Follow these 10 easy steps to paint like the pros.

1. Place all furniture into the center of the room. Cover all items with a drop cloth or plastic sheet. Continue to cover all walkable elements in the room with drop sheets.
2. Remove all switch plates from walls. Pull all unwanted anchors, screws, nails, and hardware off the walls. Use green painters tape to cover all light fixtures, door handles, and remaining hardware.
3. Apply a quick-dry compound (drydex) on all small holes. Use a stronger compound (sheet rock 90) on larger holes (larger then 1x1 inch).
4. Apply a bead of caulking on all cracks especially between all walls and baseboard trim.
5. Sand all the interior elements of the room (ceilings, walls, and trim) with a pole sander and spot prime all compound repairs with an interior grade latex primer.  Apply primer with a brush or mini-roller.
6. Apply two coats of interior grade latex ceiling paint on all ceilings. Start by cutting in all areas where walls meet the ceiling. Continue to cut around all ceiling light fixtures, fans, and all other ceiling hardware. Finish by rolling out entire ceiling.
7. Apply two coats on all walls. Start by cutting in where all walls meet ceilings. Continue with all corner joints and where walls meet baseboards. Finish by rolling out all walls. Lightly sand all walls in between each coat.
8. Apply two coats on all trim (baseboards, window and door casings).
9. Remount all switch plates onto walls. Remove all painters tape from all hardware.
10. Remove all drop/plastic sheets from room.