No, you are not required to notify DIO or Pinnacle if you paint your home. During your move out appointment your Housing Officer will note on the Property Move Out form if you’ve opted to decorate any rooms within the property. This is to record that where a home has been decorated, the family has adhered to the Defence Homes Colour Palette and therefore it is acceptable for the next family.

Yes, you can paint skirting boards and internal doors, but this must be reverted to gloss white the at point of move out (as stated in the Move Out Specification). If not, damage charges will be incurred.

The Defence Homes Colour Palette is to be used as a colour guide only and has been developed without the specification of colour names to offer Service Families maximum choice. If families have any concerns that their chosen colour does not comply with the colour palette range, then please seek guidance/confirmation from your Housing Officer.

We recognise that some families are keen to apply colour drenching to their property whereby ceilings are painted the same colour as walls. You can paint your ceiling, but this must be reverted to white at point of move out (as stated in the Move Out Specification). If not, damage charges will be incurred.

No, we kindly ask Service families not to paint their front doors.

Yes, you can paint the sapele doors in your home. It is accepted that it would not be possible to revert Sapele/other wooden doors back to their original condition/colour at move out. As per the current instruction in relation to all painted woodwork, doors will need to be reverted to gloss white on move out. This applies even if the chosen paint colour is from the Defence Homes Colour Palette.

No, we kindly ask that Service families do not paint any radiators within the property. If there is a requirement for a radiator to be painted, this is only undertaken by the RAMS. Multiple paint layers can eventually affect heat output due to paint thickness and radiators are factory finished with powder coating; additional painting will show flaws in the paint which often becomes yellow overtime.

All wooden surfaces can be painted by families but must be reverted back to white gloss ahead of moving out – even if the colour used was from the Defence Homes Colour Palette. We do not recommend painting varnished surfaces.

Yes – if guidance for self-decorating your home isn’t followed or the workmanship is poor, you may be liable for charges as per the extant Damage Charge Calculation Process. This will include paint splashes to carpets and curtains. Your Housing Officer will discuss any potential charges incurred with you during your move out appointment.

There is lots of advice and guidance on decorating available online, we have also created a Defence Homes Decorating Top Tips guide.

Service families are requested to retain a small amount of their chosen Defence Homes Colour Palette paint whilst in occupancy. This is to ‘touch up’ post any intrusive works that may arise during occupancy (e.g. the movement of a radiator) and to make good any minor marks/scuffs prior to Move Out in preparation for the next incoming Service family. Please adhere to the guidance on your paint tins for how to safely store these. Some paints for example can’t be stored outside (in shed or garages) in low temperatures.

This can be found in your property Welcome Pack and in the New Defence Homes Colour Palette.

The Defence Homes Colour Palette was introduced to provide more freedom to Service families to personalise their home. A variety of neutral shades have been identified that are bright, fresh and unobtrusive. Where families inherit a colour from the Defence Homes Colour Palette, they of course may adjust it to suit their personal preferences, but this won’t be work carried out or funded by DIO or our industry partners.

DIO must be able to meet the statutory requirements of Awaab’s Law by utilising anti-fungal paint where damp and mould has been identified; it would not be feasible for Industry Partners to stock anti-fungal paint to match every colour from the Defence Homes Colour Palette. We also ask that anti-fungal wash down is not mixed with your paint colour and applied to walls.

There are different arrangements in place for PFI, Substitute Accommodation (which are not directly owned by DIO) and the overseas estate, Service families should seek advice from their housing provider.

Yes, Service families’ views have been captured via the Family Federation forums and recent survey results.