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Contrary to popular belief it is not a brilliant idea to paint over wallpaper as it is a surface that paint does not adhere to very well, especially if it is vinyl wallpaper. It can also lead to an uneven texture or staining.
If you are insistent on doing this to save effort in taking off the paper (as many people are) then prime the wall 2 or 3 coats of Zinsser 123 primer to give better adhesion and use a matt paint to try to hide any uneven texture problem.
Removing the wallpaper does require effort, but it can be made easier providing that you are using the right equipment. To start with, you need a good Wallpaper Stripping Knife. If you can get your hands on a steam stripper (normally available from your local hire shop) it will help tremendously, as this will penetrate the glue and make it easier to take off. Finally, you can use a wallpaper stripping solution such as Zinsser Dif Wallpaper Remover, which will help to dissolve the paste. Make sure that there is no glue on the walls before you continue with the next step.
Next, ensure that the walls are as smooth as possible. You can do this by filling in any cracks and small holes with an all-purpose filler such as Red Devil One Time, or Zinsser Ready Patch. This is ready-mixed and easy to use. If you have only hairline cracks you should use Toupret Sealer Surfacer. To apply the filler to a smooth finish use a flexible filling knife, such as the Hamilton Perfection Filling Knife. Large gaps between skirting and walls should be filled using a Decorating Caulk, which can be applied with a Caulking Gun.
