Repainting to sell, SE London - any recommendations/likely costs?

[MurderOfProse]

We're currently renting for hopefully the next few years a lovely house in Hemel Hempstead - we moved last month (we used Smile thanks to recommendations on here - lovely people!) and we're loving the new area and settling very well.

Our old two bedroom place that we still own (we'd never sell it with us and our stuff in it) in SE London is not in the best state of modernisation and needs a new bathroom and kitchen, BUT, it's sound albeit a bit "loved" in places and we've now had it professionally cleaned.

I had an estate agent round today, one of the ones locally I know are alright as they sold us ours and they have a good reputation if such a thing is possible for EAs. Anyway, he recommended exactly what I had been thinking in terms of selling quickly for the best return on any investment possible. We were in total agreement (related to what I posted here about a few months back actually) - sod replacing the big things like kitchens etc, just make it look presentable and it'll go to somebody who can't afford a show home just yet.

Basically he suggested all we should do is repaint a few of the rooms to fix grubby walls and mildew etc and then sell "as is". There is no current genuine mould issue - there was in the past due to blocked gutters but we sorted that a while back.

We don't have the time or ability to repaint it ourselves realistically, not with three small children and living 50 miles away, needing to be back for school/nursery pickups etc and DH working full time and me with a dodgy neck/back of late!

So a few weeks ago we got somebody round to quote us for that and a few other minor things. He hasn't yet given us the breakdown after we asked for it but to paint living room (15x12) kitchen (12x8) and two bedrooms (both around 12x10, one a very bright red) and the stairs and landing area, plus a few small other jobs like a picket fence out the front, cheapish living room carpet and painting some barge boards - the whole lot came to over £5,000. I'm guessing most of it is the painting.

I'm the first to admit I have no idea how much these things cost having always done it, badly, ourselves in the past. What sort of price range should it be just for repainting the four rooms listed above in a neutral?

And.. could anyone recommend a painter/decorator sort that covers Greenwich borough AND actually answers their phone

to anyone who can help with either a price range or a recommendation!!

I have just had an email for an offer in Jan from a reputable painting company (which I can't use - because Jan not because I can't use them ) . PM me if you want me to give you details - I got it because I am a previous customer . Can't say whether it will be any good or not but if it helps - happy to pass it on .

Booking childcare would be next to impossible because we don't know anyone locally as we've moved, and we never had anyone in our old area either. With the oldest in school that complicates matters as well.

We would be just looking at doing the walls in most of the rooms, I guess we wouldn't have to be neat around the woodwork/ceiling if we're doing the whole lot white. The red room has a pink ceiling though (just don't ask..!) which complicates matters - we'd have to do the ceiling I think as we'd be hopeless at doing anything neat. We used masking tape before and still it's a mess. I am just not Mrs Practical. Plus I have a bad neck and shoulders!

We've asked our old neighbours and nobody seems to know anybody - most of them do it themselves and they're obviously not wanting to help (and I'd feel weird asking) or they'd have offered.

MrsWoodForTrees - I shall PM you, thank you!!