Decorating - Cheapest /Best Option?

Cat255

Hoping someone on here can point me in the right direction. Neither me nor my husband are any good at DIY/Decorating and our hall and stairs desperately need redecorating which means we're going to have to pay someone to do it.

I would strip off the existing wallpaper prior to getting any work done..

Would it be cheaper to get a decorator to put lining paper up then paint over it or to just have proper wallpaper (not highly patterned) put up? I know the cost of materials will be higher with the wallpaper option but wasn't sure if we would make that back with time saved by decorator only having to wallpaper rather than wallpaper and paint? Although I suppose future redecorating would be cheaper with the lining paper as next time it would just have to be painted over. Which option is the most durable?

Could you also perhaps help with what hourly rate to expect and timescales please? We are in the North East of England.

Thanks in Advance

martinthebandit

If your able to strip wallpaper surely your able to fill, sand and paint?

trailingspouse

The cheapest thing to do would be to strip off the wall paper and then fill and sand the walls as necessary (you don't need lining paper), then paint the walls white. White paint is cheaper than coloured paint, and if you use it throughout the house (rather than choosing a different colour for each room) you'll have less waste, which also saves money.

You might not do it perfectly - but we all had to start somewhere. It's not rocket science, and if you take your time and ask questions you'll do a good job.

kinger101

trailingspouse wrote: »

The cheapest thing to do would be to strip off the wall paper and then fill and sand the walls as necessary (you don't need lining paper).

There's no way you can know what conditions their walls are in underneath the current wallpaper. Last time I stripped wallpaper off I had to rebuild a number of the window recesses with hardwall. If the plaster has blown sections, lining paper is going to be much cheaper than a complete replaster.

glasgowdan

I'd put up nicer wallpaper. It's easy to strip in future if you want a change and will look better than painted lining paper. I also doubt it will cost any more as the labour in lining and painting is significantly more than hanging one layer of paper.

But don't take some strangers guesses as truth...Get a couple of decorators to quote both options!

arbrighton

Wallpapering takes way longer than painting anyway OP

When we next do our hall/ stairs i'll be getting a decorator to paint the walls. As it's double height in the stairwell and I don't have the balance/ correct ladders to work safely plus I'll either be heavily pregnant or have a young baby.

I'll be doing everything else though (i.e. every single flipping spindle on the bannister) and the four doors which open on to it etc

Doozergirl

Decorating well is all in the preparation. You'll find the condition of the walls after you strip them. You might want to invest in a plasterer instead of a decorator, depending on the condition.

If you decorate, have patience. I'm not fast at wallpapering, but I'm good at it. Have the attention to detail and don't be afraid to lift it and go again. I'm a big fan of paste the wall papers.

I haven't found a cheap decorator that could do anything better than me, so be prepared to pay for someone with skill if you do employ one.

trailingspouse

You're right kinger101, I don't know, but I can make an experienced guess - generally if the plaster's blown you can tell before you strip the wallpaper, or it blows because you've held the steam stripper in the same place for too long.

The OP wasn't asking for the perfect solution but for the cheapest solution.

krey

cheapest- Just strip the wallpaper, fill with gyproc easi-fill what needs filling, sand it, and paint it - all can be done by yourself!

FreeBear

krey wrote: »

all can be done by yourself!

A stairwell can be quite a daunting decorating challenge. Working off ladders & scaffold planks is not particularly safe, and proper access towers can be expensive to hire or buy. Under the circumstances, I don't blame the OP in wanting to get someone in to do the job.

martinthebandit

FreeBear wrote: »

A stairwell can be quite a daunting decorating challenge. Working off ladders & scaffold planks is not particularly safe, and proper access towers can be expensive to hire or buy. Under the circumstances, I don't blame the OP in wanting to get someone in to do the job.

The OP did say that they were going to strip the wallpaper themselves before getting someone in to decorate.