If you’re planning a decorating or DIY project, it’s a reasonable assumption to think that going it alone will be the cheaper option – but could hiring a professional decorator to do the job actually work out cheaper in the long run? As with many things, it can all depend on your objectives and individual circumstances…
Of course you may accuse us of being bias, but we’ve compiled some valid reasons why the professional touch may be gentler on your pocket.
5 ways a professional decorator could save you money
- Cheaper products – while you can find plenty of bargains in DIY stores, if you’re a stickler for quality, you’ll probably want to be sure that your paint and other materials are pro-standard. You can still buy higher end products in the shops, but with what kind of mark-up? A professional decorator will have a trade account, sometimes working directly with manufacturers, which means lower prices – savings they can pass on to you. They’ll also insist on quality.
- The cost of all the kit – if you’ve done plenty of DIY before, when the time comes get all the bits and piece out, you often find brushes and rollers that have deteriorated or hardened beyond repair, masking tape that’s almost finished and ladders that have seen better days. If you’re new to decorating, you’ll need to invest in all the peripherals before you even think about the paint and wallpaper! A professional decorator will already have everything required for any type of project, which could balance out other costs, especially when you consider the point above too.
- Putting right mistakes – while it may be true that pretty much anyone can paint a wall, when you think about all the preparation such as stripping, sanding, masking off, caulking and the application, such as priming, sizing, glossing, emulsioning and wallpapering you start to realise just how much skill is involved – and if you don’t do things correctly, those mistakes can start costing you money. Additionally, there are plenty of bigger jobs and general planning that if badly done, can amount to more than just a few quid and a bit of extra time to put right. If you’re selling your home, a professional finish rather than a bodged DIY job can even add a bit more value to your home and make it more appealing to buyers.
- Saving time – not all costs can be measured in cold hard cash, there’s the investment of your time to consider – and no matter what you’ve accounted for, you’ll often find that the job takes a lot longer than anticipated! If you’re decorating over the weekend but you’re still not finished on Sunday night, you’ll potentially be living in a mess for at least a week! Also, many people use up their precious holiday leave to do the work – but why take that hit when a professional can do it in half the time?!
- Smarter solutions and advice – during the initial consultation visit, a good decorator will listen to your ideas and offer advice accordingly, often suggesting things that will reduce your costs without affecting the quality. They’ll have specialist equipment for more unusual or difficult jobs too, or simply to enable a much better finished result – which may be preferential to hiring or buying yourself.
Ultimately, whether you choose to hire a professional decorator or go the DIY route will often come down to your budget – but it’s certainly worth assessing the costs of both before you make a decision. Even if it does end up costing a little more overall, the reduction in stress and hassle, and the assurance of a perfect finish could be worth its weight in gold!