£16,500 to redecorate - am I being ripped off? How much were you charged?

[themummyway]

Being quoted the following:

£2.5k for stripping old wallpaper + carpets and clear.
£7k for "complete decorating" (assuming this is painting 3 bedroom, living room, hallway + a installing flooring in said bedrooms)
£7k to plaster all rooms

Based in London. Average 3bed 1930s house. Is this reasonable? Anyone done similar? How much were you charged?

I've been told that if tradesmen don't really want a job, they quote a ridiculous amount. So even if they take the job, they're quids in.

Yup, there was a tradesman on here the other day who said this. His words were "I will quote a ridiculous price because I don't want to do the job and if they then decide to accept it, that is down to them"...

Get some more quotes and avoid this cowboy.

@lemontreebird

I've been told that if tradesmen don't really want a job, they quote a ridiculous amount. So even if they take the job, they're quids in.

Pardon my French, but fucking hell I'm really being had.

Not that they don't seem to want the job, but the timeframe given for everything (6 months), coupled with the info a different poster said about it only taking a few weeks most has really made me uncomfortable.

@Smallgoon

I've been told that if tradesmen don't really want a job, they quote a ridiculous amount. So even if they take the job, they're quids in.

Yup, there was a tradesman on here the other day who said this. His words were "I will quote a ridiculous price because I don't want to do the job and if they then decide to accept it, that is down to them"...

Get some more quotes and avoid this cowboy.

I feel physically sick.

Thank you all for helping me out. I really owe you big time.

Yes, this includes materials!
& Yep, installing hard wood

Well it that case the £7k may not be too unreasonable. Depending on the sqm of each room getting the flooring. I paid £1300 for engineered wood to cover 30sqm (which is effectively my living room/kitchen/hallway and apparently it will cost me a similar amount to have this laid. That's almost £3k for 30sqm. Guessing your 3 bedrooms will be a larger area.

Two classificatory points:

1. All materials included in the price (except the kitchen itself!)

2. Price is VAT exempt and is an estimate, not a quote. Was told to allow for 10% contingency...

£2.5k for stripping old wallpaper + carpets and clear. Too much
£7k for "complete decorating" (assuming this is painting 3 bedroom, living room, hallway + a installing flooring in said bedrooms) This is a huge amount unless it includes them buying all the flooring.
£7k to plaster all room Ridiculous
£6.5k rewire house (inc. new meter box) Too much
£6.5k new combi boiler and plumbing (replace hot water cylinder) We did ours for £3500.
£15.5k clear old kitchen, fit new. new roof, re
move wall, install rsj Expensive if that doesn't include appliances and worktop. Are units in that price?
£4k kitchen worktop Depends what worktop, mine is quartz, I shopped around and got it down to £2k
£4k new window in kitchen + bifold door My bifolds were £1.5k local company much better value.
£3.5k new lights in lounge, remove back boiler, new flooring, new lights, remove french doors Too much
£4.5k downstairs loo - tiling walls, floor, install new fan, new sink, loo, shower (+ clear existing) Way too much
£6.5k upstairs loo - new bath, toilet, sink, flooring, walls (+clear existing)About right
£3k new bedroom doors + fit* Wardrobe doors or actual doors? Unless they are solid gold too much.

I live in East London in a 1930s semi and have had most of this work done. It's too much, you need to get more quotes, look on local pages on Facebook for recommendations, it will probably work out better to get individual trades in to do different parts. Source your own fixtures and fittings too.

The decorating would only take a few weeks, but not the entire list you've included. That said, I can't see why your list of the entire job would take 6 months!!! Are there any structural changes happening? Are you having the property extended etc? All of that work imo could take 2 months max. Does this chap have a team or will it just be him?

@UncomfortableSilence

* £2.5k for stripping old wallpaper + carpets and clear. Too much £7k for "complete decorating" (assuming this is painting 3 bedroom, living room, hallway + a installing flooring in said bedrooms) This is a huge amount unless it includes them buying all the flooring. £7k to plaster all room Ridiculous £6.5k rewire house (inc. new meter box) Too much £6.5k new combi boiler and plumbing (replace hot water cylinder) We did ours for £3500. £15.5k clear old kitchen, fit new. new roof, re move wall, install rsj Expensive if that doesn't include appliances and worktop. Are units in that price? £4k kitchen worktop Depends what worktop, mine is quartz, I shopped around and got it down to £2k £4k new window in kitchen + bifold door My bifolds were £1.5k local company much better value. £3.5k new lights in lounge, remove back boiler, new flooring, new lights, remove french doors Too much £4.5k downstairs loo - tiling walls, floor, install new fan, new sink, loo, shower (+ clear existing) Way too much £6.5k upstairs loo - new bath, toilet, sink, flooring, walls (+clear existing)About right £3k new bedroom doors + fit* Wardrobe doors or actual doors? Unless they are solid gold too much.

I live in East London in a 1930s semi and have had most of this work done. It's too much, you need to get more quotes, look on local pages on Facebook for recommendations, it will probably work out better to get individual trades in to do different parts. Source your own fixtures and fittings too.

How much were you charged? Would you recommend the person you used?

You would be better off looking to see what you can do yourself to start with. Clearing old carpets, breaking up and removing an old kitchen and stripping walls are all unskilled jobs anyone can do and will save you a fair bit of money. Three quotes for everything is the rule. Window company to quote directly for the windows, plumbers for the plumbing, electricians for electrics, roofer for the roof etc. Often bathroom showrooms and kitchen showrooms will have people they will recommend but again get 3 quotes and let them all know you are getting several. When you have the quotes speak to them and ask what order they need to do works, then it's just about scheduling everyone in. Also painting brand new o,altered walls is very very easy if you fancy giving it a go, just watch a couple of you tube videos to ensure you use the right paint and prep properly. I would get an expert in to do the wood work though because that is very time consuming and they will get a much better finish.

Actually the redecorating sounds decent if it includes the paint and woodwork for the whole house - in fact I'd be amazed they would fit flooring too for that price.
That plaster figure should only be a about £3-4k.
Bathrooms sound expensive too. Depending on your units and tiling, if you aren't moving plumbing around I'd budget £2-3000 max each. If you are changing the lighting maybe more.
Rewire: £4k; straight boiler replacement £2k, no idea about water tank though.
And £3k for bedroom doors? Do you mean the doors to the bedroom or custom closets? I paid about £150 for doors and fitting....

@Smallgoon

The decorating would only take a few weeks, but not the entire list you've included. That said, I can't see why your list of the entire job would take 6 months!!! Are there any structural changes happening? Are you having the property extended etc? All of that work imo could take 2 months max. Does this chap have a team or will it just be him?

Shit, I've only gone and rented somewhere for the next 6 months (from July onwards)... contract is flexible though so could cut short if needed.

1. Structural changes are: new roof, new roof light, knock down wall, fit rsj

2. Property is already extended. Kitchen = extension

3. I think it would just be chap and plumber. I know his plumber too.

1) All materials included in the price (except the kitchen itself!)

Wait, if it doesn't include the new kitchen, guessing it doesn't include the appliances either? How in god's name has he come up with £15k to rip out and fit a new kitchen? A kitchen can be ripped out in a day (mine was) and it usually shouldn't cost more than £2.5-3k to fit a new kitchen. He's having you on big time. Get more quotes.

2. Price is VAT exempt and is an estimate, not a quote. Was told to allow for 10% contingency...*

You know you will end up paying even more! Fixed price inc VAT
Find someone else.

Please make sure that ALL the quotes you get include ALL the details. How many coats of paint? What brand of paint? What type of kitchen/bathroom fixtures (and that means the exact ones). What type of worktop? What type of tile? What type of wood floor? All that needs to be in writing in the quote otherwise who knows what you will get.

Sorry bold fail.

Also

1. 3k for actual bedroom doors. No change to wardrobe doors, except built in wardrobes being knocked out.

2. Downstairs loo would require the kitchen wall being knocked through to fit shower.
   Wall would also need to be installed to create a little utility room. Plus a door would be needed for that

@UncomfortableSilence

* 2) Price is VAT exempt and is an estimate, not a quote. Was told to allow for 10% contingency...*

You know you will end up paying even more! Fixed price inc VAT
Find someone else.

Your username is very fitting for this moment in time ffs.

Thank you though, appreciate the honesty.

Does this include VAT on top?

@teabaseddiet

Does this include VAT on top?

No, he said he doesn't charge VAT

Are you sure the £15.5k for kitchen work does't include the cost of the new kitchen too? It seems strange that he's included the cost of the worktop (4k) in his estimate, and is apparently covering the cost of all materials but hasn't included the cost of kitchen units/doors etc.

@Smallgoon

Are you sure the £15.5k for kitchen work does't include the cost of the new kitchen too? It seems strange that he's included the cost of the worktop (4k) in his estimate, and is apparently covering the cost of all materials but hasn't included the cost of kitchen units/doors etc.

Yes i'm sure, he specifically said doesn't include kitchen but does include worktops.

I had provisionally chosen a kitchen with a supplier

@themummyway feel free to dm me if you want - I got royally fleeced on my bathroom renovations (by a few grand) as a result of some schoolgirl errors I made. The advice below from @SofiaAmes is good, and I'm happy to share the shit experience I had, and what you deffo need to be on your guard on. So annoying that you went ahead and tried to rent somewhere to stay for 6 months. Not sure what the thoughts of others are but I can't see how that work would take 6 months to complete. Unless of course it's him and an apprentice, and they're going at a snail's pace.

Please make sure that ALL the quotes you get include ALL the details. How many coats of paint? What brand of paint? What type of kitchen/bathroom fixtures (and that means the exact ones). What type of worktop? What type of tile? What type of wood floor? All that needs to be in writing in the quote otherwise who knows what you will get.

Run a mile. The price and timescale is all wrong. They're going to rip you off.

OP, how can he not charge VAT?
VAT is based on business turnover and if he is charging one customer that amount his business turnover must be above the threshold.
Doesn't sound genuine.

Yes i'm sure, he specifically said doesn't include kitchen but does include worktops.

So he's charging you £20k for the worktop, and to rip out and then fit the new kitchen (once you have purchased this yourself)? That is criminal.