Painting and Decorating Prices and Costs in the UK

Painting and Decorating Price Summary

Price Range = £500 to £4,000

Average Cost = £1890

Cheapest Price = £200

Enduring a recession during the cold, winter months can leave many UK homeowners down and depressed about how little there is to do or what you and your family can and can’t afford. Fortunately, however, painting and decorating prices UK aren’t nearly as drastic as you might think, allowing even the most cash-strapped resident to give a few rooms in their home a little lift. To get you started, we’ve put together the following guide to help you plan your painting and decorating prices.

Painting and Decorating Prices in the UK

Paint and Wallpaper

Whether you’re looking for a simple, one-colour paint job or fancy trying out some more fancy, bolder patterns, shades or borders, you need to look at all the paint and wallpaper options available before making a final decision.

• An average tin of paint will cost around £3 to £10 per litre, although for heavier, oil-based paints (great for additional varnish or harder surfaces) tins will usually cost around £30 a litre.
• Wallpaper varies depending on the amount you need and the density and/or pattern you go with, but generally you shouldn’t pay any more than £5 to £20 per roll; or for specialist wall coverings (made of alternative materials for firmer application), up to £150 per roll.

Fittings

Only really necessary if you’re doing a full makeover for your room redesign, fittings might include anything from light shades and switches or door handles to new radiator models or even fireplace reconstruction. Prices will obviously vary considerably depending on how extensively you want to refit the chosen room:

• Aim to set a budget somewhere between £500 and £1,500 for fitting redecoration.

Furniture

Although it takes less time to ‘install’ than other fittings, new furniture can prove a pretty expensive investment – so make sure new sofas and cushions, dining tables, coffee tables, chairs and cupboards and cabinets cover all your necessary requirements before merely picking them out for aesthetic value. Again prices will vary depending on the size of the room and the extent of your purchases:

• A standard interior design of a single living room you should set a budget of around £1,000 to £3,000.

Labour

The final cost of painting and decorating will ultimately depend on whether you hire a professional painter/contractor to carry out the re-design for you, or if you fancy giving it a go yourself. DIY is usually the cheaper option:

• A simple painting and decorating interior redecoration can take as little as one to three days – and cost as little as £150 to £1,000

Don’t forget that these prices are just estimates, and for the most accurate costs you should compare a number of different products and/or contractors that are specifically tailored to the specifications of your home and interior decorating project. If you plan on helping out or doing a bit of painting and decorating yourself then you will also need to account for a few days off work (unless it is taken as holiday) – be really intricate with your budget for painting and decorating costs just to be sure you don’t start spending what you can’t afford. That way you’re property can have a brand new look for as cheap as possible – which in these harsh economic times is just what you need!