Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions:
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What areas do you service? In a nutshell, we can paint anything that requires painting regardless of being internal or external. We also offer wallpapering and plastering repairs. We have completed carpentry and plastering courses have basic experience in those trades so often we can help save employing an extra tradesman for something small, we are however firstly a family owned Painting and decorating business.
Are you insured ? Yes, our public liabilities policy is held with Lloyds bank.
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Service Specific:
Do you handle both interior and exterior projects? Absolutely, we prefer interior bookings but we cover both very happily.
Can you work on commercial properties? Yes That is no problem. Owing to NOT charging VAT sometimes we are not appropriate to business's or companies that claim VAT.
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Process & Preparation:
How does the consultation process work? When a customer first approaches us we will give a guide price if possible which is a price that gives you a rough figure to consider which can help to eliminate customer who's budget is lower than are prices. As ruthless as it sounds we don't want to waste your time anymore than we want to spend our own time travelling and typing and therefore if it can be avoided unnecessarily where possible.
If however our guide price is accepted by the customer then an in person quotation visit is arranged to view the area and confirm a quotation price. The quotation is typed up and sent across for approval of the customer.
How do you protect furniture and flooring during the painting process? In an effort to work as eco friendly as possible We use fabric sheets rather than plastic drop sheeting to provide flooring and hard surfaces. The only time this is changed is regarding soft furniture like sofas which we will wrap in plastic drop sheeting before laying the fabric sheets, this is done as our sheets catch paint but hold dust and we don't want your sofa to be dusty from our sheets so we protect them first. The carpets are hoovered when the sheets are lifted be it daily, multiple times a day or at the end of the job. This is done to keep your home clean but mostly to show you that your home is respected.
Do I need to move my furniture and belongings? Yes. We ask that all valuable and fragile furniture is removed including sentimental items and ANY electrical items, we understand large furniture like wardrobes and beds can not be removed so please just let us know beforehand. On our terms and conditions sent with every quotation it explains that if we have to clear rooms then it isn't a problem however you will be charged for the extra working time.
Pricing & Payment:
Do you provide free estimates? Yes. Absolutely, the only exception is if we had to leave our working area in which case a small fee will be discussed and charged which will be subtracted from the invoice should the customer which to go ahead.
How is pricing determined for a project? We have a handful of customers for whom we applying day rate charges, typically these for us are only used in circumstances where a price cannot be calculated perhaps due to the property either being build or heavily modified structurally. Typically we provide a fixed quote price on our labour and charge for materials accordingly ensuring the initial quotation tells the customers as accurately as possible the likely cost for materials.
What payment methods do you accept? We accept bank transfer as a primary payment, cash payments as a secondary payment option. Unfortunately we do not accept cheques.
Are there any hidden fees? There are no hidden fees. The only time the quoted price will change is if the materials requirement increases or in the likelihood that the work specification changes i.e the customer asks to add extra work that was not originally agreed.
Are you cheap to employ ? The word 'cheap' is a word we avoid in every instance. Let us explain. Cheap implies a lesser end product and while we can be 'competitive' compared to over decorators we equally may be expensive comparatively on a purely price basis to others. We can however guarantee to provide exceptional value to our customers. We charge a price that allows us for us to achieve a timeless perfect finish and for that reason our competitors prices are irrelevant because the product being provided in our opinion isn't equal, we go above and beyond, we aren't in the business of being the cheapest option available we focus purely on being the best option available.
To quote our founder ''you will absolutely be guaranteed to find someone cheaper but to find someone who will provide more VALUE for each those British pounds that they ask for in return, that is a near impossible task. You get what you pay for in life. We are not monkey's so we'll require more than peanuts''
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Materials & Techniques:
What type of paint do you use? Can I choose my own paint brand/colour? The thing that often surprises customers is quite how many different paint manufacturers and colour options there are available. We use paints made by British manufacturers as well as American, German, Swedish.. honestly the list goes on. Typically ouir defaults will be a mixture of Dulux, Armstead, and Benjamin Moore as these are the paints we find provide the best value for our customers. We are always happy to work with paints that you've provided just let us know at the time of quote.
How do you address wall imperfections or damages before painting? Absolutely. We stock a few different products for an array of filling needs but typically where possible use Toupret as we consider this to be the best manufacturer in the market.
Do you offer eco-friendly or low-VOC paint options? We always aim to use low-VOC paints not just for us but also for you as the people that may have to live in the house while the paint is applied. Similarly we are as eco-friendly as possible wherever possible.
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Timing & Scheduling:
How long does a typical project take? with all quotes we list an approximate duration for the work.
What is your availability or lead time for starting a new project? It will often depend upon the time of the year as historically July-August are my busiest months so if you are looking to book within those months you may need to provide 12-16 weeks notice. It however isn't uncommon for us to have cancellations or postponements so we would always recommend sending an email regardless of timeframe as i may be able to help.
Do I need to be home while you work? Absolutely not. We are a friendly family owned business who like to get to know our customers and a prerequisite for working with or for us is that you too must be a friendly person. We do however understand that if you are able to employ a decorator that you will likely have to also work for a living so you may not be able to be at the property, perhaps at all during the duration of the work and that is no problem. As a percentage approximately 50% of our customers choose to go on holiday while having the work carried out. Our ethic for working inside of customers homes is to assume we are being recorded on video at all times and therefore a customer will receive exactly the same level of respect and privacy regardless of whether they are at the property, in the office, on holiday or simply out walking the dog or at the shops. We treat your home as we would want you to treat our homes.
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After Service:
What type of clean-up can I expect after the project is done? All carpets will be hoovered and floors cleaned, we are decorators so every effort will be made to keep your home clean and respectful. We can also speak to one of the lovely cleaning ladies we have an ongoing working relationship with to see if a professional cleaning visit can be arranged if required.
Do you offer any guarantees or warranties on your work? We guarantee a smile and to being good humans firstly. By that we mean if you notice something you don't like or that isn't correct After we have left then we'll discuss it and come back asap. With some instances we offer a guarantee and typically we will discuss this at the time of booking. These would include areas such as bathroom ceiling moisture barrier paint finishes and wooden kitchen counter top finishing for example where we may offer 1-3 years cover depending upon the circumstances. We are however human and we work primarily via referral so we will also endeavour to keep the customer as happy as possible, so please rest assured that we will never just throw our hands up and say 'tough, that's not our problem now'
How do I maintain the new paint job? We will always offer the option of a cleanable paint finish and we recommend using a gentle cleaning product and wherever possible we advise trying just water initially to remove the offending substance.
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Miscellaneous:
How do you handle changes in the scope of the project once it's started? Depending on the circumstances we will either discuss any charges that are applicable and add the work immediately. If at the time we do not have enough time we will either book the work in for the future or we will ask you to give us time while we try to delay the start time of the next booking to allow time for the extra work.
Can you provide references or showcase previous work? So, you'll be able to find our work on Facebook, google and Instagram and of course, here. We have public reviews and feedback and if you would like to speak with a previous customer please let me know and i will make a few phone calls and see if it can be arranged.
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