Spackling – Unless a home is brand new, the walls are bound to have small holes and cracks from the former owners. DO NOT paint over them! Just a few minutes with some spackling compound and putty knife will give your walls a clean, crisp look.

Caulk & Caulk Gun – Painting is a great time to fill in all of those cracks that develop around window sills and doorways. Filling these in with caulk before you paint will cut down on your energy bills and make finished product look like new!

Sandpaper or Sanding Sponges – A bit of elbow grease goes a long way. Smooth, clean walls will hold paint better, and will give you even color tones that look great from every angle.

Painter’s Tape – Use "real" painter's tape to guard your trim. Other types of tape can pull off paint and make things look worse than before. Painter's tape made for this purpose is low-tack, and can be left on the wall for several days without hurting the surface – great for weekend warriors!

Dropcloths – Don’t take a chance on messing up wood or carpeted floors. Use dropcloths and make sure that they are secure before opening a can of paint. Coated dropcloths provide extra protection for floors, and won't let drips or spills through.

Primer – Primer is key if you have dark colors or patterns to paint over, or if your wall has had a lot of repair or spackling. Plus bare wood should always be primed before you paint. Skipping this step can mean that you spend a lot more time and money on extra coats of paint, or have to repaint a lot sooner.

Roller Extension – An extension pole for your roller will save you time from going up and down ladders constantly. Well worth the investment!

Brush Cleaners – Extend the life of your paint brushes with a brush cleaner. They make cleanup a snap and will save you money in the long run.

Paint Tray Liners – Disposable liners are much easier than scrubbing a paint tray clean, so if you hate cleanup, these are an inexpensive way to save yourself some time.

“Goo Off” Cleaners – These solvents that remove sticky substances are great for both prep and clean-up. If the last owners left tape or other sticky substances on your walls, these products save a lot of scraping and patching.