Exterior House Painting Khandallah Wellington

Khandallah sits elevated above the city with some of Wellington's finest early-20th-century housing stock — Californian bungalows, Victorian villas, and weatherboard homes built when tradesmen took their time. The hillside position means wind is a constant factor, and the age of the homes means the timber has character but also history. Heritage finishes need to be approached differently from modern spec housing, and that's where experience counts.

Why Khandallah Homeowners Choose Our Exterior Painting

Handling heritage timber the right way

Many homes here were built between 1900 and 1930 using native timber that is now over a century old. That timber is often denser and more stable than modern pine, but it carries decades of paint layers, some of which may contain lead, and surface profiles that modern spray equipment can't reach properly. We hand-paint the detailed joinery, assess every surface for adhesion before applying new coats, and where old paint has built up to the point of cracking or bridging across mouldings, we strip it back rather than add another layer. Skipping that step produces a finish that looks fine for one summer and starts failing the following winter.

Upland wind exposure demands the right paint system

Khandallah's elevation means homes get more direct wind than suburbs down in the valleys. Paint on exposed elevations — particularly south and west-facing walls — takes a harder beating. We use Resene exterior systems specifically rated for high UV and wind exposure, and we pay attention to the condition of caulk and sealant around window joinery where wind-driven rain finds its way in. A well-sealed, properly primed surface holds colour and gloss far longer than one that's had corners cut on prep.

Colour matching and heritage-appropriate finishes

Homes in this suburb often have specific character worth preserving — original sash windows, decorative bargeboards, period colour palettes. We work with Resene's heritage ranges and can advise on colours that suit the architecture without looking out of place in the streetscape. If your property has any heritage overlay or council design guidelines, we're familiar with the requirements and can help navigate the process.

Our Exterior Painting Process

The same six steps apply to every exterior job we take on:

• Assessment: Site visit to inspect paint condition, identify timber damage, check moisture levels, and agree on scope with you before quoting.
• Surface preparation: High-pressure wash, scrape and sand all loose paint, remove bridged or built-up layers where needed, fill gaps, re-caulk joinery.
• Priming: Full prime coat on all bare timber; spot-prime where existing paint is sound. Lead paint encapsulation where required.
• Protection: Mask windows, doors, and paved surfaces.
• Application: Two topcoats of Resene exterior paint. Hand-painted on detailed profiles and joinery; roller on flat weatherboard runs.
• Inspection and clean-up: Final walkround with you, remove masking, clean site completely.

What Our Service Includes

• Full surface preparation including wash, scrape, and sand
• Timber moisture and condition assessment
• Gap filling and re-caulking at all joinery
• Primer coat on all bare and repaired surfaces
• Two topcoats of Resene exterior paint
• Painting of fascias, soffits, bargeboards, and window frames
• Heritage colour consultation if required
• Site protection and full clean-up
• Workmanship guarantee

Cost Guide

Pricing depends on home size, current paint condition, and preparation complexity. Heritage homes with detailed joinery and multiple old paint layers typically sit toward the higher end of these ranges:

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

We provide fixed-price quotes after a site visit. No variations unless you change the scope of work.

FAQs

How do I know if my home has lead paint?
Homes built before 1980 may have lead paint in older layers. We can test for it on site. If present, we either encapsulate it with a compatible primer system or strip it safely using appropriate PPE and disposal procedures — not just sand it back and spread dust around.

How long will the paint last on an exposed hillside home?
With correct preparation and quality paint, 8–12 years is realistic on sheltered elevations. South and west-facing walls in exposed positions may show wear after 6–8 years. We'll give you a realistic expectation during the quote visit based on what we see.

Do you do touch-ups or only full repaints?
We focus on full exterior repaints rather than partial touch-ups. Spot-painting rarely blends well once existing paint has faded, and it doesn't address the preparation issues that caused the problem in the first place.

Can you match my existing colour exactly?
Resene can colour-match most existing paints using a spectrometer scan. We'll bring a colour sample card to the quote visit and can arrange a test patch if you're unsure before committing to the full job.

Areas We Cover

We work throughout the northern hill suburbs including Ngaio, Crofton Downs, Johnsonville, Tawa, and Newlands. View our full range of exterior house painting services across the Wellington region.

Get a Free Quote

Get in touch for a free site visit and quote. We'll assess your home, give you an honest rundown of the preparation required, and provide a fixed price. Call us or fill in the contact form — we respond within one business day.