A new coat of paint is one of the easiest ways to refresh the look and feel of your home. Just like every other task relating to home maintenance, you can either do it yourself or hire a professional. Finding a painter and decorator in Oxford has never been easier because of the number of trades websites available today.
However, that’s just the first step. How can you make sure you are picking the best painter for your budget? This article gives you a few tips to help you separate the wheat from the chaff of the painting and decorating industry.
Know Exactly What Painting and Decorating Work You Need
Some homeowners make the mistake of inviting a painter and decorator to come and give them a quote without thinking deeply about the work at hand. If it’s just painting the front room or one of your kid’s bedroom, the job is small and simple enough. However, if you’re going all out and need help with say a whole house refurbishment, things start to get a little complicated.
Develop an idea of the steps the job involves and then when someone comes to give you a quote, you can tell if they’re pulling the wool over your eyes.
Does Your Decorator Have Relevant Experience?
Some decorators are excellent at interior work and they spend a lot of time on these types of jobs. They hone their craft and get to a point where everything comes second nature. If you’re in need of a painter in Oxford, make sure they have the right experience.
Just as some decorators are excellent at exterior work, you need to make sure you get the right professional for the right job.
What Are Their Reviews and Online Reputation Like?
Type in the phrase “painting and decorating in Oxford” into a search engine and you’ll come up with thousands of results. Websites such as Check A Trade, My Builder and others aggregate certain companies operating within a geographical area. You can check the reviews by previous clients on such websites.
Most painters also have some form of online presence including Social Media profiles of their own website. Check a few of these out and pay attention to:
- Any client testimonials, bearing in mind that anyone can write a good word about themself
- The number of reviews and how recent they are
- Evidence of the quality of the work they have done in the past using photos, nearly every painter proud of their work will take lots of photos
When it comes to reviews and reputation, always ask a potential contractor if you can talk to a previous client. Pay attention to their reaction at this point and be wary if they come up with any excuses why you can’t. Any decorator worth their salt would happily refer you to any client because they can comfortably stand behind their work.
How Competitive is the Pricing?
There’s no doubt that you will get a decorator in Oxford for every budget you can imagine. What you’re looking for is professionalism and outstanding standards of work and we all know that comes at a price. Does that mean you should hire the most expensive painter and decorator out there? Certainly not.
Here’s what you should do:
- Research – do your research online and if you’re really lucky you’ll find “Lynch Brother Homes” and that will be the end of your search.
- Shortlist – compile a shortlist of decorators close to you and start checking out their website, online reviews, Social Media profiles etc
- Request Quotes – pick at least 3 and call them to invite them to give you a quote. See how long they take to answer your call. Do they have an answerphone service? Do they call back?
- Interrogate – when decorators turn up to quote, look at their van, is it clean and tidy? Listen carefully to the way they describe the job and the questions they ask you? Ask them questions about their approach to the job, too. Ask for a breakdown of the quote.
- Review – go over the quotes you receive, compare the different quotes and breakdown of each and finally the price. If all the prices are within an acceptable range you know you’re on your way to finding a great painter.
Finally, couple the quotes with your online research and your gut feeling (which contractor did you get along best with etc), you’re now ready to take the next step and pick one.
Why Should I Get a Quote in Writing
A decorator in Oxford or any other tradesman for that matter should provide their quote in writing. This is important because it fixes the price that you are going to pay for the job and it becomes a binding contract the moment you instruct them to begin the work.
A written quote with a breakdown of every aspect of the job, including labour and materials, serves two purposes:
- It allows you to compare apples to apples when reviewing the quotes from different companies. This will allow you to know which aspect of the job is making one tradesman more expensive than another. You could then ask legitimate questions before making your final choice.
- You now have something to measure the outcome against because if they do not deliver on an aspect they clearly put on the quote, then they have not done the job as promised.
Reasons to Choose Lynch Brother Homes for Painting and Decorating in Oxford
Now that you know what to look for in a painter and decorator, why not serve the hassle and just come directly to us? You can carry out the 5-Step process above and rest assured we will check out.
Here are a few reasons why we are the right choice for painting and decorating in Oxford
- You will receive a free no-obligation quote in writing with a breakdown of every aspect of the job, from preparation to final clean up
- Our pricing is competitive and we use the best professional paints and material to create a finish truly deserving of your home
- We are fully insured and work with you to plan the work so that it minimises disruption to your daily life
- Our testimonials from former clients are available to you and we can put you in touch with them so that you can hear about their experience first hand
Next Steps to Finding the Right Decorator for Your Project
We hope you now have an idea of the steps you need take when choosing a painter and decorator. At Lynch Brother Homes, we offer affordable decorating services and promise a professional finish on every job. If you are thinking of changing or updating your interior or exterior colour scheme, get in touch today for a free no-obligation quote.
