Any one else still doing their own decorating?

I papered this wall fairly recently. I enjoy wallpapering. I'm not so keen on painting but I'll do it!

I always did the decorating here from when I was 22 and first married. In the early years, MIL helped me & we made a good team. As she got older & I got more confident, I started to do it alone. Since DH has started to wind down workwise, he's taken over. He's much more painstaking than me. We've just had a small extension room built and he's done most of the painting in there. I was allowed to do the shower room which is quite small but the rest of it is down to him. We have had a decorator once or twice in the past but they are so expensive. DS lives in a huge Victorian house & they're just having the lot done - I shudder to think of the cost!

Very interesting varied comments.
Lots of fit and talented grans, & DH, out there- still enjoying decorating their homes.
I’m tired today, and a bit achy after yesterdays endeavours - it definitely is good exercise. I think I forget I’m getting older & always do too much in one go. Session yesterday was 5 hours non stop and that was after walking the dog for an hour.

I should add that DH is 75 and I'm younger but get bouts of vertigo. We used to do it all ourselves but feel that we're a bit past it, especially as it is all new plaster that needs painting.

We're in the middle of a huge renovation and decided to get the builder to do the decorating. He came back with a quote that was 50% higher than it should have been, and told us he was doing us a favour and was giving us a discount. Eventually faced him down and am getting it done for roughly the right amount not cheap but fair to us all.
Probably worth asking around locally to find out the going rate in your area.

We've always done our own decorating. My grandad taught me to paint and paper, he was quite the perfectionist and taught me well. When I was little I painted the skirting boards, eventually I was allowed up the ladders and was soon doing most of the decorating at home.

I'm 71 now and DH is 81 and we still enjoy DIY. When we moved here we had the house extended and allowed the builders to decorate one room. I had to show one of them how to put up coving and join it properly, and hang wallpaper straight. The rest of the house we decorated ourselves. We're going to paper the hall soon, just waiting for the paper to get here. Over the years we've also built two double garages, one summer house, three sheds, two patios, and fitted three kitchens. For us it's not about the money we save, it's the sense of achievement of a job done to our satisfaction. The only DIY I always hated was painting window frames, no longer an issue with UPVC.

Our sons are the same and will even tackle things we wouldn't attempt. They're always happy to help us if we need it and we have lots of happy and hilarious memories of DIY tasks that we've done together.

TanaMa ????

I have never really contributed much in the line of painting due to work commitments. However it would appear my husband had a secret agenda following my retirement at the beginning of this year. Sitting room and dining room to be redecorated. We have completed one room and I am still amazed how much I have enjoyed painting! At this very moment in time I’m having a well deserved cuppa after painting the coving in our dining room. Tomorrow the walls!

I have been sanding my outside table and chairs and have the paint ready to paint them. I will be painting inside of my narrow boat home this summer. Lot of prep work to do first.

I hope we will get round to decorating sometime ths year.

The house needs it, and we certainly cannot afford to pay to have it done.

Not looking forward to it, as DH cannot do much of that sort of thing any longer, and it will take me an age on my own.

both of which have high walls, that should say ?.

It depends what it is that needs decorating. If it’s an ordinary room, without high or sloping ceilings, we still tackle it ourselves. On the other hand, the staircase and landing and the kitchen, both of which have walls, are done by decorators. Clambouring along boards stretched between 2 ladders are no longer an option for us.

I'm 76 and recently painted the bathroom wall, but I don't think I will decorate the sitting room again. Time to employ someone.

Yes we still do our own decorating although when we moved in here last year we did get a decorator in to do all the ceilings and paintwork as it's a big house and we can't reach any more but we did the wallpapering. We've just panelled and decorated the downstairs toilet - not an easy job as it's so small and hubby isn't

We have just had vinyl laid in the loo, the bathroom and the kitchen - it's just too big a job for him to tackle on his knees these days. Even the fitter was huffing and blowing a bit!!

More power to you TanaMa!

DH insisted on taking over decorating from me, omg the dust and mess ? He does do a good job but it takes him ages as he does it when he feels like it rather than cracking on like I would.
I have put my foot down and insisted on getting someone in to do the whole house, including ceilings, woodwork etc. I thought his quote was very reasonable. He’s coming in late
June hooray!

I am 87 and a live alone widow. Decorated my 3 bed Welsh long house a couple of years ago. Have just finished a large utility room and 4 years ago painted the outside of the house. Presently doing an easy job painting the summer house!! Thinking about redoing the farmhouse kitchen by painting all the cupboard units. Like to keep busy and it helps keep me fit.

My DH complained at my decorating attempts some 45+ yrs ago saying I used too much paint and wasn't neat enough.In fairness to him I was always impatient trying to get job done ASAP.He as a young 20yr did all decorating in our home couldn't afford any other,but the time factor, goodness me took weeks with whole house upset.We have had decorators in for lounge twice during past 8yrs and it is great getting all done and dusted within days.Now it's finding a decorator able to quote and commence within next 4/5months.

When we first married, DH and I had no other option but to DIY the decorating. It was a nightmare and as he had to take ‘factory fortnight’ it ended up being the hottest time of the year. As soon as finances allowed, we employed a decorator and DH had his car professionally serviced rather than tinker with his car himself.

It's the cleaning brushes, rollers, paint trays and general chaos created that I hate! I could happily paint all day if someone else would clear up!

I am 70 DH is 74. I walllpapered a small toilet room last year because the decorator had a 6 month waiting list and we had already removed the loo to replace it. DH then fitted the new toilet and new lino. I did get the decorator back to wallpaper the bedroom and I must admit he does a better job than me! DH had put in a new ceiling then I had painted it and all the woodwork before the decorator came. I also repainted the woodwork and panelling down the stairs and all the interior doors upstairs.

This year my daughter moved from rental houses to her first own house and I have been helping her paint 3 bedrooms so far. We should start on the downstairs rooms this week. I make her paint the ceilings though! It's not the painting I mind, it's getting up and down the stepladder I struggle with now.

Large kitchen diner not mathmetician!

DH!

I want TH to stop decorating and have a painter in to do it. I have nearly persuaded him. We can afford to pay and it gives someone else a paid job. TH is 75 and I would rather be spent his time enjoying life in the golf course than climbing ladders. I have almost won this battle, the estimate was very reasonable for a mathematician diner, stairs hall and landing £450 inc paint.

Yes I still do my own but at 68 my skills are definitely diminishing. I gave up on wallpapering about 10 years ago and just have emulsion on all the walls. I find the ceilings difficult now using a roller on a pole.

I painted my bedroom a few weeks ago and stumbled off the second step of the ladder thinking I was on the bottom step. Then for good measure stepped into the tray of emulsion that was on the floor as I struggled to stay upright. It was like a scene from an episode of Mr Pastry in the 60’s. Anyone remember him?