How To Prepare To Have A
Decorator In 2024
Hiring a painter to decorate your house involves several steps to ensure a smooth and successful project.
Many people forget very simple steps that delay or cause issues to the decorating project. Some of the steps in this guide you may think are silly to even mention, you may feel they are just common sense, but not everybody thinks the same.
Here's a comprehensive guide on how to prepare.
Define Your Project Scope
Determine which areas of your house need painting.
Have in mind the exact areas that you want painting as this will save confusion at the end of the painting work being finished.
Decide on the colors and finishes you want for each room.
Make sure you have decided and got testers and tested the colours you want. If you decide you dont like the colour once it's on the wall, you may be charged to have it re painted.
Research and Choose a Painter
Seek recommendations from friends, family, or online reviews.
Social media makes it very easy to ask your local community, and beyond for reccommendations. Take a look at a few companies, or companies that are reccommeded to you a few times. Looking for testimonials on company websites is also a great way to research who to get to paint your home.
Obtain quotes from multiple painters to compare pricing and services.
Set a Budget
Establish a budget for the entire project, including materials and labor costs.
Making sure everyone understands the costs involved is essential, as any misunderstandings can be costlay.
Discuss the budget with the chosen painter and ensure transparency.
Request a Detailed Quote
Schedule the Project
Set a timeline for the project with the painter.
Make sure you book the work when you definitely have the time to be there if you wish, or can provide access to the painter if you will not be there. Any changes in the date could cause rescheduling or cancellation, or even worse delays in the work being completed.
Consider factors like weather conditions, and discuss how delays will be handled.
Prepare Your Home
Clear the working area.
This includes removing furniture, decorations, and any obstacles. Some furniture cannot be removed from the room. Discuss with your decorator to ensnsure the furniture can be adequately covered and protected.
The decorator will cover floors and furniture with drop cloths or plastic sheets to protect them.
If possible, move items to the center of the room to provide easy access for the painter.
Don't Repair Walls
When the decorator comes to inspect the area you want decorating they will discuss the preraration work. This will include filling holes and cracks.
The decorator will fill and sand these as part of the scope of work. Do not fill the holes yourself! Firstly you may not use the correct filler. If you haven't done any filling and sanding yourself, you may even make more work for your decorator by making a bad job of filling the holes and cracks. Lastly, you are paying the decorator to do the filling and sanding within their quote, so don't do work you are paying someone else to do.
Discuss Furniture Placement
Final Inspection
Conduct a final inspection with the painter to ensure you're satisfied with the work.
Discuss any touch-ups or corrections if needed.
Clean walls and skirting boards, doors and door architraves to remove dust, dirt, and grease and cobwebs.
Paint, gloss specifically, doesn't adhere to surfaces very well if there is dust, dirt and stains. This can drastically affect the look of the painting work and you may be very dissapointed with the end result.
Clean Surfaces
Secure Valuables
Remove valuable or delicate items from the work area. Photos, ornaments, decorative pieces should all be removed to make sure they don't get damaged or spots of paint.
We always state to our clients, that they should remove anything from the room that they don't want paint on. A decorator can cover most things, but it is your responsibility to protect your posessins.
Consider securing important documents or items in a safe place.
Payment and Documentation
Make the final payment only after you're satisfied with the work.
Most decorators will discuss payment with you prior to booking.
Our payment terms are nice and simple. £50 deposit per room to book, then payment upon completion. These payments can be by cash or bank transfer. We also offer payment plans, which you can read about here.
If you require one make sure you request to obtain a receipt or invoice that clearly outlines the services provided.
By following these steps, you can help ensure a positive experience when hiring a painter to decorate your home. Effective communication and thorough preparation are key to a successful painting project.
Those are the reccommended steps we suggest when looking to hire a painter to decorate your home.
We have several other blogs that give advice and guidance when considering getting a professional to paint your home.
Consider Color Samples
Test paint colors on a small section of the wall to ensure they match your vision.
Evaluate how the colors look in different lighting conditions.
It is also a good idea to make sure the paint is the right kind of paint for the area. A standard paint may not have the durability needed for a hallway for instance. Also kitchen pains are designed to be wiped when dirty.