Our painters can brush up your paint job

There’s nothing like a fresh coat of paint to transform your home. Whether you’re looking to paint the interiors or revamp the outside of your home, our Fix Forward home pros are expert internal and external painters. They also specialise in wood work and roof painting: whatever your paint needs, our home pros can fulfil them with ease.

Painting projects we handle:

How to hire the right painter

Of all the skills that exist in the world of DIY and home maintenance, the one that is far and away the hardest to find good help with can be painting. On the surface, painting is very easy. All you need is a brush and wall and you are sorted. Right? Nope, you couldn’t be more wrong if you tried. Painting is a special skill and it is not just about knowing which end of the paintbrush to hold. It is about how to use the brush, and the whole process from preparation to finishing – to get the best possible finish.

So, how do you make sure that the painter you hire is the right person for the job? Here are a few tips to help you sort the experts from the disasters-waiting-to-happen.

Chat about the process

Show you home pro what is required and ask him to talk you through the process he intends to follow. If he says that all he needs is a brush and some paint and that he will have your project looking as good as new, then he is definitely not the person for the job.

What prep work is required and how long do they anticipate the prep taking? What paints and brushes do they need to do the job? What other materials do they plan to factor in – drop sheets, primer, turpentine, filler and sandpaper are all potential items that should feature.

Remember, a good painting job is not just about putting paint onto a surface – that is the easy part. A good paint job is about the preparation that goes into it. And finding a good painter is about asking the right questions at the start of the job.

References are key when hiring a painter

There are plenty of informal painters waiting to be hired. They may well be phenomenal painters, but if you hire one, you need to acknowledge some risk. You simply have no idea what you are going to get. Rather look to hire somebody who is recommended to you personally or find a home pro who has been properly vetted.

Painting is such an important part of any job – not only does it have the ability to hide a lot, it is so often the paint job that creates the first impression – and in a world where you only get one chance to make a good first impression, you need to make sure that your painter is on the top of their game.

References aside, have a look at examples of previous work completed by your painter. Either ask them to show you pictures of completed jobs, or better yet, do a site visit to the place that they last worked at. You will be able to tell a lot and allay any fears that you might have.

Pricing for painter hire

Every job has a budget and for most jobs that budget can vary from the sublime to the ridiculous. But beware about going for rock-bottom options when hiring your painter. There is no such thing as a great deal – and if you think you have scored the price of the century then you will possibly end up with drips, smears, underwhelming preparation and an all-round mess.

In the world of painting, cheap can equate to quick and nasty. Rather spend a bit more to ensure that the job you pay for is both high quality and lasting. A cheap paint job will need to be redone in a year or two, so don’t be fooled by false economies.

Paint at the right time

If the job you need only involves painting then this doesn’t apply to you. If the job is simply a new coat of paint for your wall, door or fence, then it can be commissioned whenever you are ready. But if you are doing a bigger job, maybe renovating a room for instance, then make sure that you get the job done in the correct sequence and that all the people involved are on the same page.

In this regard, it is a good idea to know who your various home pros are going to be well ahead of time, so that they can talk to the project manager and liaise with each other to ensure maximum efficiencies.

For example, if you are sanding or tiling a floor, then ideally you will want to have the painting done before that happens. But if you are chasing wires into the walls, then the painting needs to happen after that. In short, build your team and make sure that they know and trust each other – the overall end product is dependent on everyone working together and the team playing to each other’s strengths.

If you are putting together a multi-skilled team and you know some of the home pros involved, draw on their experience and make use of painters that they know and with whom they have worked successfully in the past.

Contract a painting home pro

Never embark on a major project without getting a contract in place. It doesn’t need to be a long legal document, it just needs to state the key facts. What is the price? What instalments is it paid in? What are the deliverables? When will they be delivered? If something unplanned happens, who is expected to pay the bill?

It doesn’t need to be much more than that. This is a document that spells out intentions and goals and could help avoid a disagreement between you and your painter.

The key with the contract, and surprisingly this is something that people often forget, is that it needs to be signed by both parties. There is no point in drafting a document if it ends up unsigned.