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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Do you paint your own house?

59 replies

Cannybarsseddthough · 10/05/2023 21:51

All downstairs needs painting, plus outside seating section walls
Do you do your own, if so, how long does it take you? Or do you hire someone?
We've done both before, just expensive, but doing it ourselves seems to take so long. Would you try to do it all in one week/weekend for example or a wall
a time?

OP posts:
Mumof1andacat · 10/05/2023 21:55

We didn't do our lounge/diner. It's too big and we wanted a great finish. We do our bedrooms and we painted out stairs and landing. I would say each room can be done in 2-3 days.

Truestorypeeps · 10/05/2023 21:56

Depends how much time/money you have. I personally have no problems tackling individual rooms as it's not much effort really and I don't want to pay someone c.€300 per room on top of paint which is a lot more expensive than it used to be for decent stuff. I've no appetite for the hall/stairs/landing as it's so vast so will get someone in for that.

For a room, if you can clear it and do a coat the whole way around, let it dry and repeat two more times, you can get it done over a weekend including prep and taping up (straight lines look better). You'll also get a great sense of satisfaction when you see the finished room knowing you did it!

CatOnTheChair · 10/05/2023 22:02

One room over a weekend is ok - although I guess that is partially dependant on room size!

We got the keys to this house before we moved in. Over one weekend - but in an empty house, DH and I painted 2 bedrooms. Wouldn't have wanted to do that juggling furniture too.

I won't do hall/landing/stairs.

Youcancallmeirrelevant · 10/05/2023 22:04

Easily do 2 coats of a room over a weekend. If i had whole downstairs to do i would probably book week off work to get it all done

Crumpleton · 10/05/2023 22:04

We do all of our own decorating.

Lcb123 · 10/05/2023 22:05

Always done our own painting. Maybe take a day off Friday or Monday and you should be able to do the whole downstairs

Divorcedalongtime · 10/05/2023 22:06

I do and it always takes much longer than k imagine. It needs more coats sbs it way more tedious to do than j ever remember

Zampa · 10/05/2023 22:08

We pay a decorator. Average price seems to be £150 a day but I know a chap who charges £300 plus!

I don't have the spare holiday to do it myself and evenings and weekends are full of caring responsibilities.

I also know they'll do a better job than me!

LabradorsByTheSea · 10/05/2023 22:14

Not now we are older and time poor/ money rich. My friend’s brother runs a decorating business and does a great job. It’s a period house with large rooms, corn icing etc. and paint jobs need lots of preparation, nook and cranny tackling etc.

But in our twenties and early thirties in London flats we spent many a weekend decorating for ourselves and friends. I remember getting the textured wallpaper off at a friends’ now legendary ‘strip party’.

Toomanylatenightprogs · 10/05/2023 22:15

If I can do it safely I’ll paint it. So bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchen, living room are fine. I’ll do one wall at a time if I need to. Garden fencing I’ve painted, a couple of panels at a time in hot weather.
House outside walls that would involve high ladders or scaffolding — no way.
Stairs and landing are out for the same reason.

Tinkerbyebye · 10/05/2023 22:15

Downstairs and hall stairs landing I get someone in, bedrooms I paint

Georgiepud · 10/05/2023 22:21

I'm OK painting walls but my gloss woodwork painting looks like treacle smeared on with a toothbrush! I would pay to have ceilings painted, hall and stairs and outside. I like to see a professional who spends time on the preparation to ensure a good finish.

Original poster
Cannybarsseddthough · 10/05/2023 22:24

It’s just so expensive, but doing it on your own just takes up weekends etc 😩

OP posts:
Sandrine1982 · 10/05/2023 22:29

I do all the painting in our house. But it does take time. Maybe one feature wall a day...

Sandrine1982 · 10/05/2023 22:30

Also sanded and painted the staircase... but it's a very fiddly job ...

LtJudyHopps · 10/05/2023 22:31

Once you actually get going it doesn’t take much time it’s more the prep work and getting going! Now the weather is getting better you can do a cou

LtJudyHopps · 10/05/2023 22:32

Do a couple of coats in one day that was going to say

Franklin2000 · 10/05/2023 22:33

Yep, we pick a room to tackle and complete it before moving on to the next. DH preps, sands everything, filler etc, I go in and paint after. We both hate the others job so it works. Im also happy to paint on an evening for the small/medium rooms so it doesn’t take my weekends up.

Coxspurplepippin · 10/05/2023 22:35

We've always done our own decorating but can imagine as we get older and increasingly decrepit we'll have to get someone to do it.

Have many fond memories of weekends listening to Radio 4, endless cups of tea and a trip to the local bakers for pie and strawberry tarts as a treat for painting a room.

Whatabouteverything · 10/05/2023 22:38

We've got a neighbour whose livelihood is decorating. He's bloody brilliant and charges us mates rates so of course we use him. He's painted our entire house including the garden fences and we're now at a point where we'll need him back to redo the hallway etc where its been a bit banged up over the last couple of years. Even if he didn't charge mates rates we'd still always pay someone - we both hate painting but then we save money on other stuff as my husband is very handy with DIY and carpentry.

Original poster
Cannybarsseddthough · 10/05/2023 22:41

@Coxspurplepippin Aww, see that makes it seem nice, I could put music on and get us a treat for each wall covered maybe, it’s hard as I can imagine our 4 year old will be getting in the way 😅

OP posts:
Original poster
Cannybarsseddthough · 10/05/2023 22:42

How often do you repaint? I think the last time Dh did it on the first lockdown, but the walls get so messy with a little one touching all over them. Is 3 years a long time to have left it?

OP posts:
Snowite · 10/05/2023 22:44

Sounds like you have a lot to do and I assume that includes ceilings. In which it's worth looking at buying a pro sprayer...game changer!

Original poster
Cannybarsseddthough · 10/05/2023 22:49

@Snowite Yes, ceilings too 🥺
How much are they and how much quicker is it?

OP posts:
Coxspurplepippin · 10/05/2023 22:49

Cannybarsseddthough · 10/05/2023 22:41

@Coxspurplepippin Aww, see that makes it seem nice, I could put music on and get us a treat for each wall covered maybe, it’s hard as I can imagine our 4 year old will be getting in the way 😅

Your 4 year old will want to 'help'.......

A paintbrush and a pot of clean water for them - we entertained a small niece for an afternoon by giving her a paintbrush and a bucket of water to 'paint' the garden fence.

Do also check that a wash down with sugar soap doesn't make the paintwork look like new.