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Told by a painter to 'just buy two drums', one homeowner asked Gemini instead, and it worked from coverage of about 10 square metres per litre per coat. He bought two 20-litre buckets anyway and was left with roughly 15 litres of expensive paint going to waste.
I'm painting [ROOMS OR AREAS]. The walls measure roughly [WIDTH x HEIGHT FOR EACH WALL], minus [NUMBER] doors and [NUMBER] windows. I plan [NUMBER] coats of [PAINT TYPE], and the tin says it covers [COVERAGE PER LITRE]. Work out the total area, how many litres I need with a small margin, and the cheapest mix of tin sizes to buy. Show your working.
Replace the [PLACEHOLDERS] with your own details before you send it.
How to try it
- Measure each wall and note doors and windows; check the coverage figure on the tin.
- Give Gemini the numbers with the prompt and check its sums.
- Buy a little over the estimate rather than double, and keep the receipt in case you can return unopened tins.
More home & family use cases
Win back a withheld tenancy deposit with ChatGPT
When her previous landlord refused to return her deposit, one tenant asked ChatGPT to review the denial. It judged the reasons weak and helped her write a response, and she got her full $1,000 back.
My landlord is refusing to return [AMOUNT/PART] of my deposit. Their reasons: [PASTE THEIR MESSAGE]. My evidence: [CHECK-IN REPORT, PHOTOS, DATES]. My tenancy was in [COUNTRY/REGION]. Review their reasons against what landlords can normally deduct for, tell me which points are weak, and draft a firm, polite reply asking for the money back and mentioning the deposit protection or dispute route if they refuse.
Plan a new flower border and its shopping list with Gemini
Replanting an almost empty border with perennials and spring bulbs, an allotment blogger gave Gemini the bed's measurements, location, aspect and her vision. After a long back-and-forth, discarding many suggestions, she had a planting plan plus a shopping list with estimated costs, nearby garden centres, planting instructions and yearly maintenance tasks.
I'm replanting a border that is [LENGTH] by [DEPTH], in [TOWN/REGION], facing [ASPECT], with [SOIL TYPE IF KNOWN]. I'd like [STYLE OR COLOURS], with interest from [SEASONS] and a budget of about [BUDGET]. Suggest a planting plan with where each plant goes, how many of each to buy, a shopping list with rough costs, simple planting instructions and a month-by-month care calendar. Ask me questions first if anything is unclear.
Draft a wedding seating plan from your guest list with ChatGPT
A bride from Leeds with 72 guests and tricky family dynamics used a planner's method: list each guest's relationship, group, 'vibe' and who they must or mustn't sit beside, upload it to ChatGPT and ask for tables. It took a few reshuffles, but no child sat alone and single friends sat with people they knew.
Here is my guest list with columns for name, relationship to us, group, vibe (e.g. family-friendly or party), must sit next to and can't sit next to: [PASTE OR UPLOAD]. Our tables seat [NUMBER]. Create a seating plan that keeps groups and vibes together where possible, seats children with their parents, keeps the 'can't sit next to' pairs apart and makes the tables as even as you can. List any rules you couldn't meet.
Reference: X @fimiletoks