First consider the condition of you home. Do you just need a coat to freshen up, or do you need to remove peeling paint and do some sanding? Is any trim broken or missing and needing to be replaced before you paint? Prepping to paint is a major part of getting the maximum results and ending up with the best looking paint job. Fix any pieces of trim that are missing or loose. Caulk around trim, around doors and windows, and anywhere that two pieces of wood or siding come together where water could possibly enter. Scrape of any paint that is peeling as painting over it will just prevent the new coat from sticking and you'll end up with peeling paint again. Sand anything that looks rough for the same reason. Make sure the surface of the home is very clean and dry and cut back any trees or bushes that touch the surface of the house.

Now consider what your home is covered with. Are you painting wood or a composite type of siding? Are you painting over any brick or stone or stucco? And, if you're painting over brick, stone, or stucco, has it been painted before or is this the first coat? The surface of your home requires a different kind of paint based on what the paint needs to stick to. Talk to a paint professional to make sure that you get the right kind of paint, and don't forget to use a good primer first. A brick, stone, or stucco home can be very porous and require more coats the first time than on future paintings and also more coats than wood or composite so plan ahead for the extra paint.

Now, what kind of weather is your house subject to? Hot, direct, sun can really do a number on paint. Of course, so can lots of rain that never seems to dry out, or mist from the ocean that's full of salt. Make sure that you talk to a paint professional about the right type of paint for your particular weather needs or you'll be repainting again next year and the year after that.

Are you going to spray or use rollers and brushes? A house is a big job so if you can spray, it's really worth it. Practice with the sprayer several times somewhere that doesn't matter or that you can easily paint over. It's not fun to be running around frantically trying to clean up drips with a roller (which will then leave a mark) because you didn't test out the sprayer and put on too much paint. A few thin coats are much better than one or two thick ones. Just be sure that you tape and plastic off anything that you don't want sprayed, don't be fooled into thinking that you can be careful and avoid them. Also, plan carefully and consult with your local weatherman because you definitely don't want to spray, or even roller paint when it's windy outside. Also, plan for overspray. The spray will lightly drift so you may want to move away any lawn furniture, kid's toys, automobiles, or other such items unless you want to risk the possibility of a light mist of house-colored paint on everything else outside.