The plan before the paint
Day one: remove fixtures, patch holes, sand, and tape. Day two: cut in, roll two coats, reinstall. The order matters — paint before the new fixtures go on, never after.
The tools: a good brush set, a random orbit sander for the patches, an adjustable wrench for the fixtures, and a multimeter if you're swapping a light.
Where bathrooms punish cheap tools
Tight spaces. A bulky wrench that won't fit behind a toilet turns a ten-minute swap into an hour. This is where a proper adjustable wrench set earns its keep.
Moisture. Cheap brushes shed bristles into damp paint that you'll pick out forever. A mid-range brush set is the single best upgrade in this project.
The electrical sanity check
Swapping a light fixture or outlet? A $20 multimeter confirms the power is actually off — the breaker label is not proof. Test the wires, every time, before you touch them.
If anything looks wrong — scorched wires, aluminum wiring, a mystery circuit — that's the moment to call an electrician, not to push through.