Decorating 'etiquette'

We have just had professional decorators in - a husband and wife team. We explained we were unable to move most of the furniture. They were happy to move it so long as we moved everything out of bookcases and cupboards, which we did. They put all our pictures back up too and were generally really helpful. We first spoke to them in March this year and they weren’t able to come until 1 August.

Recently decorated we were asked if we’d like furniture moved. We said we’d do it as we could, the decorator still moved some things himself as he put it ‘because I had the time’. Just ask for a quote to include furniture moving. Yes, you will need to empty as much as you can but the furniture can certainly be moved for you as long as it’s in the quote - or the decorator feels like doing it.

My decorator moved all the furniture around but I had previously packed away the ornaments and pictures. My craft room has two huge bookcases screwed to the wall full of wool and craft supplies - no way was I emptying that! He just covered the open shelves with sheets of plastic and painted around the unit!

I had the whole house done over three weeks so every night we discussed the next days plans so I knew which rooms I needed to sort out. He actually got cross with me if he came in and found I had started to move things back in, said he would do it!

It’s definitely a conversation to have with your decorator when he prices up the job.

Having just had the house decorated from top to bottom, I emptied each room as much as I could, shifting stuff from one to another. It’s blooming hard work and I am exhausted. DH did a bit but it was mainly me heaving everything around.
At least now it’s done there won’t be anything needing doing for some time!
My lovely decorator helped me move the heaviest furniture.

Jane you would get by wrt a heavy bed by shoving it into the centre of the room and covering it

Doodledog empathising with you, that mess that goes on and on for months

My tall heavy oak bookcase, I emptied it and very gingerly lay it on its side while I cut 2" off each leg, leaving an inch. I put felt pads on each leg, raised it and lo and behold was able to slide it into the hall, it cleared the top door frame by a cm, quickstep flooring saved the day all over my house

I think I had 7 areas at maybe a week each or a bit longer but the decorator was so sought after that he fitted in other jobs around me but looking back, it did give me enough time to clear, sort and clean without being in a panic. Blooming mammoth job, new build so it had had the cheapest skimpiest paint, now any more. Lol, I walk all over my house without touching any painted areas, it has got to last

I used a lot of stick -on felt pads, they are under every stick of furniture that would hide them. Quickstep flooring everywhere so now I can easily slide furniture for cleaning behind, once in a bluemoon

Oh re paint for wood. The old oil based paint always went yellow, particularly in darker areas. He used dulux trade diamond satinwood which will never yellow and did not need an undercoat. Two coats of that and a light sand for key prior to each coat

I can remember when I moved into a flat in my late 20s and began decorating. The old woman in the flat underneath had a whinge about my "dragging the furniture about" every evening and weekend.

I told her that I had not yet mastered the art of levitation and suggested she come up and help so the job would be done sooner!