How to Patch Rental Walls Before You Move Out

Most of what turns up on a rental wall by the end of a lease is small stuff, a few picture hook holes and a scuff where the couch sat, and nearly all of it comes out with a bit of filler and some sanding, so it's worth doing properly a week before the final inspection rather than in a panic the night before.

Have a word with the agent first

I'd ask your agent before you start, because some of them would rather see a few small holes than a patch that's been painted the wrong white, and a touch-up that doesn't blend can stand out more than the hole ever did. It's your bond and your call, and it's just worth knowing which way they lean before you pick up a scraper.

Clean the wall before you judge it

A lot of what looks like damage is actually dirt, so give the wall a wipe with sugar soap and a soft cloth before you decide what needs filling. Scuffs from furniture and the grubby patch around a light switch often come straight off, and the wall needs to be clean anyway or the filler and the paint won't stick to it.

Filling small holes

For picture hook and screw holes, a ready mixed filler is the easiest thing to use. Press it into the hole with a flexible scraper so it's packed in tight, then scrape across it so it sits just proud of the wall, because filler shrinks a little as it dries and a hole filled exactly flush usually ends up as a small dip.

If there's a plastic wall plug still in the hole, I'd tap it in a few millimetres past the surface rather than pulling it out, because pulling it usually brings a chunk of plaster with it, and then fill over the top.

Once the filler's dry, and the drying time is on the tube, sand it flush with a fine sanding block and run your fingers over it. If you can feel the edge of the patch you'll see it once it's painted, so it's worth another pass.

Dents and bigger holes

A dent in plaster, or a hole up to about the size of a 20c piece, fills best in a couple of thin layers with each one left to dry before the next, because one thick layer slumps and cracks as it dries. Anything bigger in plasterboard needs something behind it, and a self adhesive wall patch is the simplest way to do that, since you stick the mesh over the hole and fill across it in thin coats until it disappears.

Touching up the paint is the hard part

A small dab of paint almost never blends on a wall that's been up for a few years, even when it's the right colour, because the old paint has faded and its sheen has changed, so a dot over each hole tends to show up as a row of shiny spots the moment light hits the wall side on.

If you know exactly what's on the wall, down to the colour name and the sheen, roll the touch-up out wider than the repair so the edge feathers away into the old paint. If you don't know, the honest answer is that the safest fix is painting the whole wall from corner to corner, so there's no edge to see at all. We mix and tint Haymes and Taubmans to order in the shop from those ranges, so it helps a lot if the lease or the agent can tell you the colour name.

Check it the way the inspector will

Walk through each room in daylight with the curtains open, because side light from a window shows up a filled hole that looked perfect under the ceiling light. Once you're happy with it, take photos and keep them with your copy of the entry condition report.

Shop related products

• GSA Fast Filler 180g. Ready mixed, for picture hook and screw holes.
• GSA Uni Filler 0.2L. For dents that want a second thin layer.
• Medium Sanding Block. Gets the filler flush with the wall.
• Utility Synthetic Paint Brush, 25mm. For cutting in if you end up doing the whole wall.

Did you know we also stock flexible scrapers in a range of widths and self adhesive wall patches in the shop, and neither of them is on the website. Give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what's on the shelf, and the rest of the gear is in paint and accessories. If you're getting paint tinted, the paint mixing page explains how it works.

Keep reading

• Adhesive hooks and strips for renters that actually hold
• Screws or nails, and when you need a wall plug

I'm still the person who decides a filled hole is perfect and then finds it again the minute the afternoon sun comes round.

Cheers,
Candeece

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