There is no single repaint date for a house, because every surface weathers differently. A south-facing interior wall can look fresh for fifteen years while the deck outside needs attention every second summer. Here are the honest timelines, and the signs that say a surface should not wait for the calendar.
Interiors: five to ten years, room by room
Living areas, hallways and kids' rooms cop the most contact - bags, furniture, hands, toys - and typically want repainting every five to seven years. Adult bedrooms and formal rooms can go ten years or more. Kitchens and bathrooms sit in between: steam and grease age paint faster, even with good ventilation.
The signs that matter more than the years: scuffs that no longer wash off, patches where touch-ups no longer match, and hairline cracks or dents accumulating faster than you can ignore them.
Trim, doors and skirting: a bit sooner
Doors, architraves and skirting boards are the hardest-wearing surfaces in the house and usually show it first. Expect to repaint trim every five to eight years, and high-traffic doors sooner. The giveaway is the shine wearing off in patches and chips appearing at handle height and floor level.
Exteriors: seven to fifteen years, depending on exposure
A properly prepared and painted exterior should give you a decade or close to it, but exposure decides. North and west walls bake in the afternoon sun and weather fastest. Shaded south walls stay cleaner longer but grow mould more readily. Weatherboards generally want attention sooner than brick or render, because timber moves with the seasons and works the paint film.
The signs: chalking (a powdery rub on your hand when you wipe the wall), fading on the sunny sides, cracking or peeling at board edges and joints, and gaps opening at corners. Peeling is the one not to sit on - once the film breaks, water gets behind it and the repair grows.
Decks and outdoor timber: every one to three years
Stained and oiled decks in full sun need recoating every year or two. Covered verandah ceilings and protected posts can go much longer. The test is simple: splash water on the timber. If it beads, the coating is still working. If it soaks in and darkens the timber, the protection is gone and the greying has started.
Roofs: ten to fifteen years for coatings
A quality roof membrane over a properly cleaned and primed roof should hold for well over a decade. The warning signs are faded or patchy colour, moss and lichen returning in force, and - more urgent than any coating question - cracked pointing or slipped tiles. Those are leak risks, not cosmetic ones, and they come first.
Why waiting usually costs more
Paint is protection, not just colour. Once a coating fails, the surface under it starts paying: timber greys and splits, render absorbs water, stains set deeper. Repainting a sound surface is a straightforward job. Repainting a neglected one starts with repairs. The cheapest time to repaint is almost always a little before you think you need to.
The short version
Walk around your house once a year with a critical eye: rub the walls, splash the deck, look at the sunny sides and the roofline. Repaint when the protection is fading, not after it has failed - and get a written quote that tells you exactly what the surface needs.
Not sure whether your place is due? Prime Painting Experts will tell you honestly. Call 0420 596 677.