Cost of painting

That sounds reasonable, but I would ask for detailed estimates and see what each decorator will do for that.

It might be that you would decide not to have the Rolls Royce repaint but a more family saloon size one. For example, one decorator might say he would strip all the paint off every window and start from scratch, while another would rub down the current paintwork and repaint. Both uite acceptable methods, but would be differently priced.

Wow that seems a lot to me. We have a similar size house and have had the decorator here three times over the last six months, all done now in white paint, no sash windows though, I expect they would be time consuming, ours was £1,200. We’re in the north of England.

My decorator charges £200 a day plus materials. She has painted my entire house now (in stages), and some rooms have taken longer (so cost more) because of the prep required. Filling in cracks, taking off old wallpaper etc is time consuming, as is lining walls before painting. Where we were happy with paint onto plaster (mainly upstairs) it took far less time than where we’d had wallpaper (never again!) in reception rooms, so the charge varied. We talked all of this through before she started each job, and in theory the lines walls will just need painting over in future.

That doesn’t help, OP, but the cost will depend on things like the state of your walls (not always obvious if they are papered). Be sure to get paint the decorator knows is scrubbable, too. I chose one lot (Valspar, I think) that was supposed to be scrubbable, but ended up needing to get it done again because a wipe with a damp cloth left a mark. Now we go for brands the decorator has used in her own home and knows will clean well.

£8000 seems a lot for 2 beds a sitting room and kitchen(?) though. Even with top of the range paint I’d expect it to come in at less than that, unless there are lots of repairs needed.

I live in the south east. I have a very good decorator who has worked for me for 20 years and has 30 years experience. His preparation is immaculate and attention to detail impressive.

I am in the process of having my house re-decorated from top to bottom. It’s a big house with large rooms but the condition of the walls is usually pretty good after the old paper is removed with not too much remedial work necessary.

He charges £200 labour per day plus materials.

Most rooms take four days so cost per week has been £800 plus materials.

The stairs and large landing took almost two weeks and were done in two stages. First week the prep, old paper stripped, painting (a lot of it), then second week the papering which took four days. That cost £1,900 plus materials excluding the wallpaper which I paid for separately.

If you are just having repainting it very much depends on how much preparation is required and how well you want it done.

My chap gives walls and ceilings two coats and any woodwork painted from scratch, an undercoat and sometimes two top coats.

He has just finished my kitchen's utility room and rear lobby which had five doors and their frames to paint as well as walls, ceilings and cupboards plus a fair bit of making good. That took four and a half days so just under £1,000 including paint.

I’ve never employed a decorator (and indeed, haven’t painted my house in over 30 years) but I’d guess the £8000 quote doesn’t want the job.

However much the quotation is do make sure you get a fixed price in writing before the work starts.

I would not commit to have the whole house decorated by someone I hadn't used before.

Allow £1,000 for labour for one room but check their per diem rate. Ask if you can speak to previous customers if you have any doubts.

Let them do one room to see the quality of their work and how they work. Obvously, if they are charging per day you want eight hours work and not to have them yakking on their phone for much of it - which so many tradespeople are apt to do nowadays.

£8,000 my goodness, mine needs doing too, but it ll stay undone if that’s the kind of prices

The last clown who painted my bedroom painted around the furniture. I went to have a look at the so called finished result, luckily checked it and told him to get out and stay out.

My house was built in 1988. I am 82 and don't feel safe to be on a small ladder so I would need help. But my house is in good condition, so I hope will "see me out".

We had the same type of discrepancy as M0nica has described when painting our victorian kitchen - lots of details with enormous sash windows - did we want them taking back to wood or sanding and overpainting?

The one we employed was still very good - we couldn't justify the prices of the most expensive man.
We had four quotes. One was SO much less than the two genuine "sand and paint" guys I expect he was a spare-time odd-jobver.

I don't doubt that the expensive quote would have been the most masterly work. He had worked on lots of heritage properties and expected the one room to be over a week.
If money was no object I would have chosen him.

We now need hall stairs and landing doing.... (eeek). This is three stories and will need a lot of scaffolding.

DS repainted my hall stairs and landing - did a fantastic job not a professional but a perfectionist. The job took six full days of work (sanding, washing, preparation) then painting so would be about £1000 labour plus materials. Good swap for me going through his work clothes (mending, washing and pressing) for him to start a new job.

That does sound quite a lot watermeadow but maybe your part of the southwest is expensive for tradesmen? We paid £8000 to have the outside of our house decorated (just windows and doors) in 2019, but it was a five storey house so needed scafolding and was a lot of work. They did a lovely job - we've moved now but I think that the paintwork is still as good as new.
Perhaps your friends and neighbours could suggest a decorator who would be less expensive but still reliable?

£3k seems reasonable considering you'll have a staircase and hall, £8k is ridiculous I had a kitchen/diner done 2 years ago following flood damage and it was £1,100. Sitting room £800 and £600 fir bedroom and ensuite. A lot of repairing seams was needed and he designed feature walls in all rooms. I an hoping to have hall and stairway done later this year and I know will be expensive as loads of doors but may explore changing to wooden doors rather than having painted. Make sure you get another couple of quotes.

It depends how much work needs doing. We usually do our own painting and decorating but were rushing for time and got a quote to paint one room.

It was for two coats of paint on the ceiling and two coats on the walls. No prepping or anything else. We had already bought the paint. We were quoted £600 and told it would take three days. I was flabbergasted. We are in the North of England.

We ended up doing it ourselves and it took two half days. One half day for each coat.

Having come from a home where my mum and dad did all of their own DIY, I cannot comprehend the prices for this type of work. Maybe I am out of touch.

I have just had a quote to have my 3 bedroom house done. He is not doing one bedroom nor the lounge, but all the rest including a huge staircase and 3 halls, conservatory, dining room 2 bathrooms and 2 bedrooms the quote I had was 3,500.00 which I have accepted. My son had the whole pub done for that price by the same man, but bigger and less rooms of course.. I am in the south West

I forgot the kitchen which he is doing too

Sounds a lot to meI just had outer hall,inner hall,upstairs hall high staircase, all the ceilings,doors and radiators painted and that was including emulsioning over the paper. Took him 3 days 2 coats. He provided the white paint for all doors,skirtings, hall staircase,radiators and ceilings. £685. Get more quotes seens a lot to me.

We are both 83 this year and for the first time we have decided not to do the decorating ourselves. We are starting with the hall, stairs and landing and will see how that goes, I wouldn’t fancy giving the job of the whole house to one person without being confident they will do a good job. Our son and daughter in law have recently had some painting done in their house and have recommended the man they used so we will give the job to him, he will be retiring in a couple of years and does get booked up with work so we need to get our skates on. They paid £500 for the hall, no stairs as they live in a bungalow but there are five doors, he did the job in two days but he is an older man who turns up early and works until around 4:30 pm.

Perhaps you should ask for daily rates.Last time I had any decorating done was 2 years ago it was £150 a day. I live in Lincolnshire.
My daughter who lives in the Cotswolds couldn’t find any one to do her home they were all busy. She is having to do the painting herself a hall stairs and landing.Thats a job I most definitely wouldn’t do myself.
Best of luck with your search.

Blinkin heck up to eight grand 😩for a two bed.
I would say between 4 & 6 hundred per room. I would want it prepped & two coats for that price. Shop round.
You could ring your local decorating centre & get a recommendation.
Local handyman.
‘Next door’ recommendations.
We are in the north but our tradesmen want London wages 😩

jeanie99

Perhaps you should ask for daily rates.Last time I had any decorating done was 2 years ago it was £150 a day. I live in Lincolnshire.
My daughter who lives in the Cotswolds couldn’t find any one to do her home they were all busy. She is having to do the painting herself a hall stairs and landing.Thats a job I most definitely wouldn’t do myself.
Best of luck with your search.

The norm down here now is between 200-250 per day that is without the paint of course, if you want a proper painter, if you want a handyman you may get cheaper, however not many qualified tradesmen work for less than £25 per hour these days.

Our large apartment (3 double bed, sitting/dining and kitchen, office, utility, 2 baths) was £6,000 last year, including some skim plastering.

win

jeanie99

Perhaps you should ask for daily rates.Last time I had any decorating done was 2 years ago it was £150 a day. I live in Lincolnshire.
My daughter who lives in the Cotswolds couldn’t find any one to do her home they were all busy. She is having to do the painting herself a hall stairs and landing.Thats a job I most definitely wouldn’t do myself.
Best of luck with your search.

The norm down here now is between 200-250 per day that is without the paint of course, if you want a proper painter, if you want a handyman you may get cheaper, however not many qualified tradesmen work for less than £25 per hour these days.

When the minimum wage is £12.21 for an untrained unualified person, Twice that amount, c£25.00 for a ualified experienced decorator seems uite reasonable. Remember a self-employed person has a whole raft of professional costs from running a van, to all kinds of extra insurances, basic euipment etc etc. A dayrate of £250- £300 seems uite reasonable.

Last Autumn we commissioned a firm of specialist builders to do work on our house. Their hourly rate was £72 for a general labourer and £93 for a specialist tradesman. Mind you their work rate was excellent and they did a full days hard work at that hourly rate.

Last time this job was done I used a neighbour who is a painter and decorator. He worked from 9 to 1, when he went home to watch the racing results. He started in winter when my windows were swollen from the rain and wouldn’t open.
He was cheap but took nearly 3 weeks and I can’t bear living in a muddle that long.
That’s why I’m looking at prices and want a reputable firm.