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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to pay someone else to do our decorating?

34 replies

herecomesthebacon · 02/12/2019 13:08

According to my father it is monumentally U for us to pay someone else to do all our painting and decorating as we could "easily do it ourselves".

I'm shit at painting and anything remotely "handy" and I fucking hate it to boot, DH is pretty handy but works 12 hour days and takes months and months to get round to doing anything. Just find it so much easier and less stressful this way.

We're repainting the whole flat at the moment and literally every time I see my father he talks about how much money we're wasting. Does my head in. AIBU?

OP posts:

userxx · 02/12/2019 13:11

Noooooo!!!! Get a professional in. I'm so shit at painting, if i did it myself I would end up getting someone in to go over it and would be a massive waste of paint.

Dontsweatthelittlestuff · 02/12/2019 13:12

It is better to earn money doing what you are trained for and good at and use it to pay a trained decorator.
You are supplying work and adding to the economy plus you get the benefit of a better finish.

Limensoda · 02/12/2019 13:12

No YANBU.
Decorators depend on people hiring them so if you are rubbish at decorating or too busy and can afford it, then it's mad not to get someone in to do it.
I'd love to be able to decorate my house by myself but I would be terrible at it and it would take too long. My daughter loves decorating so does hers herself....Neither of us are right or wrong.

Original poster

herecomesthebacon · 02/12/2019 13:19

We did DS's room ourselves a few years back but it was so fucking tedious and took up an entire weekend

I was raised in a family with absolutely no money so I suppose back then it would have been out of the question.

OP posts:

5foot5 · 02/12/2019 13:19

YANBU
We are competent enough to wield a paint brush and have done some of our own decorating (never, ever wallpaper - tried it twice in 35 years and each was an unmitigated - and in one case almost life-threatening disaster) but for really time consuming things or stuff requiring high ladders we will pay someone. We work full-time and finding the time ourselves is hard. So for example, we decorated our own living room and bedrooms but our hall, stairs and landing now need doing. I want to pay some one because:
a) the stairs is tricky and will need special ladders
b) there will be TEN doors to gloss as well as skirting boards and all the banister rails. I just can't face it

coconuttelegraph · 02/12/2019 13:22

I'd stop engaging with him about it, you don't need to justify how you spend your own money. If you grew up in poverty isn't he happy that now you are in a financial position that you can afford to pay someone else?

Jupiters · 02/12/2019 13:29

It is better to earn money doing what you are trained for and good at and use it to pay a trained decorator
This!

ParkheadParadise · 02/12/2019 13:34

Years ago when dd and I lived by ourselves I did all the decorating.
Now because DH owns a house building company I haven't done any decorating in years, I use the decorators employed by him. I'm always changing the colour of a room.
I would definitely get someone in to do it for you.

FrowningFlamingo · 02/12/2019 13:35

Decorators wouldn’t exist if it were unreasonable.
Tell your FIL he’s welcome to come and do it if it bothers him that much.

UnfamousPoster · 02/12/2019 13:51

Nope. YANBU. We pay someone to come in partly because as my DP is self employed it's actually cheaper to pay someone else, but mostly because if we did, it would be shit, take too long and cause too many arguments!

Womenwotlunch · 02/12/2019 13:52

Get someone in to do it.
Why stress yourself when you can afford to outsource it?

7Worfs · 02/12/2019 13:58

Im using tradesmen for everything in the house.
I can’t do DIY, so it would take a ridiculous amount of time and look very sloppy if I attempted it.

MinesaPinot · 02/12/2019 14:01

YANBU. DH doesn't really enjoy DIY (although will put up a shelf or do the occasional odd job). He readily admits that he doesn't like painting and decorating so would prefer to pay for someone else to do it quicker and better than he would.

Alsohuman · 02/12/2019 14:01

I can paint and wallpaper but I don’t want to. I’m with @Dontsweatthelittlestuff all the way.

Jaxhog · 02/12/2019 14:03

Do it! My DH is great at decorating but has very little spare time. We still got a professional decorator in. Worth every penny.

timeforawine · 02/12/2019 14:04

Not UR at all! I get a decorator in for almost all jobs, gutted i need a job doing in the next 2 weeks and none of the decorators i know are free, meaning i've got to do it :-(
Thankfully my stepmum is great at decorating and is coming to my rescue to help me.
Your house, your money, your choice :-)

fairislecable · 02/12/2019 14:06

I have always done our painting and decorating, as it does save money, BUT I am now getting older and would really like to pay someone to do It.

if you are at work you are time poor spend your money how you wish.

MyGhastIsFlabbered · 02/12/2019 14:18

I papered one wall in my bedroom last year. Every time I see it, it gives me the rage. It's uneven, bits are coming away, it looks awful. Plus it was an absolute pain the arse to do anyway. Save your sanity and get someone in!

IWillWearTheGreenWillow · 02/12/2019 15:43

Unless your F is offering to do it himself, for nothing, (and that offer comes without stress / grief / pressure / strings) tell him to reel his neck in.

I grew up in a family that did all our own decorating. I can and have decorated my own house, all on financial grounds. But if you don't have the time, aptitude or desire to do it yourself, then it's your money to spend and your opportunity cost to decide about.

Suggest you tell your F that if he mentions it again, he needn't come round til it's finished! (My FIL had Opinions on (my and others') decorating, but has never, ever done his own. So we ignored him).

FinallyHere · 02/12/2019 15:45

Smile and nod

and get on with living your life your way.

Isn't it great being an adult. Hurrah.

LochJessMonster · 02/12/2019 15:45

I just paid a decorator to do our upstairs, he did everything to a much better standard than I could, all done in 4 days.

It would have taken me weeks and many many breakdowns.

Best decision ever, well worth the money.

BillywilliamV · 02/12/2019 15:47

Get a decorator but tell your Dad you did it yourself..

Rubychard · 02/12/2019 15:49

Yanbu at all.
But what I would say is get one based on recommendations. In there last couple Of years I’ve seen some really shit jobs done to friends houses by so called “professionals”.

NancyJoan · 02/12/2019 15:52

There are lots of things I could easily do myself, but don't. I go to work and earn money to make my life easier. I pay someone to hoover my car a couple of times a year, someone to do my nails (not the same person), someone to do my eyebrows (again, not the car valet person). Yes, I could do those things myself, but I'd rather have them done well, and save myself the bother. Some people are just funny about paying for things.

BlackeyedSusan · 02/12/2019 15:52

Of course you could do it yourself, thing is you DON'T HAVE TO!!!

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