Internal doors - does quality matter if they'll be painted?

[morningporridge]

We are looking to replace internal doors throughout our house and would like them to look attractive but as we're going to be painting them I'm wondering if it will make a difference what type we go for, or it's just down to the style and paint colour fitting with the property? I mean, will spending more have any effect on the end look?!

Our internal doors are painted but noticeably cheap. They feel flimsy/hollow and if you slam them hard the bottom falls out. But doors are expensive, so they're really low on my list of things to change.

I would just make sure if you like the look of them they are not so cheap they are going to warp / buckle. That could take longer to fix in the long run. Other than that if you like the look of the doors and you are going to paint them then I would not worry too much.

Yes quality doors make a massive difference, when I bought my house they had cheap interior doors which felt as light as polystyrene, we replaced them with oak doors, they look and feel expensive as they actually have weight to them when you open and close a door, definitely worth the investment.

Yes, I think the weight of a door is noticeable.

We viewed a really expensive house with those white cheap 1990's empty feel doors. Literally felt like cardboard on both sides with nothing in between. It didn't match the house at all. Assume the developer was skimping on details.

I'm buying new doors now for our building work. To match the existing doors that were here. Oak that we'll then paint.

I'd budgeted £200 a door, but totally forgot the price to hang them...and the cost of the architraves and frame...and good quality hinges and handles are really expensive. So basically it's worked out a lot more expensive than I expected!

Yes, cheap doors feel flimsy and don’t always last (stop shutting properly etc). They can also rattle and open themselves if you have a through draft. Also make sure you get decent handles and latches- I had cheap ones in a house once and they drove me mad (always sticking and wrongly positioned so you grated your knuckles!).

Don't get the cheapest! Yes, you can tell as PPs have said from the weight and the look of them.

A good door can also help contain fires whilst you escape.. is that a consideration?

Replacing our internal doors too. Have a mix of super cheap hollow doors and 1980s swirly glass moulded ones. I've seen the ones I like for around £100 each (DX joinery oak in 1930s pattern).
Can someone who's had new doors hung give me an idea of cost? We'll need a joiner to build a banister too but can't get one out to quote atm for love nor money.

@TiddleTaddleTat I think around £80 to hang a new door in existing frame. It's a lot more work than I'd expected to chisel out the latch and then fit it.

To fit a brand new door with architraves and new frame (we're moving doorways), I'm looking at £180 for a single door.

It's part of a much bigger renovation. I'm not sure if that makes it more or less expensive than getting the one trade out for a specific job though.

Don’t buy cheap doors if you are thinking of changing your flooring, as you may be unable to plane them to fit.

@PoshWatchShitShoes thanks, that's helpful. Need to budget more than I thought.
Seems like a pricey time to buy wood too due to demand ...

My tip is to buy Fire Doors. Not so much for the fire part of them but because they are always a lot heavier. Weight to a door can make it feel a higher quality.

We used to have cheap doors, now they're expensive - I'd never have cheap again - it blocks out loads of noise!

Definitely. We put cheap hollow core doors upstairs and solid fire doors downstairs, both of a similar style. The fire doors just feel and look so much better, even painted to look the same. I definitely wouldn’t install hollow core doors again.