Start by covering the surrounding floors (you might be walking in and out a few times). Make sure the floor is completely covered so you do not see any open floor at all, the paint can sprinkle.

Now you are ready to repair the walls. You can use Sheetrock 20 min. for a fast dry. Mix small amounts because it sets too fast to have it on the knife too long. Look around systematically not to miss any spots (nail any holes, cracks or imperfections). Put this on smoothly or you won't be able to sand it and will need another coat. The second coat should be thin so it should also sand easy. Now you are ready to look at the ceiling for cracks and gaps. Use the same process here but if there is a crack between the wall and ceiling, I use paintable caulk. Use a wet sponge to smooth out the caulking in the joint. Now let all these repairs dry for at least 4 hours.

Next you are ready to sand these repairs. It is best not to sand by hand. You can use a sanding pad which sands smoother to the wall, being careful not to leave any lumps or dimples. Once all the repairs are sanded, it's time to spot prime the plaster the areas. Spot prime to a smooth finish leaving no roller marks. Be careful here; don't over work the primer over the fresh plaster. Keep it wet or it will tear up making a mess.

Next you can paint the ceiling. What I do is paint all the way around the ceiling. I paint all four walls using the roller's open end, rubbing up against the wall tightly to fill in the corner between the wall and ceiling only leaving the 4 corner points to be brushed in with only a dab.

A few hours later, you can start brushing in the wall at the ceiling. Do not over concentrate on having perfect lines for this will never happen. Keep the movements steady and straight in one continuous motion and always paint forward. Watch the leading edge of the brush and work it up to the ceiling as you move along the cut. This does take some practice.

As you finish the top of the wall and move toward the end, you can go down the end of the wall to fill in the inside edge between the two walls where the roller won't fill in. Make sure you don't leave heavy brush marks on the wall. As you are brushing, make sure the edges are smooth so when the roller goes over the brush work you shouldn't see any brush lines.

Now you are ready to roll. Place the tray close to where you are rolling so your roller doesn't drop paint all over the place. Start rolling in a "v" shape forward, then without lifting the roller away from the wall roll backwards to the beginning and roll forward again lightly for a smooth finish. You can go back up again until nice. Continue this action for all the walls until done.

Note: I use Benjamin Moore Paint as I find this paint is the best to work with. It is a bit more expensive but well worth it saving you time not having to go back a lot.