When you hire painting contractors, they may advise you to choose more expensive paint for your house. Many people’s first instinct might be to scoff at this suggestion and think that the painters are just trying to rip them off.

However, depending on the situation, expensive paint is well worth the extra money and can even save you money in the long run. Read on for a few tips that can help you decide whether a pricier can of paint is a ripoff or just what you need.

Where Are You Painting?

Depending on what rooms of the house you are painting, you could get away with using a more affordable can of paint. However, if you are painting an area that picks up a lot of wear and tear, you should go for a more expensive paint. It will be more resistant to wear and tear and you will not have to repaint as soon as you would if you used the less expensive version.

The kitchen and bathroom in particular are rooms where you should not cut costs. They absorb a lot of damage due to heat, cooking odors, and moisture, which could cause mildew and stains on more affordable paint. If you hired painting contractors to repaint your exterior, you should also trust them with more expensive, durable paints.

What Wear and Tear Will Your Walls Experience?

Durable, glossy paints that are also easy to wash are going to cost more than more delicate paint. If you know that your walls are going to take a lot of damage or that you will need to wash them frequently, more expensive paint is an investment that will pay off.

If you have kids or pets, your walls will probably pick up some damage. More expensive paint can help minimize the scuff marks and stains.

What Color Do You Want to Paint Your Walls?

Believe it or not, the color of the paint affects whether or not you should splurge for a higher-quality one. Overall, low-cost paint provides less even coverage and requires more coats than expensive paint. This is not as big a problem when painting with lighter colors because they have a thicker base.

However, darker paint colors tend to have a thinner, more transparent base so any streaks or gaps in coverage will be very visible. It may take your painters twice as long to provide the same amount of coverage as they would with a more expensive paint can.

What Is the Overall Cost?

It is easy to get caught up in the sticker price of one paint can that you could lose sight of the fact that more expensive paint could save you money on the overall project. Many pricier paints come with a built-in primer, saving you the cost of preparing the surface. They also require fewer coats for full coverage, so you will use less paint.

Most expensive paints last longer so you can wait more years in between repainting your surfaces. In some projects, you can afford to use more affordable paints. However, be sure that they do not cost you more than you might think!