Getting Quotes

[GeedoubleU]

I've just had a couple of guys come round to do a quote for redecorating my bedroom, which involves a bit of plastering and skimming, and fixing skirts, replacing door handles etc.

The first guy explained how he was going to do it, and explained that he will finish it to an excellent standard, the majority of cost going to be sanding down and preping all the beaten up door frames and skirts. He said he will do a high qulaity job, like new finish and he prices accordingly.

Including labour, paint, bits and vat the total would be £1150 and take him a week.

The 2nd guy was in and out quite quickly and came back with a quote much less, but didn't talk me through what would be done, and just said gloss the woodwork, emulation the walls, prepare and sand down the wall and kind of just said yes to all my questions.

As I'm going to be moving at the end of the year, do I go with the expensive guy and get a decent finish or the cheaper guy who is just going to do an ok job at best?

When people buy houses will the finish of the decorating make a difference to the value of my house?

 

[joe-90]

The top job should cost you £500.

Get more quotes.

 

[D.S.D]

£500 you live in London the deccy is vat registered he is talking plastering materials and new bits and its gonna take about a week.........the 1150 sounds about right to me.....works out about 150 and a bit a day then everything on top ie materials and vat etc I would not work for 500 pw and have to pay out for the materials as well as the tax etc etc but if Joe can then good on him. I def would get another couple of quotes though and make sure they are all in writting and all carry a spec so that you can see what you are getting. give Joe a ring as well cos hes cheap

 

[joe-90]

That's quite a bit for the going rate around here (£500) . Polish crew charge about £150 for the same job.

 

[makitaman]

For a week I'd say that £1100 is about right - £500 for a weeks labour plus materials good grief how can anyone sustain a business charging those prices.

As with all decorating its all in the prep, if the 1st guy talked you thru it and you feel he's good to his word go for it - or as was mentioned get a couple more quotes, maybe the polish tradesman will haggle and you could get them to do the job for £57.80

 

[joe-90]

Haggle hard enough and they'll work for £30 per day (true).

No way should that job take that long. I can completely skim a room in day, prep the rest in a morning and paint in the afternoon..

What are you paying him for? To read the paper and think 'Life's good'?

Contact a Polish agency and see the price tumble.

 

[D.S.D]

Haggle hard enough and they'll work for £30 per day (true).

No way should that job take that long. I can completely skim a room in day, prep the rest in a morning and paint in the afternoon..

What are you paying him for? To read the paper and think 'Life's good'?

Contact a Polish agency and see the price tumble.

£30 less 20% tax=£24 less NI less transport less liability insurance less parking (London) less congestion charge (London)= about five quid per day to live on or send home to the family still on the bright side you get no guarantees and no come backs so seems a good deal to me where do I sign up and do you have any expensive items in your house and can you leave me alone while I do the work

 

[GeedoubleU]

You see now I'm confused.

I just want to pay a fair price for a good job.

The £1150 guy is his own company, with a couple of staff. He's VAT registered has insurance and does written quotes.

The other dude quoting £500 was no where near as thorough on the quote and I felt unsure as to if he understood what I wanted. He couldn't give me a price straight away and said he would phone me back for a quote.

The £1150 was mainly because he felt to bring all the woodword up to standard and get rid of all the dents, cracks and old gloss would take alot of time. He was quite open and said he does a thorough job and to get the two doorframes looking as good as new would take time.

All in all the work is for:-

Remove cracked plaster on one wall and make good and remove obeslete gas pipe running from top to bottom.

Skim 1 wall.

Fill, sand and repair all other walls.

Line the non-skimmed other walls with paper, he said you wouldn't see the joins and would look just like plaster.

Fill, Sand and prep two door frames.

Prep and paint bare wood bedroom door, changing door furniture for modern brushed chrome

finish missing skirting along one wall and inside walk-in wardrobe.

replace old hangin rail in walk-in wardrobe with nice modern looking chrome.

prep and paint skirts.

Fit two louvre doors to walk in warddrobe.

Fit plaster board over glass sky lights type things above doors.

Fill, sand Window Sill and fill cracking round windows frame.

He said if I want the artexed ceiling skimmed in the 3m x 3m approx room it would £150, its got silk emulsion on it so would need prep, otherwise he will prep and matt emulsion included in the price.

The wood work and walls are absolutely battered, with bits missing and the wall are covered with dents and badly filled holes everywhere you look.

Any feedback on whether thats reasonable?

 

[joe-90]

Haggle hard enough and they'll work for £30 per day (true).

No way should that job take that long. I can completely skim a room in day, prep the rest in a morning and paint in the afternoon..

What are you paying him for? To read the paper and think 'Life's good'?

Contact a Polish agency and see the price tumble.

£30 less 20% tax=£24 less NI less transport less liability insurance less parking (London) less congestion charge (London)= about five quid per day to live on or send home to the family still on the bright side you get no guarantees and no come backs so seems a good deal to me where do I sign up and do you have any expensive items in your house and can you leave me alone while I do the work

Oh for heaven's sake - I'm talking about the black economy. They have rent paid, food paid, NI paid, council tax paid - £30 in the hand 7 days a week and they are laffin.

 

[joe-90]

I don't get this. He is going to skim one wall and cover the other with lining paper (painted wallpaper)? If he can plaster it's quicker to skim than line. If he knows the tricks he'll use car body filler on the frames and get rid of the dings in minutes. Bit of skirting? An extra £150 for a bit of ceiling? Sorry, he's making big money at your expense. If you earn a grand for a couple of days work - fine then pay him. Otherwise get more quotes.

 

[GeedoubleU]

I don't get this. He is going to skim one wall and cover the other with lining paper (painted wallpaper)? If he can plaster it's quicker to skim than line. If he knows the tricks he'll use car body filler on the frames and get rid of the dings in minutes. Bit of skirting? An extra £150 for a bit of ceiling? Sorry, he's making big money at your expense. If you earn a grand for a couple of days work - fine then pay him. Otherwise get more quotes.

Thanks for the feedback.

The other two guys think £1150 is about right for a weeks work, are you saying that you feel he shouldn't be taking a week or that he should be charging £500 for a weeks work or both?

 

[GeedoubleU]

Haggle hard enough and they'll work for £30 per day (true).

No way should that job take that long. I can completely skim a room in day, prep the rest in a morning and paint in the afternoon..

What are you paying him for? To read the paper and think 'Life's good'?

Contact a Polish agency and see the price tumble.

£30 less 20% tax=£24 less NI less transport less liability insurance less parking (London) less congestion charge (London)= about five quid per day to live on or send home to the family still on the bright side you get no guarantees and no come backs so seems a good deal to me where do I sign up and do you have any expensive items in your house and can you leave me alone while I do the work

Oh for heaven's sake - I'm talking about the black economy. They have rent paid, food paid, NI paid, council tax paid - £30 in the hand 7 days a week and they are laffin.

My mate got a Pol round to do his kitchen, they ripped down a wall, and he agreed to remove and replaster everything for £200. When they did the job they tried to avoid removing the old stuff, which he wasn't happy with. It sounds like the Pol was right though and it didn't need to be all taking off and done from scratch. My mate was happy with the finish and he is fussy. He lives in West London though and I'm south east.

 

[joe-90]

I don't get this. He is going to skim one wall and cover the other with lining paper (painted wallpaper)? If he can plaster it's quicker to skim than line. If he knows the tricks he'll use car body filler on the frames and get rid of the dings in minutes. Bit of skirting? An extra £150 for a bit of ceiling? Sorry, he's making big money at your expense. If you earn a grand for a couple of days work - fine then pay him. Otherwise get more quotes.

Thanks for the feedback.

The other two guys think £1150 is about right for a weeks work, are you saying that you feel he shouldn't be taking a week or that he should be charging £500 for a weeks work or both?

Both. Going rate in Nottingham is £250 - £300 plus materials (£50).

It's an easy job - and ALL walls should be skimmed - not papered and painted.

 

[D.S.D]

your choices as I see it are 1) do it cheap and illegal by contributing to the black economy. Pros cheap. Cons no guarantee no comebacks and risk of the law coming down on you 2) Get it done professionaly. From your description I would say that the quote you were given seems about right. Some may argue and may be willing to work for less. All things considered I am not. Pros guarantee and a come back if not satisfied. Confidence about who you have in your home with your possesions. Legal and above board. Cons. More expensive. Pays your money you takes your choice. Get more quotes get references check them verbally and ask to see the work ensure all quotes are written and have a full spec. That way you will see what he is charging for materials, what they are and how much he is charging for labour. Ask to see their liability insurance so you know that if it all goes pear shaped you know you are covered on the insurance. Bona fide pros will not mind. At the end of the day its your home, the single most important investment you will ever make, why take a chance with it, would you give the keys of your merc to a bloke in the pub that says he can cure that knocking noise.....probably not. I work my tits off as I have done all my life and to even go down the road of paying someone cash to save a few bob while my hard earned tax money is keeping them in their rent free house and supplied with fags and booze is an insult to all hard working people.

 

[joe-90]

We aren't talking rocket science here. It is an easy job to skim and redecorate a room. Would take me 2 days - 3 at most. Cost - around £500. (and I'd feel guilty charging that much). Mr Polski will be happy to do it for less than half that.