To give up my job and set up as a painter decorator?

[sundayopening]

I have a crappy job, and although the annual pay is ok, I have to work anti-social hours away from home (but also have a lot of downtime in-between shifts). The job has no prospects at all, and is low paid - but I get a shift allowance. I currently earn aprox £21,000 pa with this job (I do work in a different field in my 'downtime' so have additional income to live on).

Although I am pretty well educated, I have no real 'proper' work experience (I have always worked, but odd self-employed things - I have been lucky with some great jobs that I have loved) but none look good on my CV for a professional/office job..

I would like to adopt in the near future (I am single & no other children) so will 100% need to change my current job if I am to do this plus earn enough for us to live on.

I have been musing about becoming a self-employed painter/decorator/tiler. I haven't much experience (although I have done most of my home/every home I've ever lived in myself) but I am sure I can learn, I'm pretty handy/skilled in other areas of art/craft.
I can also do flooring/shelves/flat-packed furniture/wallpapering no problem.

I have a degree & masters which is in the visual arts, and lots of knowledge of design/colour etc which might help with client relations etc.
I work neat and tidy, reliable and like to crack on with a job and am personable, so hopefully those traits will earn me repeat custom/recommendations.

I live in the SE, but a comfortable bit rather than a posh bit, although there's plenty of older money around. I'm hoping the type that need their houses decorated!

I could start the business alongside my current job for a couple of years if needed to build up my experience & client base etc. I have been self-employed most of my adult life so keeping books, HMRC etc isn't an issue.

I will need an income of £25k min or £30K to be comfortable, and preferably be able to do some/most school pick-ups and some/most holidays.

I am thinking £150 - £200 pd could be achievable, with very little initial outlay or running costs.
Anyone got any thoughts on how realistic this is, and how difficult it might be to get started?

www.thediyschool.co.uk/ This place looks good.

Thanks everyone for answering me btw. I appreciate it.
I thought I had said in my original post that I thought to try and gain skills by working on odd jobs while still keeping my existing job, and I meant with another experienced decorator if possible.
I am amazed how passionate some people are about my question, I really don't think its that big of a deal, or that much of a stretch.
I am fairly fit and would hate an office job, I know there will be shit bits of the job (thanks for the heads up about alone working woo and sharing your experience - how did you get a CRB check done? I have a few old ones, but they have always been through employers, I didn't think individuals could apply for them?)

but all jobs have shit bits. Charlie why is the idea of £150-£200 pd (gross to be clear) so laughable. Another drip feed, I have had to employ painters in the past through work, and have paid between £100-£190 pd, depending on their experience and how involved the job was, 2 were female, the cheapest and most expensive, and a male painter priced in the middle. The cheapest and the most expensive (females) were both great and worth every penny, the man (middle pay) was crap and a pain to manage if I'm honest. I didn't check anyones qualifications, just word of mouth/website and whether they were free when I needed the work done.

CRB is now known as DBS checks (and have been since 2012). Individuals can get a basic check which just shows unspent convictions.

Hi Sunday,

I went to crbdirect.org.uk - I must have the dullest life ever as mine came back in about 3 days whereas a friends one took over a week

Just do it!

that's all:)

Apart from best of luck in your new found trade!

Actually scrub that - it was Disclosure Scotland I used (mygov.scot) as unlike crbdirect, they don't charge an admin fee and only charge you £25. Sunday Brain!

Thanks formerly and woo.

So (cough) woo how much do you charge?

Is kitchen unit spraying in demand too? Because that I can do (and have some of equipment already).

I see you are in Scotland woo so I am guessing pricing is different there from the south of the England?

OP what woobeedoo said about personal safety is a very good point and actually one I think could lend itself to solving a couple of issues. I think if you teamed up with another woman decorator you could get away with charging the top day rate and still finish at school pick up time (that would actually be preferable for me tbh) there would be two of you working so the job would be done quicker, no need to take all day. There would be an element of protection from being trapped alone with creepy men. (I’m a cleaner and work alone, it’s a concern of mine too- thankfully I’ve been safe so far) yes you would have to split the fee but I think with two of you you could share costs of tools, vans, insurance etc. Also if you were working with someone who had more experience they would keep you right about what you don’t already know.

Thanks Just !

Is kitchen unit spraying in demand too?

Based on my FB newsfeed I would say definitely! FB is a good way of finding out what services people are asking for the most and who is charging what etc. Spend some time on your local selling and trade pages to get a feel for the market.

I think you have had some harsh responses here. I've done many painting and decorating jobs professionally and have been nothing but honest about my ability.
I started off doing rental properties. Basic magnolia on the walls and glossing (with required prep) I learnt an awful lot from you tube. Awkward filling (eg holes in plasterboard) caulking etc. For anything I felt uncomfortable with I hired in subcontractors but I noticed a lot of 'time served' painters were slap dash when it came to cutting in, protecting floors etc. I'm not for one minute denigrating experienced professionals. Coloured walls and white ceilings scare me and I can't wallpaper.
I guess I'm saying true professionals are few and far between. The rest of us either know our limits or bullshit.

I didn't pursue this avenue though for family reasons. My next step would have been to get qualifications. I'd say they are essential.

FWIW a relative one i rarely see did almost exactly what your doing Sunday opening after a few years he ended up having around 15 blokes working for him, very nice lifestyle he has too;!

Was the runt of the family hardly educated but a strong desire to get on and better his lot!

You can set yourself up as a P&D with minimal experience. I know 2 people that have done it. But you need to take into account that, for a couple of years at least, you’ll get far less done in the same time (and at the same quality) than an experienced P&D, so your daily rates will need to reflect this.

Having said that. You probably CAN charge 20-25% more for the same volume and quality of work because you’re a women. Imagine the uproar if a man were to say that!

Of course you can do this! Some women have the need to tear down other women, especially on AIBU. You seem to have a very realistic understanding of what you need to do and there is no reason why you can’t succeed. I’m very jealous of people who have the confidence, ambition, and entrepreneurial spirit to strike out on their own. Those are the people who make millions btw. Good luck OP!!!

You'd be surprised about the pricing in Scotland compared to down south. On the decorators forum on fb I mentioned last night they had a post about pricing and my Dh was earning more a day than some down South.

Of course you can do this! Some women have the need to tear down other women how? By pointing out that P&D is a skilled trade and theres a lot more to it then slapping paint on walls. Alright then.

No qualification, no experience, why stop at painting and decorating? Why not try your hand at a bit of brain surgery?

Of course you can do this! Some women have the need to tear down other women, especially on AIBU.

I think it's more that most people have suffered at the hands of unskilled, untrained, unqualified trades persons, so it hits a raw nerve.

Lol at comparing painting and decorating to brain surgery!

I think you are under-exploiting some areas of your skills, especially if you’re in the south east.

You have degrees in art, surely you’d be able to advise people on colour schemes and how to pull the look of the whole house together as well?

I would have KILLED for a woman (or indeed a man) to come round and tell me what a good colourscheme was to go with the floors/bathroom/kitchen etc. If she then could have stayed and painted it I would have been delighted! There’s a real need now that we’re all so busy to have help in these things.

Realistically, forty years ago a wealthy London/home counties professional family would have had him out at work and her in charge making a ‘lovely home’ etc and choosing curtains/carpets/colour ways.

Now that couple is likely to be two doctors, or bankers, or lawyers, with the money for a nice home, but not enough for a full on interior design service. I would book you in a heartbeat, because in my lengthy experience, many painters and decorators are more interested in cracking on and getting the job done and not in the aesthetic finish.

Do it OP! I'm a landlord, I do a lot of DIY and work in the rental properties I own. It's a load of bollocks that a professional decorator will do a better job than a good diyer, I'm definitely as good if not better than alot of the decorators I've paid. And don't get me started on the poor quality of the work by gardeners and cleaners!
Please do concider how hard it could be to maintain your self employed business with a small child to care for, I am self employed in my main business and estimate I loose about 1/3 of my income because one or other of the dc is ill and I can't work. It has also been hard to rebuild the business after each maternity leave, or in your case adoption leave.

If you have a degree in visual arts might you be better off selling yourself as an 'interior decorator/designer'...so more the style side of it?