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Original poster

Decorating - we've been quoted £13,750 - please tell me they're taking the Michael?

89 replies

KindleMum · 02/04/2013 22:24

We complete new week on our new house and are getting quotes for work at the moment. The first complete quote has been rather a shock and includes £13,750 for decorating - that's just papering and painting, not plastering. Please tell me they're trying to take me for a ride because if all the quotes are in that league I'll have to learn to wallpaper and do it myself.
It does have 3 receps and 5 bedrooms but they are not enormous rooms. And I'd be providing any patterned paper and top colour paint on top of that. They're only including undercoat or lining paper in that figure.

OP posts:
silverfrog · 02/04/2013 22:30

we paid upwards of £5,000 last year just for re-painting a similar sized house. nothing fancy, just plain magnolia throughout, and white wood/ceilings.

so I can't see that your quote is so very outlandish for papering too, as can be time consuming.

Original poster
KindleMum · 02/04/2013 22:34

Ah bother! That's not what I hoped to hear. We're only papering because they advised it would be cheaper than making the walls perfect to paint straight onto. Though the walls look ok to me.

I'd better start learning to decorate then. We're in the north for goodness sake, it's supposed to be cheaper here!

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fieldfare · 02/04/2013 22:35

That's absolutely ridiculous. I've renovated houses in the past and it averaged out about £500 per room - glossing woodwork etc, painting ceiling and coving, lining walls and painting. He provided all base materials and I provided wallpaper and coloured paint.

Original poster
KindleMum · 02/04/2013 22:38

fieldfare - you've given me hope again! Thank you - hopefully the later quotes will be lower.

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gallicgirl · 02/04/2013 22:39

We paid £300 last year to have an average sized bedroom replastered so think that price is taking the p.
In fact, think my mom had a small extension done for similar price.

mercibucket · 02/04/2013 22:43

lolol

did they mis print it???

what daily rate do you think is ok, plus materials, then times it by the number of days it will take

TheDetective · 02/04/2013 22:46

There is an extra digit in there surely. I'd laugh in their faces, and ask if they thought I was a stupid cunt.

Then go elsewhere!

At 2 days per room, £100 a day, I would expect about £2000, no more than £3000, and I'm being generous.

FWIW, a newbuild is fairly easy to decorate yourself. I've done it a couple of times. And I'm a total novice. And they looked good. No one has ever noticed. And are always shocked when I say it is all my own handiwork!

Original poster
KindleMum · 02/04/2013 23:02

I do think they are trying it on with the whole quote. They have broken down into minute detail all the cheap bits and all the big figures are not broken down at all so you can't see what you're paying for say the new boiler, tank and radiators and how much is for the plumbers time. They were highly recommended to me but I think they've either slipped or thought let's rip off the southern female, they don't know any better.

In case none of the quotes are sensible - it has also occurred to me that due to the recession, I have some friends who are good decorators, can't afford a holiday this year and could well be interested in taking paid holiday from their jobs and using the time to get paid to decorate my house. One friend is having a very rough time financially and her decorating has always looked great to me. I might well ask her as I know she decorated a mutual friend's previously, presumably for cash.

OP posts:
AuntLucyInPeru · 02/04/2013 23:14

You're being fleeced. Get more quotes And I speak as a letting agent with several hundred properties under management. What part of the country are you in?

FiveGoMadInDorset · 02/04/2013 23:15

Where are you?

silverfrog · 02/04/2013 23:16

our quote, though it seems outrageous, was for 3 men, working 12 hour days (and often into the night as well - the house was completely empty at the time) for 8 days, and included all materials.

some rooms required 3 coats of paint, let alone the undercoat etc (yes, the 70s monstrosity that it was, the rooms were all turquoise and orange, or conversely really dark forest green etc).

so though it seemed high, it worked out not too unreasonable - just over £200/day for a rush job (albeit an easy one since no furniture to worry about shifting around), but it really did include all woodwork and doors, fitted cupboards (inside and out) as well as skirting, dado rails and window frames.

even taking all that into consideration, I seriously contemplated asking a friend to do it with me - it's stupid money to be paying 'just' for putting some paint on the walls (inverted commas as they did do a very professional job to be fair). it was only the heatwave (ah, seems but a distant memory!) and me being 8 months pregnant that stopped me...

we are in the highest postcode-pricing area though (poshville, Surrey)

formicaqueen · 02/04/2013 23:25

How many days work is it in total? How much is usually paid per day in your area?

15000 is a joke

formicaqueen · 02/04/2013 23:27

I'd expect two or three days per room at about 120 pounds per long day. Based on one person doing the work.

Gregssausageroll · 03/04/2013 08:12

Good god. No. There must be a mistake my excellent decorator takes £10 an hour

GinAndSlimlinePlease · 03/04/2013 08:16

If just redecorating, you're being taken for a ride!

But you mention new boiler too? If they're redoing the heating system that will be expensive!

Badvoc · 03/04/2013 08:18

That ridiculous!

SizzleSazz · 03/04/2013 08:21

We paid c.£100 per day but that was about 5 years ago. £13k is mad!

libertyflip · 03/04/2013 08:22

My house is a lot smaller - 2 bed terrace but I paid £400 last year for the whole house including paint.

SizzleSazz · 03/04/2013 08:22

If you don't mind posting a general location, someone may well be able to help with a recommendation.

marriedinwhiteagain · 03/04/2013 08:24

We live SW London - our decorator/handyman is £120 a day and works like stink. He is presently about to start repainting the house and we expect the job, with materials to come to about £6000 to £7000 - no wallpapering. But there are a lot of stairs/bannisters/intricate stair railings and very high ceilings - we estimate the hall and landings will take three to four weeks and the rooms another five to six. Lots of rubbings down, etc. All being done very simply to get ready to sell.

CadleCrap · 03/04/2013 08:28

DH told me that if they don't want to job (too much work on or too many potential problems) that builders/decorators will quote a stuipd amount.

reastie · 03/04/2013 08:39

gregs for £10 an hour does that include any materials/providing own equipment? How long does he take to do a whole room? Sorry for hijack, it's just we are going to pay FIL to redecorate for us soon (he isn't a decorator, he's retired and in want of a bit of extra money). We don't want to take the mickey by paying him next to nothing but equally we can't afford a proper painter/decorator and money is tight for us, and FIL is such a slow worker I'm at pains to pay him by the hour as he will take alot longer than if we got an actual decorator in to do the work so could easily end out paying more than if we got a decorator in!

Original poster
KindleMum · 03/04/2013 08:51

GinandSlimline - that amount is indeed just for papering and painting. I am getting lots of other work done but that is all separate in the quote. It doesn't even include the making good and replastering after the earlier works, that's quoted for on top.

CadleCrap - that had occurred to me, but in that case they've wasted a foolish amount of time in quoting for this and in bringing out plumbers and electricians to quote for the other bits. There are quicker ways to turn down work!

We are in West Yorkshire and I am hoping that this particular quote is an opportunistic attempt to rip off a southerner, as we've not been up here long and they know it.

They advised a particular product for one part of the work and due to a miscommunication, I got a quote from the local supplier myself to supply and install it. The builder then said they would sort it out direct as they'd get a better price as trade - but their quote is charging me 25% more for this item than if I bought it retail and had it installed by the supplier. I think that tells me all I need to know about them really.

The work plan indicates they're allowing two and a half weeks to decorate. It doesn't say how many people. The house will be empty of furniture etc as we are not moving in until all the work is done. The rooms themselves are simple - rectangular, no alcoves or fancy cornices/ceiling roses/plasterwork. Ceilings are relatively low (it was built in the 1960s) and there is one short staircase with no banisters or balustrades. Doors should not need painting as they're all being replaced so we'll buy the ones that come painted white already.

We are getting other quotes, it's just a bit of a heart-attack moment that this is the first complete quote to come back and it's been so high.

OP posts:
Eskino · 03/04/2013 08:57

Ill do it for £10k Wink

Sounds like a nice thing to do to ask your skint friends if they want the job though. I'd rather see my friends getting a holiday out of it.

Suttyshotty · 03/04/2013 09:03

They are taking the pee surely, that's is an annual salary in some jobs! Wallpapering is dead easy, tell them thanks....er but no thanks! Shock