Guide to Hiring a Painter and Decorator

Some people are not into decorating their home either because they lack ideas, creativity or simply because it is too much for them to handle. For them the best solution is to hire a painter or decorator that will give them some great ideas and do a complete makeover of their home. These professionals usually offer a wide range of services starting from simple painting of the walls (on the interior and exterior surface in your home), making minor repairs, hanging coverings on the walls and even treating different wood services to refresh them and make them look cool.

As with any service, these services don’t come for free. The cost will depend on the scope of your project. For example painting one of the walls in your living room will cost you probably a lot less than paining the entire floor. If you want to save money you can try and paint the walls on your own, however that is a decision you should think it through. To help you see why hiring professional help might be a wise move we have created a simple guide to hiring a painter and decorator. It might require you to spend a bit more, but it will save you a lot of time and help you feel at ease.

How to choose the right person for the job?

A great place to start looking for the right person for your job is to ask your family and friends if they have someone they can recommend. If someone you know recently had a similar project to yours, go to their house and see what the painter or decorator was able to do. If you like what you see, you might want to consider hiring the same person.

If your close ones don’t have someone to recommend then you can ask the Painting and Decorating Association for a list of painters and decorates around your area. They operate on national level so you can expect to get a pretty long list. You can also try some of the regional bodies such as the London Association of Master Decorators and the Scottish Decorators’ Federation. The decision to hire a member of a trade association can be good in so many levels. Usually all members go through an evaluation process to ensure that they use quality materials, play by the book, keep track of the latest developments in the industry and deliver great results. In addition, in case there is a dispute between the two of you, the trade association can participate and try to resolve the issue.

Another big advantage is that all members are insured so the chances of something bad happening are low to none. In case something does happen, you won’t be held liable for it and the professional will have to be the one to fix the problem.

If someone is not a member of any trade association it doesn’t mean you have to rule them out immediately. There are many good tradesmen who simply decided not to be part of any association. However, they have to be willing to give you references and show you samples of their previous work. This will enable you to get an insight in the work they do.

What is the better choice – paint or wallpaper?

Once you find your perfect painter or decorator you have to start thinking about the changes you want to make. Today the market offers so many opportunities that sometimes it can be very difficult to make up your mind. That is why it is always good to have a professional that will help you with your decision. They can offer their advice on the colors and designs that will look good in your space and can enhance your ideas so you can get a place where you will enjoy spending time.

Contact your painter or designer and agree when to meet. It is best if you meet in your home as you can see what the best thing for your home is. Make sure you measure the area you plan to decorate so you won’t waste any time on that and you can start work immediately.  Don’t panic if the decorator or painter you have chosen is not able to visit you right away. If the work you need is not urgent then there is no harm to wait for a few weeks. This will give you enough time to look into your options and maybe even go to your local DIY shop and see what they have to offer.  If you are not sure what do to, then here are some tips that might help.

Paint

• You can get it in many colours. Mix different shades and you can get any tone. Here’s some useful advice and pictures of trending Dulux paint colours.
• There are three types of paint – gloss, emulsion or mixture of the two.
• Choose the paint based on the surface you need to colour.
• You can apply different techniques for different effects.

Wallpaper

• The cheapest wallpaper is made of regular untreated paper.
• The vinyl wallpaper can be washed and is more resistant. It can be a good choice for your kitchen or your child’s bedroom.
• The wallpaper is great for disgusting bad surfaces or wall defects.
• The wallpaper might be difficult to remove once you decide you need a change.