Please help me compare these decorator quotes!

[Dioskouri]

I have quotes from two decorators to decorate three rooms (one large room with ensuite bathroom and a lot of woodwork, one medium sized room and one small room). Quotes are to paint walls, ceilings, doors, skirting, etc.

Decorator #1 has quoted £1400 excluding materials.

Decorator #2 has quoted £2900 including materials.

Paint-wise I am thinking Farrow & Ball or Little Greene for the walls. I am not sure about the woodwork/ceilings; Decorator #2 has said Dulux for these but there is probably some wriggle room if I insisted on another brand.

What do you think? I have no idea what materials should cost, and whether these quotes are reasonable.

[wowfudge]

Can you ask both to quote with and without materials? Then you should have directly comparable quotes. Get a third quote as well.

[escape]

Are you in the South?
If so - consider getting a trade in from oop North - the best Decorator around here charges 200 a day inclusive , and would be taking no more than 4 days to do that work.
Obviously inclusive wouldn't mean F&B paint etc, although I'm assured he uses the ' same' if required :)

[Dioskouri]

Yes I am in London - is that really possible escape? I had assumed that no one would want to travel, and had resigned myself to exorbitant London prices...

[willfuckformichilenstarfood]

My partner is a decorater, he charges £120 a day labour and then obviously materials on top.
5 litres of dulux trade which would be enough for 1 large room costs £50 and satinwood/gloss £20 and same for undercoat. Obviously if you choose F&B those prices will ticket.

We are 40 miles from London. S/E England X

[Maverick66]

What willfuck says.

DH decorator 30 years experience tho not anywhere near London and charges £12 per hour .
It would take two men 4 days to do work taking into consideration any prep or sanding work to be done.

[AesopsMables]

Both those quotes seem high OP.

We are based 30miles west of London and got a great company off MyBuilder.com who are based in Uxbridge they have done whole downstairs and two bedrooms with hall stairs and Landing for walls/woodwork and ceilings. This came in at just under £1500 without materials. He bought materials and gave me receipts. I bought my own F&B paint on top of that.
Two men and took 7 working days.

[Dioskouri]

Thanks everyone.

[poppet131]

OP - that seems pretty high! We're in London too and it was around £150 per day for our carpenter/decorator. Did all woodwork and doors in the house (7 rooms) in 5 days so it was £750 excl materials. I think that your job shouldn't take longer than 5 days including the painting. Definitely shop around and look at checkatrade and howdens for materials