I always try to use a good quality paint.

Having tried budget brands in the past I find good quality stuff gives a much better finish. It covers better and make the job much easier. It can often mean you don't have to apply so many coats which can save you hours of painting time. I recommend Dulux (see the links below)

The type of paint you use depends on what you are painting. There are loads of different options below is a rough guide. Check out the links below for more info and options

This is water based so clean your brushes with water.

For bathrooms and kitchens you may want something that is a little more hard wearing for which you can use a Vinyl Silk Emulsion. This has a slight sheen on it which make it more resistant to water or grease and is easier to wipe clean/dry.

You'll find most paint makers supply a paint which says on the tin it is especially for kitchens and bathrooms.

Tip Don't throw your old tins of paint away as your bound to want to touch up some scuffed areas in the future. (I like to make sure I've got plenty extra so I can re-do a whole wall if it's got really dirty or damaged and the rest of the room is still fine)

Oil-based paints cover well and are hard wearing. The disadvantage is they are solvent based and quite smelly until dry. Check on the tin for the VOC sign(volatile organic compounds). Oil based paint have a high VOC rating which is more damaging to the environment. You will need to clean your brushes with white spirit.

Water based based paints may need more coats to get a good finish and aren't so hard wearing. I tend not to use them for exterior exterior woodwork. The advantage is they are easy to apply, don't smell much, and you can clean your brushes with water.

So both have pros and cons. Try them and see which one you prefer.

Types of finish

Type of finish /Pros.&Cons.

Gloss Very shiny finish. Hard wearing and easy to clean. Shiny surface will show up any little imperfections or bad painting.

Satin wood/Eggshell Mid shine. Looks great. Not so hardwearing as gloss

Matt No shine. Looks fab. and is very trendy, but marks very easily.

For radiators you can buy a paint especially for them. NB make sure your radiators or turned off before you begin.

For stone work or painted bricks you'll need a Masonry paint. It's a bit like interior emulsion but especially formulated to be hard wearing outside. It's water based so you can clean your brushes with water.

For exterior wood work as a general rule use an oil-based under coat and and an oil-based gloss top-coat.

NB. whatever paint job you're doing Read the tin it will tell you exactly what the paint is suitable for and how to use it

Follow all the instructions carefully e.g. it is very important to allow adequate ventilation whilst painting and drying.

Check out the Dulux paint website. It's very useful. They've got a huge range of colour swatches which you can order online, they can help with co-ordination, they've got loads more paint options to choose from, and loads of useful bits like a paint calculator, local store finder, and loads more. They'll even find you a decorator if you can't be bothered to find do it yourself!!