Before diving into sprucing up the exterior of our vehicle with a paint job, there are some non-negotiables we need to consider beforehand.

Similar to getting your cars detailed, a paint job is a makeover and not any indication of the quality of the car itself. It's time consuming and should only be done by a professional as the smallest mistake can be very visible.

You must first consider whether the value of your vehicle merits the expense of a paint job. If the paint job is going to cost more than 25 per cent of what your car is worth it might be best to reconsider. Newer vehicles, classic cars and used vehicles with low mileage tend to benefit the most from a paint job. A paint job can also be worth it if you are looking into customising your car for your business.

NB - If your car has a lot of wear and tear in the body, paint alone will not correct these flaws and can in fact make them look a lot worse and stand out more.

Generally, it is much cheaper to stick with your vehicle's existing colour. If you do decide to change colours, you must keep in mind that there will be hidden and fiddly areas that will also need to be painted such as the interior of the bonnet and the door jambs. If these are missed it will look like a second-rate job. It is recommended you change colours only if the current colour of your car is INCREDIBLY ugly!

The saying "you get what you pay for" generally applies to getting a paint job. If you take your vehicle to a rundown discount paint shop it is likely your car is going to get a bad paint job.

Going to a professional service that spends a lot of time prepping vehicles before the paint job is key - this is where some auto body paint services skimp. Good places generally spend 10 hours prepping the vehicle for every one hour they spend painting it.

A great place will sand the entire body of our vehicle over and over again to remove paint and make the car feel as smooth as the day it rolled off the assembly line. They will then remove parts of our car that could get in the way of the paint job, rather than just putting tape around them. A good auto paint shop will also remove car dents before they begin to apply 20 plus layers of paint to your vehicle in a specialist paint room.

If you decide to go ahead with a paint job, taking good care of your vehicle once it's done is essential. This means avoiding commercial car washes for a couple of weeks, hand washing it regularly and parking it under covered structures to avoid tree sap and other abrasive materials falling on it.

Happy beautifying! Stay safe.