Talk to me about painters and decorators

[BikeRunSki]

In the past we've always done our own decorating, but with a 3 yo now (also 6 year old, but he'd be ok), we've decided to get professionals in to paint our largish bedroom. It needs gloss and ceiling doing as well as emulsion on walls. I work p/t and thought about taking a week off but realised that I wouldn't get it all done in the 3 days that dd would be at nursery that week.

Anyway, what is the etiquette with painters? Is it ok toward them in the house while I go to work? What about if we were on holiday?

Anyone?

I left my painter on day 2 and 3 but he was a friend of a friend. I dont think I leave a stranger all day. Perhaps for a couple of hours whilst I did an errand, but no more.

We paid a recommended p&d to freshen up the downstairs whilst we went on holiday a few years ago. Not recommended at all, yes he had done a little extra work but there was splaint splashes and dashes all over and the overall quality of work poor. If we were to pay someone again we wouldn't leave them to it!

Can I ask if any of you have had quotes for decorating a 4 bed house? We're the same re small children an I'm really hoping a redec will be within budget for our new house!

We have settled into a pattern of having a cheaper holiday one year in three and leaving the decorators in to get on with it while we're away.

It's better for us and they prefer it too.

A friend has just had a quote for her large 4 bed 4 bath house in SE and it was £5000.

Ours charges around £200 per room including materials for a straightforward room. £600 for hall stairs and landing. It depends whether the doors need painting- they're time consuming and therefore costly. Ours are oak and don't need it.

Sewing box - thank you, that gives me a rough idea to work to

We had a quote of roughly £600 per room, that was with quite a lot of prep needed though.