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we are new houseowners, and the previous owners left a TV we didn't want so we asked them to remove it and they left this big hole in the wall in the process. We've been looking for a contractor that would patch it up, but nobody will even come up to get a quote because the job is "too small". We figured we might as well see how big of a project it would be to patch it up ourselves, so I have a couple questions there: what would we look up to find some information on how to fix this? The hole is around 4 by 6 inches, is that something we should be good fixing ourselves? What kind of tools/materials would we need to patch it? I can provide more pictures/details if need be, any help is much appreciated!

hole

BairMinimum
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  • $700 = "patch this and any other spots on the wall that need patching, come back next day - sand, prime *entire wall*, come back next day - paint coat 1, come back next day, paint coat 2." Each piece takes an hour or two, plus a few $ for paint and materials. **Patch it yourself, put a picture in front of it. Done.** $50-$100 will get you patch, sand, slap some white paint on it - it will be functional and smooth but the paint won't match the rest of the wall - i.e., the same thing you could do yourself but pay someone else who already has the tools to do it faster. – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact Jul 12 '23 at 15:53
  • Or this? [Patching a Small Hole in Drywall](https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/111029/patching-a-small-hole-in-drywall) – isherwood Jul 12 '23 at 18:14
  • Or this? [What is the best method to patch a large hole (2-3 inches) in drywall?](https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/128/what-is-the-best-method-to-patch-a-large-hole-2-3-inches-in-drywall) – isherwood Jul 12 '23 at 18:15
  • Or this? [How to repair a hole in a plaster ...?](https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/274995/how-to-repair-a-hole-in-a-plaster-veneer-wall-with-possible-gypsum) – isherwood Jul 12 '23 at 18:16
  • Or this? [How should I fix this drywall hole ...?](https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/37071/how-should-i-fix-this-drywall-hole-for-my-bathroom-paper-towel-holder) – isherwood Jul 12 '23 at 18:17
  • This is a pretty cheap and easy fix. You can do it. This question is likely to be closed as a duplicate judging by the links added, but check them out for information. If you're more of a visual learner, there's hundreds of videos on YouTube (and of course, elsewhere) that will walk you through the process. Watch more than one or two. – gnicko Jul 12 '23 at 22:58

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Assuming you aren't going to be repainting the whole wall, the hardest and most expensive part will be matching the paint colour.

Watch a few YouTube videos about patching drywall.

Meanwhile, in a nutshell, here's what you'll do.

For the hole itself, buy:

  • Non-shrinking spackling.
  • A small drywall spatula.
  • A drywall sanding pad.

Then:

  • Scrape away all the loose paint, plaster, and resulting dust.
    (If you can also peel off a large piece of the existing paint, that will help immensely when matching the colour.)
  • Jam a small piece of wood or cardboard or wadded up drywall tape into each hole, ensuring it is recessed from the surface. It doesn't have to fill the hole; it's to prevent the spackling from falling through.
  • Push spackling into the holes.
  • Spread spackling smoothly over the area, slightly overlapping the good painted area.
  • Wait at least as long as suggested on the spackling package for it to dry.
  • Use the sanding pad to remove the excess spackling, leaving a smooth and even surface.
  • Unless you are even more experienced at this than I am, it won't be even, so repeat the spackling and sanding until it is good enough (it will never be perfect).

You can probably get away without priming for such a small area, but if you have some primer, use it.

Then paint it.
You might get a very close color match, but it will almost certainly still be a visible patch to a certain extent.

You'll be surprised how soon you'll learn not to notice it though. Hanging a picture or other decoration over or near it isn't a bad idea either.

As new homeowners, you'll likely be patching and painting other rooms, if not now then in a couple of years. Your skills will improve with practice. Just don't expect a professional appearance the first few hundred times.

Ray Butterworth
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