While some homeowners like nothing bettering than throwing on a pair of overalls and getting stuck into their redecoration project, others absolutely hate the idea of picking up a paintbrush. If you fall into the latter camp, you’ll need to know how to choose a professional to complete your projects. In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about selecting the most trustworthy decorator and painter in your area.
Training And Experience Matters
It might sound obvious, but hiring a professional with plenty of training and experience is essential if you want to save money and time on your project. It’s always best if you can find a professional with membership of one of the recognised national bodies like the Painting & Decorating Association.
Some of the top paint brands also have accredited schemes of their own. You should also ask to see some examples of the previous work that they have completed to see the style and quality of their work.
Check Outs Ratings And Reviews
Looking carefully at the ratings and reviews left by previous customers is a top way of finding a reliable decorator and painter. The comments the previous clients have left will give you some idea of how reliable the professional is, and how good their work has been in the past.
When a decorator or painter has plenty of excellent comments and reviews, you can be fairly sure that they’ll be a good choice for your project.
Get Multiple Quotes
Most professional decorators and painters will give you a quote for your project free of charge. If you’re told you need to pay for a quote, it’s best to look elsewhere. You should also ask to have the costs broken down so you’ll be aware of which items will be included within the price as standard as well as those that you’ll need to pay more for on top.
With a full price breakdown, you’ll be able to compare the quotes you receive with ease.
Ask Questions
Before hiring any professional, you should always ask questions regarding your project to ensure you’ll be satisfied with their service. Some common questions include:
- How long is my job likely to take?
- What will the project cost me?
- Which hours will you be working?
- Will you undertake the work yourself or do you have other team members?
- Will you need space for storing materials and equipment or do you take all your equipment away every evening?
Should I Really Hire A Painter Or Decorator?
Although a lot of people believe they can decorate their own home, the results they achieve aren’t always quite as good as they had in mind. Hiring a professional can give you more peace of mind in many ways too.
Firstly, professionals do all the hard work and preparation for you. There’s plenty of clean up and preparation work involved in redecorating your home, and the painter or decorator can do all of that for you, from laying out the dust sheets to sanding surfaces, and from prepping the walls to mixing the paints.
Hiring a professional will also save you time. As they’re an expert in their field, they’ll work much more quickly than you could yourself, so your project will be complete in no time! Also, as a professional already has all of the essential tools to complete the job you’ll save money too as there’ll be nothing else to buy.
Professional painters and decorators should be insured and will have cover for health and safety, so you’ll have protection should any accident occur while they’re working in your home. A lot of professionals also offer satisfaction guarantees, with some even providing limited time warranties on their work so you can be confident in your satisfaction with the outcome of their work.
You’ll also know in advance how long the job will take as a professional can give you accurate estimates of the length of time it’ll take to reach completion. As a result, you’ll be able to fit them confidently into your own schedule, fitting your redecoration project around your life.
If you’re still unsure whether to hire a professional for your project, here are a few questions you should ask:
- Have you got enough time to take on a redecoration project?
- Have you got the skills and experience you need to complete the job?
- Have you got all of the tools you require?
- How much can you afford to spend?
When you’ve answered these questions, you’ll have a better idea of whether a DIY project is right for you, or whether hiring a professional is best for your needs.
How Much Will It Cost Me To Hire A Professional?
There is no single price charged by all painters and interior decorators, but on average, the daily rate charged by painters and decorators nationwide is about £180 or £200 a day. If you’d prefer to work out the cost of your project based on the entire area that requires painting, you can expect to pay somewhere from £7 to £10 for each square metre of your wall space.
A medium-size room costs around £400 to paint, while a two-bedroomed flat will cost around £2000 to paint and a five-bedroomed house will cost on average £6000 to repaint.
Armed with this information, you’ll have everything you need at your fingertips to select the best trustworthy professional in your area.