When having contractors come out, you need to ask them a very important question. What is the type product and name of the product that they intend on using? A lot of painters will give you a cheap price; 1, to get the job, and 2, will use bottom of the line product or "contractor grade" paint. In most cases, this turns out to be bad for the homeowner, because longevity and washability do not exist with bottom of the line products. Another thing to be aware of, is if they spray paint the walls/ceilings, there is no such thing as "touch-up". They will leave you the remaining paint, but when you try to use a brush or a roller, to do touch up, it will always show. Homeowners think, even though the paint was brushed and rolled on, that you can later on touch it up. Rule of thumb in this area, in most cases, it can be done successfully within the first 2 years, after that, light and inside environment will have an adverse affect on the touch up. In todays painting industry, the paint manufacturers are constantly re-engineering their paint lines to meet the EPA's standards and guidelines. So, the paint you bought last year, in most cases, will not be the same this year. I have noticed the difference myself over the last few years, paint that I used to be able to paint with, I never splattered or dripped, now I have to constantly watch the product for splatters and drips. This is occurring in every paint manufacturers lines. If you want a great looking and long lasting paint job, you need to start with proper preparation of the surface, quality paint brushes and roller covers, and foremost, quality paint. I hope this will help homeowners with their upcoming projects.