Painting a flat in Geneva: the complete guide

Why and when to repaint: the common triggers

In Geneva, several situations lead to repainting a flat. Identifying them helps frame the project and work out which services will be useful.

• Aesthetic refresh — dull walls, marks, dated colours in an occupied home.
• Moving in — repainting an empty flat before the furniture arrives, often the simplest situation to organise.
• End of tenancy / move-out inspection — redecoration between two tenants, governed by Geneva tenancy practice and the lease (see our between-tenancy repaint).
• After damage — water stains or blistering following water damage, which first requires treating the residual moisture.
• After building work — finishing paint once the joinery, electrics or flooring are complete.

The trigger shapes the scope, the finishes and the coordination with other trades.

Where to start: scope, visit and quote

The first step is not to choose a colour, but to define the scope. List the rooms involved, specify whether to treat walls only, ceilings, or both, and note the visible condition of the surfaces (cracks, flaking, signs of damp).

Next comes the on-site visit. It is the only reliable way to assess the surfaces, the preparation needed and the access constraints; an estimate by phone or photo remains approximate. At Renovhome SA, this visit is used to measure the surfaces, examine the condition of the supports and frame the scope with you, anywhere in the canton.

The quote sets everything out: surfaces, preparation, paint ranges, number of coats and finishes, room by room. A detailed quote lets you compare offers on exactly the same scope. To understand what makes an estimate vary, see our cost of a painter in Geneva page and our estimating method. The validity period of the offer is stated on the quote provided.

Choosing rooms and finishes

The choice of finish is made room by room, according to use, light and exposure. The technical vocabulary is detailed in our painting glossary.

Room	Finish often chosen	Why
Living room, bedroom	Matt or velvet	Visual comfort, good contrast
Hallway, entrance, stairwell	Washable / velvet	Durability in high-traffic areas
Kitchen	Washable	Cleanable surfaces, splashes
Bathroom, WC	Enamel / damp-room finish	Resistance to moisture and condensation (see enamel finishes)
Ceilings	Matt	Limits reflections and grazing-light defects (see ceiling painting)

For colours, you can provide references (NCS, RAL, colour charts) or ask for advice on contrast and brightness. The colour remains your decision. A large-format test on the wall concerned, observed at different times of day, avoids unpleasant surprises. If you are considering wallpaper, see wallpaper.

Preparation: the step that decides the result

The final coat only reveals the quality of the surface. Paint that lasts over time depends first on thorough preparation — it is preparation, not product quality alone, that determines durability.

The protocol applied by Renovhome SA follows consistent steps:

1. Protection of floors, furniture in place and joinery.
2. Survey of the surfaces under grazing light: cracks, flaking, defects in old coatings, signs of damp.
3. Preparation: filling, levelling, skimming, sanding, dusting off.
4. Primer suited to the surface (new plasterboard, old coating, damp surface).

The Geneva building stock calls for nuances: ceiling heights and plaster cornices in the older buildings of Eaux-Vives or Champel, standardised surfaces in the modernist estates of Le Lignon, Onex or Meyrin, smooth plasterboard in recent developments. Each type calls for its own survey. After damage, the drying-out of the surface is measured with a moisture meter — it generally takes between five and fifteen days before any repainting.

A typical painting project from start to finish

Once the quote is approved, the project is scheduled to suit your slot. The process generally follows this outline.

1. Setup and protection — sheeting, masking, securing the area.
2. Surface preparation — according to the survey set out in the quote.
3. Primer — a suitable bonding primer.
4. Application of finish coats — generally two passes, working with the light, using the tools suited to the chosen finish.
5. Quality control under grazing light and any touch-ups.
6. Reinstatement — removal of protections and waste, cleaning of unpainted surfaces.

The duration depends on the surface area, the condition of the supports, the heights and the finishes — it is set out with you in the quote, excluding drying time, and is not fixed by a scale. At Renovhome SA, the project is overseen from measurement to handover. In an occupied home, work is carried out room by room with a reinforced cleanliness protocol.

Handover and warranty

The handover is the key moment of the project. Take the time to look at everything in full natural daylight: even coats, clean pattern matches and edges, no runs or missed spots. Visible defects accepted at handover no longer fall under the warranty — hence the importance of this inspection.

A painter’s work is covered by the Swiss 2-year legal warranty (Art. 371 CO, Swiss Code of Obligations): Articles 367 to 371 CO govern the notification of defects, their rectification and the limitation period. In practical terms, a defect attributable to the work (blistering, early flaking, a poorly executed pattern match) must be reported in accordance with the rules of the CO, to be distinguished from normal wear and later impacts.

A good habit: keep the summary of the products used (reference, colour, supplier) for your future touch-ups. Renovhome SA, a member of the Groupement genevois d’entreprises (GGE) and registered with the Geneva commercial register (company ID CHE-356.898.007), keeps its professional liability insurance certificates available on request.