Any one else still doing their own decorating?

I patted myself on the back for painting the ceiling and three walls of my bedroom, and wallpapering the fourth wall, but you put me to shame, TanaMa. I'm a mere 82 yo.

I’m fortunate in that my OH loves painting and decorating. Worrying though when at 62 yrs of age he still wants to climb 30 foot up a ladder with a brush in one hand and a tin of paint in the other to paint the guttering and facias!

trisher

I painted my bedroom-well everything I could reach. I'm 76 and don't climb steps anymore. DSs kindly finished top edges and ceiling. I find painting quite relaxing.

Well done, trisher

As an aside, I'm amazed that you're 76. I have a ridiculous habit of thinking I can guess people's ages on here and I had you down as being mid 40s.

Obviously I am useless at guessing ages!

I do all my own decorating and my garden.I am 74.

When we moved in this house just over 4 yrs ago, we literally gutted it and decorated every room apart from the ceilings and plastering. I loved it, putting my own stamp on with my own hands.

I have a sample pot of paint in a cupboard so if marks appear on the kitchen wall, i can just paint over them, love it. The whole front room is cream ( walls, carpet, sofa ) and i stupidly forgot to buy a sample pot of paint we had used so any tiny marks that appear have ( that wont rub off ) to be on view!!! Grrrrrrrr.

My partner and I (78 and 73) have never stopped improving our grotty little bungalow in a lovely area over the last 10 years. We have renovated an old barn in the bottom of the garden and let it out, completely gutted the house, built a large sunroom at the front, added an en-suite, built a summerhouse and a greenhouse at the back and re-landscaped much of a very steep garden.
We have decided that we are slaves to the place! Just been off this last lovely sunny week in our self-converted campervan.
Hope this doesn't sound boastful, but actually I am very proud of what we have achieved - and why pay someone to do what you can do yourself!

My parents always did their own painting and decorating and I have followed suit.

Years ago I had a man in to do a very high stairwell but I was not impressed with his standards - or maybe I am just too fussy. My DH also has lower standards than me so I end up doing it all!!

Our hall, stairs and landing desperately needs doing but at the moment it seems an overwhelmingly big job - includes around 10 doors.

I have never liked ladders, especially if they are not next to a wall, and am not keen on painting ceilings. Even more so as I have got older.

I have hung up my brushes. However the main reason is not the actually painting, it’s the furniture moving, preparation cleaning up, and general upheaval when it is done.

My husband doesn’t know a paint brush from a screwdriver. I’m 72 and always done my own decorating…. In fact I’ve just decorated my daughters bathroom and painted her 6 new inside doors….while she was away lecturing! Doors needed primer/undercoat/ gloss. Took four days …lovely time away from the constant noise in my own home from tv/radio/cd’s. My hubby can’t be quiet!! But must say though I am finding it a little bit strenuous now. Maybe time to down tools and bite-the-bullet and pay someone!

….oh and I do all my own gardening, and last year created two new seating areas ….with linings/bags of stones/ potted up plants and put together two new wooden chairs. New killed me…. but great therapy after my mini stroke last may !!

Oh Saggi don’t say that.

Why are so many of you talking about ladders? Why don’t you use a platform, so much easier ?

I’ve never liked doing it, but have done in the past and I’m grateful I can now pay someone else. MrJ could do it, but as he’s still working I don’t think it’s fair, the last two lots we’ve had done have both been while we’re away, ideal, we come back to pristine rooms and none of the hassle moving furniture.

December saw the end of my 2 year marathon to redocorate/refurbish my house from top to bottom. I can no longer manage wallpapering but I've painted every nook, cranny and awkward space imaginable. I've even assembled all sorts of furniture I would never previously have considered doing. Huge sense of satisfaction (and amazement!) Thing is I paced myself and only did one room at a time and as much as I felt up to every single day and this worked well for me. Now that the weather has bucked up, I plan to survey outhouses and garage with a view to some well needed facelifts. Wish me luck!

I've always enjoyed decorating and am a dab hand with a paint brush. I can still do a bit but my pesky back doesn't like it.
Thank goodness I have two lovely sons.

After decades of doing our own decorating we gave up in our 60s. We're fortunate enough to be able to pay someone else - and to know that this is giving local employment. It's definitely worth asking friends for recommendations for decorators. And we always treat our decorators well - plenty of cuppas and chocolate biscuits! IMO this helps to ensure that good workers will want to return to us in the future, when they've so many people asking for their services.

We have a brilliant decorator so why would we do it ourselves?

Rosalyn
Because I enjoy it, and, no decorator would put the work in to get the finish I want.

Why pay somone to do something a quite enjoy.

I cant do it myself and there's too much stuff to move. I still need new carpet but have the same problem. Furniture too heavy and even if it wasn't nowhere to put it.

I do it for self satisfaction and the fact that I 'save' money is undoubtedly a bonus for my Ss and GC as they reap the benefits. Also, I rather enjoy a project without pressure. Gives me pleasure. Invariably some parts are a chore or a slog but that adds to the sense of achievement of the end game.

My grandmother used to do all their decorating, painting and wallpapering. My mother learnt from her and as a teenager, I learned from my DM . Now it’s my DD that does the decorating so it’s definitely a female job in our family . I did used to make my husband paint the ceilings though .

I have NEVER decorated because nobody has ever shown me. People who are good at DIY have always had someone in the family to show them. I once volunteered for a community scheme at work where the bosses gave you a day off to do some community work. Well that went really well NOT. It was at a centre for vulnerable people where they needed some decorating doing, so a few of us went and when I asked one of the volunteers to show me how to decorate, and she thew a hissy fit stating I should know how to do it or don't volunteer!! The result of that was I was given one of the clerical jobs. I was really angry at her attitude because someone once showed her how to do it. All of you who have done DIY had someone to show you at one time. Nobody just learns it off the cuff.

No one ever showed me how to decorate and my father certainly didn't. I just bought a pot of paint and a brush and got going because we couldn't afford to pay anyone. The same applies to wall papering.

My decorating is not professional, but providing it looks OK when it is finished, I am satisfied.

Nowadays there is Youtube. DD's reaction to everything is. 'Well it cannot be too difficult, I will look it up on Youtube'. At one point she was getting ready to build a small extension herself, until we pointed out, just how long that would take.

We have until now and 56 and 66, but next time will employ someone - especially as it took him 18 months to part tile a small bathroom

Little bit of observation, little bit of common sense and much trial and error has me in this happy place.