To pay a man, or is that unspeakably lazy

[noitsnotme]

Need to decorate DS bedroom. Have had the new furniture, bed, carpet, delivered/organised ages ago and had a quote for wallpapering and painting, with the intention of stripping it myself.

Started and just can't face it? Just seems like such a mammoth task. It's painted over, so not coming off great.

Do painters and decorators resent being asked to strip wallpaper? I feel bad asking him to do that too, even though obviously I'd have to pay for it.

Am I lazy cow??

I would say it's part of their job! If you couldn't be bothered to do it yourself and can afford to pay someone else to do it I really don't see a problem!

The thing is a professional can do it so much quicker, that's the thing. I would let them do it.

YANBU, I outsource as many jobs as I possibly can! I have someone come out twice a month to cut the grass because I can't be chewed to do it myself, same for having the wheelie bin cleaned.

If you can afford it, go for it.

Of course painemters and decorators don't resent being asked to strip wallpaper, OP! That's how they make a living

I would pay someone else. It is a tedious, fooker of a job.

Score it in lines with a stanley blade and soak with hot, soapy water. Leave 20 mins and soak again. Then scrape. It'll come right off.

I would have done my own in the past but if I have the money to get someone else to do it I do that now.
It's a boring messy job and I'm sure you have better things to do.

Just ask him for a quote to include stripping the paper / preparing the wall
This is totally a normal part of their job don't worry!

Not remotely lazy. If I had the money I'd pay someone to do all sorts of jobs.

Just tell yourself you are helping him pay his mortgage.

That's settled then. I love you all dearly

I could clean my own oven. But it would take me forever and it still wouldn't look as good as when the man does it.

The last time we got a decorator in he stripped the wall - when I made vague noises about intending to do it ourselves first, he told me that he much preferred to do it himself as he knew he could do a good job at it which then meant not quite so much wall prep before papering.

Not at all, I'd let them do it.

Not remotely lazy and if you can afford it get it.

Hell no it's not lazy!

It may make the job cost quite a bit more though, as wallpaper stripping is time consuming.

My aunt wanted someone to wallpaper her large (20 ft x 15 ft) lounge last year, and it was £210 to do it, but £335 to strip the paper as well.

Or buy a steam stripper? They make it a million times easier.

DH is a decorator and he absolutely would not mind, although he did say it was be classed as an "extra" (additional charge).

YWNBU, but a woman could do it too

He'll have a steam thingy to get the paper off, so much easier than scraping it, I expect, so don't worry about that. Agree the price before he comes, to include the stripping and the extra time it will take, tho. And get in a supply of black bags for the debris..
I don't think for a mo that you're a lazy cow! I routinely pay peeps to do jobs I could do, but just can't be arsed...I can afford to pay, they're getting paid for work they offer - win/win I reckon.

It's costing £150 for papering and glossing, so even if he charges me another £100, I think it will be money well spent. Poor DS is desperate to have sleepovers and I keep saying "once your room's sorted". This way I can hopefully get it completely done over a couple of days while I'm at work and he's at his dads for a week.

Most people I know at least strip themselves, and plenty paper too. But that was an absolute no brainer for me!

DH is a decorator. He strips plenty of wallpaper. It'll just add a bit of extra time to your bill but it's no problem.

Ask your chosen painter and decorator what they charge for the job you want to engage them for. If they can't be bothered to do it, then you will need to. But normally employing someone to do something means you will find someone willing to do it and agree a price.

Why would they resent doing a job you are paying them for!

You are not lazy!

I just thought it was such a hideous job, that no one would want to do it, paid or otherwise. It must be THE worst part of his job.

You could pay a woman

I recently had a new carpet fitted and the shop offered to lift and dispose of the old carpets for an extra £40. Yes it was the height of laziness but it saved me the work and a trip to the dump