By undertaking painting and decorating work yourself, it will be sure to save you a few bucks, but before pulling out your old paint brushes, let’s consider why hiring a professional can be a smarter option. Although hiring a professional may cost you more, it can offer a real saving in terms of expert advice, efficiency and overall peace of mind.
1. DISCOVERING THE BEST COMPANY FOR THE JOB
The best place to start is by speaking with friends and family to find out how they went about find their painter. What did they like and dislike about their experiences?
When searching for a painter, there are plenty of ways you can find them online. Yell, Google and Oneflare are 3 great tools you can use to find local painters. Take a look at their website and check out their reviews online to see what other customers are saying about them.
Many companies have positive reviews written on their site, so be sure to research the companies as thoroughly as possible before making a decision.
#Top Tip: Check for your painters areas of expertise to ensure that they have relevant experience in the work that you need completed
2. HAVE THEY SEEN YOUR PROPERTY?
Don’t trust a painter that can price work from a quick telephone call without having a look at your property first. It’s good to have a painter come to your home or if you want to speed things up, conduct a video call so they can fully assess the job and provide you with an accurate quote.
3. MEET THEM IN PERSON
If you are going to have a painter working in your home, it’s a good idea to meet them in person. You want to review them on their professionalism and communication. If you feel uncomfortable with them in your home, the chances are you wont want to hire them
Meeting your painter in person also gives you the opportunity to tune into the finer details of the work required. Does furniture need to be moved? What is the prep work required? What are their thoughts on your colour choices? After meeting them in person you should both have a thorough understanding of what is and isn’t including in the work. This will limit any surprises further down the track
4. REQUIRE PROOF OF INSURANCE
When doing business with a professional painter, it’s crucial to know whether they have insurance or not. If your painter does not have the correct insurance in place and any damages are caused during the works, you as the homeowner may be liable to pay for it.
This is also the case for any painters or contractors who are injured whilst at work. Ask your painter to email you a copy of their insurance to ensure you are covered for any unfortunate events that may occur.
5. GET YOUR QUOTE IN WRITING
Make sure you receive a detailed quote with lots of notes about the project. Ensure that everything is put in writing that you verbally agreed upon and it isn’t a basic overview of the works to be completed. Here are some things you want to look for in your estimate:
Contact Details: Ensure your details, their contact details and ABN number are listed on the quote. This sounds pretty straight forward but it is important so you can use as a reference if needed in the future.
Timeline: An estimated timeline of the works to be completed. This ensures that you are aligned with them on the expected time frame for the works to be finished.
Total Costs: Ensure you read through your contractors payment schedule check on their terms on engagement and you are happy with what any costs that need to be paid upfront.
6. GUARANTEE
Ask your painter about their guarantee! When choosing a painter you want to be sure that they will correct any flaking, chipping, pealing or blistering which may occur if your work hasn’t been completed correctly.
This will give you peace of mind that if any issues do arise from the work that has been carried out that it will be corrected at little to no cost!
7. CHECK THE PAINT YOURSELF
You might have an idea of which paint you want to use or may wish to get advice from your painter on the best paint for the job. Be sure to check the quality of the paint yourself to ensure you get the finish you want.
Paint Home is your first choice for hiring a professional painter. We will never price your job without seeing it in person and will always request to meet you in person to discuss the finer details of the work to be carried out.
Your happiness is our main priority! Thats why we only offer a 100% happiness guarantee. This gives you peace of mind that if their are any problems we will do everything it takes to make it right.
