Exterior House Painting Karori Wellington

Karori is Wellington's largest suburb, and its housing stock reflects that variety — character villas, 1920s bungalows, mid-century homes, and newer townhouses all sitting in the same valley. Most of it is timber weatherboard. The elevation and exposure to prevailing westerlies means paint systems get tested hard here, and older weatherboards on the wind-facing sides can fail faster than owners expect. We paint a lot of homes in this suburb and understand what holds up and what doesn't.

Why Karori Homeowners Choose Our Exterior Painting

We know how timber behaves in valley conditions

The valley geography channels wind and traps moisture in ways that differ from Wellington's coastal suburbs. Timber weatherboard expands and contracts with the humidity swings, and if the preparation work is rushed — inadequate sanding, primer skipped on bare timber, moisture content not checked — the topcoat will crack and peel within a couple of seasons. We assess moisture levels before any paint goes on, address gaps and failing caulk, and use Resene primer systems rated for high-movement timber. That's the difference between a paint job that lasts three years and one that lasts eight.

Character homes need more than a colour change

The villas and 1920s bungalows throughout the suburb have aged joinery, eaves with built-up layers of old paint, and weatherboards that have cupped or split in places. On homes like these, proper preparation takes longer than the painting itself. We hand-sand difficult profiles, treat any bare or damaged timber, replace cracked putty around windows, and back-prime all bare surfaces before the finish coats go on. The result looks right and holds up, rather than peeling off at the window frames within eighteen months.

Registered Master Painters with insurance to match

Wellington Decorators is a Registered Master Painter and fully insured. For homeowners in this area — where homes carry real value and many are heritage character — that matters. You're not dealing with a two-man operation running without cover. We carry public liability insurance, we guarantee our workmanship, and if something isn't right we come back and fix it. That's the standard we hold ourselves to on every job.

Our Exterior Painting Process

We follow the same six steps on every job:

• Assessment: We walk the property with you, identify problem areas — peeling, timber damage, failed caulk — and agree on scope before quoting.
• Surface preparation: High-pressure wash, scrape and sand all loose or flaking paint, fill gaps, replace damaged putty, treat any bare timber with preservative.
• Priming: Spot-prime or full prime coat depending on existing paint condition. All bare timber gets primed before any topcoat.
• Protection: Mask windows, doors, and hard surfaces. Lay drop sheets.
• Application: Two topcoats of Resene exterior paint by brush and roller on weatherboards; spray where suitable for the substrate and site conditions.
• Inspection and clean-up: Walk the job with you on completion. Remove all masking, clean up the site, and confirm you're happy before we leave.

What Our Service Includes

• Full exterior surface preparation — wash, scrape, sand
• Moisture and timber condition assessment
• Gap filling and caulking at joinery
• Timber repair and replacement of badly damaged boards (quoted separately if significant)
• Primer coat on all bare surfaces
• Two topcoats of Resene exterior paint in your chosen colour
• Painting of fascias, soffits, bargeboards, and window frames
• Site protection and full clean-up
• Workmanship guarantee

Cost Guide

Exterior painting costs vary based on the size of your home, its current paint condition, and the amount of preparation required. As a general guide for standard weatherboard homes:

• Small homes (under 120m²): $8,000–$15,000
• Medium homes (120–200m²): $15,000–$25,000
• Large homes (200m²+): $25,000–$45,000

Homes with significant timber damage, multiple layers of old paint requiring full strip-back, or complex rooflines and detailing will sit toward the upper end of these ranges. We provide detailed, fixed-price quotes after a site visit — no surprises once work begins.

FAQs

How often does a weatherboard home in this area need repainting?
Every 7–10 years under normal conditions, though exposed south or west-facing elevations can start showing wear sooner. Homes that had poor preparation on the previous job often need attention after five years.

Can you paint in winter?
Yes, with conditions. We need minimum 10°C ambient temperature and dry surfaces. Wellington winters allow plenty of suitable painting days, and we manage scheduling around the forecast.

Do I need to choose Resene colours?
We work with Resene as our primary supplier because their exterior systems are well-proven in Wellington conditions. That said, if you have a strong preference for another brand we can discuss it — the key is using a quality paint rated for exterior timber in a high-exposure environment.

What if there's rot in some of the weatherboards?
We assess this during the quote. Minor rot can often be treated and filled. Boards that are structurally compromised need replacing before we paint over them — painting rotten timber just hides the problem short-term. We'll be straight with you about what we find.

Areas We Cover

We regularly work throughout the western suburbs and surrounding areas, including Wadestown, Northland, Crofton Downs, Aro Valley, and Kelburn. For a full list of our exterior house painting services across Wellington, see our main service page.

Get a Free Quote

If your home is due for a repaint — or you're seeing peeling, cracking, or bare timber appearing — get in touch for a free site visit and quote. We'll tell you honestly what the job involves, what it'll cost, and when we can get to it. Call us or fill in the contact form and we'll be in touch within one business day.