displaced for long, and expect the kitchen or a bathroom to be out of use for a day or two if it is being painted.
Agree on start and finish times, where the crew can park and which bathroom they can use. A short walk-through at the end of each phase catches touch-ups while the crew is still there.
Clear small items and wall hangings. A good crew moves and covers large furniture themselves.
Yes, if you can. It speeds up the first day and keeps them safe.
Yes. Interior work usually moves room by room so you can use the rest of the house.
Keep them out of the rooms being painted and plan a spot where they can stay while doors are open.
Yes. Filling, sanding, caulking and spot-priming are normal parts of interior prep.
Trim plants away from the walls, move outdoor furniture and grills, and turn off sprinklers on painting days.
Before the job starts, ideally with large samples on the actual walls a few days ahead.
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