Painting can have great impact on the appearance of a room for little cost. It is also a project that most people are capable of if they do their homework first.

Preparation is the key to a beautiful, long-lasting paint job.

Paint is designed to be applied to a clean, smooth surface. In most cases, getting to this ideal state requires only simple preparation.

First, remove all the furniture, lamps and knickknacks from the room. Or, if you can't do that, remove anything that is irreplaceable or easily broken. Push whatever is left to the middle of the room and cover it completely with dropcloths.

Also remove anything attached to the walls, including pictures, window treatments and switch/outlet plates (put the screws and plates together in plastic bags). Take off all the hardware from windows and doors. Cover radiators with newspaper. Loosen ceiling light fixtures and cover them with plastic trash bags. Cover every inch of the floor with canvas or heavy plastic dropcloths.

After you've bought the paint and prepped the room, it's time to proceed. Stir the paint thoroughly. It will go on and look better if the components are well mixed. Need a guideline? Stir for three minutes.

Always paint a room from top to bottom. The job will go faster and turn out better if you follow this game plan:

1) Paint the ceiling. Use a trim brush to "cut in" the edges of the ceiling where it meets the walls. Paint a 2- to 4-inch-wide strip that "feathers" out toward the middle of the room. Begin painting the ceiling immediately. Start in a corner, and paint across the narrowest dimension of the room.

2) Paint the walls. Start when the ceiling is dry. Do one wall at a time. Use a trim brush to cut in where the walls meet the ceiling, around doors and windows, and along the baseboards. Begin painting the walls immediately.

3) Paint the windows. Use an angular sash brush and, if you like, a smaller brush for the dividers.

4) Paint the doors. Use a trim brush. Work quickly but carefully. Don't forget to paint all six sides.

5) Paint the door and window trim. Use a sash brush. Paint the edges and then the face.

6) Paint the baseboards. Use a sash brush. Protect the floor/carpet with painter's tape and/or a paint shield.

Tip: It's best to work with a partner. One can cut in the edges, and the other can follow along with the roller. Use a roller wherever you can, and use plenty of paint to avoid the need for a second coat.

For ceilings, it's best to work in a 3-foot-square "W" pattern. For walls, an "M" is the way to go. Here's why: A zigzag pattern spreads the paint evenly over the section and lets you fill in without lifting the roller.

Use even, medium pressure, and stop when the section is evenly covered. Then move on to another section. You can move sideways or up and down (it doesn't matter). You will avoid lap marks if you overlap a bit of the section just painted while it is still wet. An extension pole will let you paint the ceiling and the high sections of the walls without a ladder.

When painting a window, first decide whether to mask off the glass, or paint carefully and scrape off any paint when you're done. If you want to mask, you can do it with tape or by using a peel-off film you apply with a roll-on applicator (like deodorant).

Start in the middle of the window. Use a little brush to paint the dividers in double-hung windows or the inside edge of the frame if it's some other type. Switch to a 2-inch sash brush and paint the window frame and the trim. Finally, paint the sill and the trim below the sill.

When painting a paneled door, work from the middle outward. Follow this sequence: 1) panels, 2) the horizontal areas between the panels, 3) the vertical areas between the panels, 4) the edges, 5) the horizontal areas at the top and bottom, and 6) the vertical areas on the outside.

If your door is flush/plain, start at the top and work your way to the bottom.

Be careful, but work quickly. You'll get brush marks if you try to brush wet paint over paint that already is partially dry.

For most people, cleanup is one of the least pleasant parts of a painting project. It is also why latex paint is so popular - it cleans up with water. Wash the brush under warm water, making sure to work any paint out of the base of the bristles and the ferrule. Shake/snap the brush to get the water out, and hang to dry (bristles down).

Oil-based paint cleans up with paint thinner. You need to clean it only once (at the end of the job). The rest of the time you can leave it hanging (not resting) in a covered can of thinner.

When it's time to paint again, squeeze out the thinner against the side of the can and blot on newspaper. Many do-it-yourselfers throw out their brushes at the end of a job rather than go to the trouble of cleaning them.

If you find yourself doing lots of painting around the house, consider investing in a brush and roller "spinner." You mount your brush or roller cover to the device and crank away as you would with a child's top. Your brushes will remain like new forever. Oh, don't forget to hold the brush or roller inside a bucket or barrel. Otherwise you'll spatter paint all over your neighbor's car.