Painters & Decorators Near Me
A painter or a decorator can transform your home with a single coat of paint or a bespoke selection of wallpaper. This may seem like a fun task to take on over the weekend, but when you want a seamless, professional finish, hiring a painter or a decorator may be the best choice.
You’ll be paying for more than just a coat of paint. You’ll have a project scope at hand with a timeline for completion and the cost of labour and materials. You’ll also be saving time (and perhaps money) on the post-paint cleanup and lessen the probability of ending up with a DIY job that requires a professional’s input.
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Your house is your haven. Painters and decorators bear this in mind when they take on your project. They know which details to keep in mind when it comes to transforming your home, and they’ll know exactly how to prepare your walls for a painting job, and on which bases to choose colours and finishes on.
Painters and decorators have industry insight and they usually know where to get very specific materials for every specific task at hand. Operating in the area you live in will also allow them to gather experience on likely requirements like strict timeframes and aim for higher customer satisfaction.
What To Consider When Hiring A Painter
Even though painting and decorating take time, professional painters and decorators are used to working in restricted timeframes in which they do the job and clean thoroughly, so you don’t have to. In most cases, you can stay put in your house while the painting and decorating take place. But what else is there that you may need to consider when hiring a painter or decorator?
1. Qualifications Matter, But An Eye For Aesthetic Counts More
In terms of a vocational route, look for painters or decorators who completed an apprenticeship and, at the very least, one the following courses:
- Level 1 Award/Certificate in Basic Construction Skills (Painting and Decorating)
- Level 1 Certificate in Construction Crafts – Painting and Decorating.
- Level 1/2/3 Diploma in Painting and Decorating.
Also be sure to hire a painter or decorator with insurance, like health and safety. This means you don’t have to worry about paying any bills in case of unfortunate events on your property.
2. Portfolios & Professionalism
References go a long way when choosing a painter or decorator for your project. If their business is registered online, you may also check for reviews on different platforms. Essentially, you want someone who understands your vision and who can take those objectives and translate them. If you lean more towards visual proof, ask for their portfolio.
3. Make Use Of Their Contacts And Ideas
You’ve chosen someone to take on your project. But what if you need a little bit more? Professional decorators will always have an idea of where to find a ceiling rose or skirting that matches yours, for instance. And if they don’t then they’ll know where to get something similar or have it custom-made. You are buying their experience and contacts along with their decorative skills.
And because we are creatures of habit, we need a good decorator who can look at your home anew and add new ideas to help you with variety. They’ll know what suits a home like yours and will be able to offer gentle changes or radical solutions, such as switching your living room and dining room around, or knocking walls down to create a larger living space.
Prepping For A Painting / Decoration Job
It helps if you can clear the room of furniture and other items as much as possible, as this makes it easier and quicker to work on. Painters and decorators will also ensure that your floors and any objects that cannot be moved are covered.
Having selected a colour scheme for painting and decorating is the fun part. However, before that, the walls and materials need to be prepared. Professional painters and decorators will prepare the walls for you, by scrapping old paint and using sandpaper to gently smoothen the surface for best application.
Usually, after having helped you select the colours, the painter and decorators provide for the materials before the job begins.
Painter And Decorator Services Explained
There are several paint application methods out there and it usually depends on the type of paint and the surface.
For example, oil-based paint is best applied with a roller, while latex-based paint can be sprayed onto the surface. The size of the project, the colours used and the layout of the walls also can affect the method used. Let’s look at some of the broader spectrums of services offered by a painter or decorator:
- House painting
- Roof painting
- Window painting
- Hallway painting
- Door painting
- Fence painting
- Deck painting
- Interior painting
- Exterior painting
- General decorating
- Wallpapering
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve now covered the basics in what you may need to look for and ask a painter or decorator before you choose them for your project. Other than that, there’s always additional information you may need.
What Is The Average Daily Rate For A Painter And Decorator?
On average, you can expect painting and decorating prices to be around £160 per day, with prices in London likely to be a little higher. This means you should expect to pay between £200 and £400 to paint an average size room.
Get up to three quotes – To protect yourself from being taken advantage of, we recommend getting quotes from more than one painter and decorator. This ensures the quoted cost is in line with industry standards.
Does A Quote Usually Include Materials? And Does VAT apply?
Painting and decoration companies who are VAT registered will most likely add these charges to the final bill, but there are many instances where companies are not VAT registered. You will also find that individuals who choose to work on their own may not be able to charge you VAT if they are not a registered business.
When it comes to materials, it usually depends on the company or the individual. This will be stipulated in your quote/contract. Some painters and decorators prefer purchasing the needed materials and simply add them to the final bill, while some require either upfront payment for it, or allow you to make these purchases yourself.
Where extras or variations to the main price arise, these will be agreed upon before any extra materials are purchased.