Getting Quotes

[GeedoubleU]

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 **** 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.

I'm with you about the Pols', I'm quite senior in IT and me and my collegues have invested alot of time in qualifications and are very professional. In 2001 there was a recession and IT jobs started to get scarce, at the same time there was mass immigration from Chec's, Pols, South Africans and various other non-eu countries which absolutely slaughtered the salaries, they came in under a fast track system because the government said there was an IT Skills crisis. There never was, they were under pressure from business who wanted to pay us less. I had to train even harder and get even more skills so that I could move up a few levels, just to keep my salary. Some of them were worth it, but the vast majority pretty useless. Salaries havn't really recovered and there is still an over supply of pretty poor quality IT people competing for jobs.

I don't mind paying a professional a proper rate, but I expect him to work for it, like you say written quotes, PL insurance certs, guarantees.

That said if a painters & decorators are like plumbers, who can't even be bother to turn up that I would rather pay a Pol.

The rate of about £200 per day is comparable to my salary. So if he has invested the years to be good at what he does then it seems fair enough to me.

 

[D.S.D]

thats the answer my friend, you get what you pay for and like you say apart from tapping the keys with my big fat fingers and sorting out a few crashes I know sweet fa about IT and would pay someone to do it for me if I had a big prob. If I earned x amount a day who am I to say that their skills are not comparable to mine and why should'nt they earn what I do. I would have to be able to place a great deal of trust in someone to give them the keys to my house and leave them there. I would check them out to the hilt to make sure they were on the level. If there is still any doubt or you want to compare the prices go to dulux.co.uk and get a Select Decorator or two, let them give you a quote and see what they can come up with. All of there work is guaranteed by ICI and they have to be vetted and assessed to even be on the scheme and that process is constantly monitored. Get one thats TrustMark registered and the work is guaranteed for 2 years. Check his feedback and again ask for further ref and check those. They will not mind. Its all about crossing the T's and dotting the I's when choosing. You never know one of those guys may well be cheaper than the quotes offered although I would say that given the fact none of us on here have seen it but two who have both said a week then I would go with that Whereabouts are you in SE London??? I go as far as Blackheath and would give you a definative answer FOC of course if you get stuck or need a unbiased quote, I say unbiased cos there is not a cat in hells chance of me doing it cos I am too busy so I have nothing to gain either way but at least you will know.

 

[joe-90]

You are living on a different planet. We are all European now and dirt cheap labour is just 2 hours away on EasyJet.

Ten years from now you'll all be working for minimum wage. That's why they are here - to supply industry with slave labour.

Better get used to it - there are more arriving every day.

 

[D.S.D]

And leaving Joe and when my numbers come up tonight I'm getting outta Dodge Wonder why there are no lawyers/solicitors coming over and applying there trade for £5.00 an hour or better still mechanics that say " you needski new engine I supply and fitski for £100 all in" might stay then

I ain't european and they will have to rip my union jack shorts, my string vest and my knotted hankie from my shaved head before I submit

 

[joe-90]

Oh yes you are. You can live in Warsaw they can live in London.

 

[GeedoubleU]

Oh yes you are. You can live in Warsaw they can live in London.

That is a very valid point.

I think it all depends what you attitude to risk is.

You could change a pol and may or may not get a good job, but if you want to be sure that you get a good job then you pay the money and take DSD's advice.

My decision is that I intend to move later this year and if I pay £1150 for a really good high quality finish, is this likely to get me my money back.

My view is the housing market is going to be tough,particular for 2 bedroom flats as there is an over supply of new builds. So my flat is going to have to compete with that and if its not a good finish I'm going to have to drop the price when I sell it.

So do a risky cheap refresh or get guaranteed high quality finish.

That basically what I'm chewing on at the moment.

Whatever, I will get another quote from a high quality P&D. I'm in Dartford and the £1150 is based in Deal, Kent.

 

[joe-90]

Sorry but you don't seem to realise that you can get a top job in 2 -3 days - FULLY skimmed (not bodged as your guy suggests with lining paper and patching), but fully skimmed all round for less than £500. He's still making £200 per day.

 

[GeedoubleU]

Sorry but you don't seem to realise that you can get a top job in 2 -3 days - FULLY skimmed (not bodged as your guy suggests with lining paper and patching), but fully skimmed all round for less than £500. He's still making £200 per day.

Ok, so I will get a few more quotes then.

I'm just suspicious when something is so much cheaper, it usually means your not getting something significant.

What should be the daily labour rate of a quality p&d, who has insurance and guarentees work?

 

[spice]

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?

I think if he is doing all that you mentioned above, then I think approx £1000 is quite reasonable.

 

[joe-90]

Daily rate matters not. Some people work quickly - and in decorating there are good scientific reasons why that makes a better job (flow mechanics).

To charge over a grand and not even skim all walls is a con. Get more quotes. Why is he patching some walls, lining others and skimming others? It's simple - he can't really plaster. Cowboy doing the big sell.

 

[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?

I think if he is doing all that you mentioned above, then I think approx £1000 is quite reasonable.

He is also boxing in some exposed pipe work that runs from top to bottom with MDF and finishing.

I thought it was on the higher side, but was prepared to pay a little extra for a quality job, but Joe-90 is adamant its well over the top, so I'm gonna get a few extra quotes and get a better feel for the market.

 

[joe-90]

At least you'll know if you do. I know London prices are high but there is no way that there is a weeks work there.

 

[D.S.D]

simple really one wall is well bad and will require skimming cos its more cost effective. another wall will only require patching cos its not really worth doing the whole wall and again would prob be cost effective in materials and labour. The lining is very simple. many deccys treat it as an undercoat, a sound consistant base with which to apply your finished product. Were you just to fill/patch then you would have to spot prime/mist then you would still have different substrates that your finished product would be applied too. High possibility that these would show when looking down the wall and in different lightrs. lining would also hide many imperfections that would again take too long to sort with a flller blade and sandpaper. Personally prefer to line every time. IMO gives a superior finish. New plaster being the exception of course. Also a lot cleaner than plastering

 

[joe-90]

Those that can plaster, plaster - those that can't plaster, line. So why is he not plastering the lot as I would? Better job all round. Lining paper is simply painted wallpaper. I'm guessing his plastering isn't what it ought to be.

 

[GeedoubleU]

Whereabouts are you in SE London??? I go as far as Blackheath and would give you a definative answer FOC of course if you get stuck or need a unbiased quote, I say unbiased cos there is not a cat in hells chance of me doing it cos I am too busy so I have nothing to gain either way but at least you will know.

Thanks for the offer, I'm in Crayford, near Dartford. If you are passing by anytime in the next couple of weeks that would be great,.

I'm going to get a couple of other quotes, but an unbiased quote would be excellent reference.