Another question from a reader:

We have had our house up for sale for over a year, and have renewed our decluttering, painting up, fixing up, efforts.
 
The tub is not in the best shape.  We have done our best with it..but it just doesn't look very good.
 
I had an estimate of $600 to refinish it ...and that is $600 we don't have.
 
I know there is paint for tubs I found on line and  we can do this ourselves.  My question is..has anyone out there done this themselves? How hard is it? Did it look nice afterwards?  How did they do it?  AI suspect that most of the $600 is for labor.,
 

 Please post if you can help. 

I haven't done it, but I know that in addition to a paint there is also a type of liquid enamel covering that I've been considering for my (awful) tub.  Theoretically it's supposed to leave a nice glossy finish.

 Here's a "This Old House" video with bathtub refinishing instructions.

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,1631531,00.html

Be sure to read the helpful comments on that page.  They mention several things that I wouldn't have thought about.

I have 2 brothers in the business. One says you should have it done professionally, while the other says you can do it at home. I believe you can get the paint at Lowes or Home Depot. I know you have to scuff up the surface and use a spray gun to apply the paint. You will definitely want to use a mask and tape everything else off as good as you can. He refinished the tub and tiles in my dad's house before we sold it. It looked pretty nice. If you have tile you will need to reattach any tiles that are loose before you paint. He also used paint thinner to clean the surface right before painting. That's all I can think of right now. Good luck with your quest. I think it's like any other "DIY" project. The outcome will depend on the time and effert you put into it, but the end results can be amazing.