What it costs
| Job | Example price |
|---|---|
| Box room, walls and ceilingWalls and ceiling, 2 coats, good condition | £350–£440 |
| Double bedroom, completeMedium double, 3.8 × 3.4 m, 2.4 m ceiling · walls, ceiling, woodwork, 1 door, 1 window | £530–£850 |
| Period reception room2.9 m ceiling, bay with 2 sashes, 1 door, woodwork | £910–£1,440 |
| Two-bedroom flat, whole interiorFive rooms plus hall, walls, ceilings, woodwork | £2,450–£3,970 |
| Three-bedroom Victorian terraceWhole interior incl. hall, stairs and 8 sashes | £4,840–£7,980 |
Illustrative examples, not quotes: each assumes the job described, good condition, a similar colour and trade paint included. Your own price comes from the Instant Quote, based on your answers. How our prices are worked out.
What a proper interior repaint involves
A decent interior repaint is mostly preparation and protection. We cover floors and furniture. Old fixings get filled, and hairline cracks are raked out and filled. Gaps where skirting and architrave meet the wall are caulked, and the walls are sanded so the new finish sits flat. Only then does paint go on: two finish coats as standard, with a mist coat or primer where there is new plaster, bare patches or staining.
Walls are usually finished in matt or durable matt. Ceilings get a flat matt, and woodwork a water-based satinwood, or gloss if you prefer. In kitchens, bathrooms and hallways we recommend a scrubbable durable matt. It looks almost the same as flat matt but copes with steam and scuffs.
Flats and houses
Much of Haringey's housing is flats converted from Victorian and Edwardian houses. That affects decorating in ways a national price guide doesn't: shared staircases to carry materials up, parking-permit zones, and rooms with period ceilings on one floor and lower ones in the loft. Our quote asks which floor you're on and whether there's a lift or on-street parking, so the price reflects the real job.
For a whole house, we build a room-by-room schedule, so you can see where the money goes and take out a room if you need to.
Ceilings
Ceilings take longer per square metre than walls. They also show poor preparation more than any other surface, because light rakes across them from the window. Old distemper on period ceilings sometimes has to be washed off or sealed before modern emulsion will stick. If your ceiling flakes when you rub it, tell us in the quote.
Renovation painting
After building work, new plaster needs a diluted mist coat before anything else. Fresh skim can take weeks to dry fully, depending on thickness and time of year. If you are renovating, let us know when the plastering finishes, so the decorating isn't booked too early.
What to send for a remote quote
- One photo of each wall, taken from the doorway and from the opposite corner
- A close-up of any cracks, stains or flaking paint
- Rough room sizes, or just pick small, medium or large
Questions
How long does it take to paint a room?
A medium double bedroom with ceiling and woodwork usually takes one decorator about two days, allowing for drying time between coats. A room in poor condition or with a colour change takes longer.
Do I need to empty the room?
No, but it helps. Furniture is moved to the middle and covered. An empty room is quicker, and the quote reflects that.
Which paint do you use?
Trade ranges from the major brands as standard. If you have a specific brand or colour in mind, add it to the quote and it will be priced in.