Correct Order For Decorating

[WouldAnIdiotDoThat]

Hi all,

Please could I ask for some advice on the correct order to decorate our living room?
Jobs that need doing:
Textured wallpaper ripped out on walls and ceiling, walls fixed and painted
Fireplace ripped out (electric fireplace)
Plugs and TV wire moved
New flooring (laminate)
New skirting added

I'm assuming the electrician first, then the decorator to do the walls, then the flooring, but would the flooring damage the newly decorated walls?

Thanks!

New flooring and skirting first. Then wallpaper. Then rip the wires etc out...do the electrics last basically.

This is the opposite of our experience. What if the wires run under the floor - they will wreck the new flooring? 

We have done all messy jobs first - remove wallpaper, move wires / plugs etc, remove fireplace.

Then replaster.

Then install new skirting boards.

Decorate.

New floor.

@hadntbeen is having a laugh suggesting electrics last!

I’d go for this order:

Textured wallpaper ripped out on walls and ceiling
Fireplace ripped out (electric fireplace)
Plugs and TV wire moved
Any plastering of walls (when moving electrics you might have tracks in the wall to fill in)
walls prepped and painted
New flooring (laminate)
New skirting added

Doing flooring last shouldn’t damage the walls. If you were having carpet fitted you might have to touch up skirting paint afterwards, but with laminate (assuming you’re having the skirting fitted over it and not having beading) the above order should be fine.

Thanks that's really helpful! Could we not have the fireplace ripped out and electrics moved first then the walls done? Then we could get an electrician in then he can leave them get the decorator in afterwards. Am I missing something? Other than having to live with holes in the wall for a couple of weeks potentially...

Also, in terms of laying the laminate, would you get a specialist or would the decorator who is doing the walls be able to do it?

Thanks!

Yes you can do it that way.

Your painter and decorator probably can't do the floor as well but will probably know someone that does. Have you got anyone booked?

I’d do
Electrician to move plugs/wires AND remove wiring to the electric fireplace
Fireplace removed
Then walls- remove wall paper, patch holes from electrician and re plaster, paint
Then floors
Then skirting

Laminate floors and skirting are super easy, you could DIY those bits.

Thanks all! No we don't have anyone booked yet I wanted to check the order before booking, we should probably book an electrician first then a decorator to come straight after.
I wouldn't have the confidence to do the floor myself, I have no DIY skills and we have a baby so we're short on time too.

A proper qualified decorator won’t get involved with laying a floor. A handyman who also ‘decorated’ probably would.

In building refurbs, it’s ideal if the decorator can come in before the carpet fitter but doesn’t always work out like that. As it’s laminate, you need the floor fitting then the skirting then the decorator.

Rip out everything that needs ripping.

Electrics (but I wouldn't add the socket fronts until after decorating - they will get bashed, splashed with paint, etc)

Fix the walls and add skirting boards.

Decorate.

Then the new flooring.