Once you have booked a painter and decorator, there are several things you can do to help the project start smoothly. Preparing your home gives the team suitable access, protects belongings and reduces the number of decisions that need to be made while work is already under way.
The most useful first step is to agree responsibilities with your decorator. Some preparation may be included in the quotation, while other tasks may be left to you. Knowing the difference prevents duplicated effort and avoids important jobs being overlooked.
For homeowners in Paignton, these arrangements are especially helpful when decorating must fit around family life, working from home or a holiday property’s booking schedule. A little planning before the start date can make the experience easier for everyone involved.
Confirm the Scope Before You Begin Moving Things
Review the quotation and make sure you understand which areas are being decorated. Confirm whether the work includes walls, ceilings, doors, frames, skirting boards or other features.
It is also useful to check any agreed preparation. You may be responsible for clearing belongings, while the decorator handles the surfaces and protective coverings. Do not assume that removing wallpaper, moving heavy furniture or dismantling fittings is included unless it has been discussed.
Our painting and decorating service supports homes, holiday properties, landlords and businesses in Paignton. Explaining how the property is used helps establish the arrangements required before work starts.
Keep the agreed scope somewhere easy to refer to. If you decide to add another room or change the finish, raise it early so any effect on materials, cost or scheduling can be considered.
Make Final Colour Decisions in Good Time
Choosing colours before the start date gives the decorator time to organise the correct materials. It also reduces the risk of delays caused by last-minute uncertainty.
Test samples in the actual room rather than judging the shade only from a screen or colour card. Look at them in different light and alongside the furniture, flooring and fittings that will remain.
Confirm the colour reference and finish for each surface. A written room-by-room specification is useful, particularly when several similar shades are involved. Make clear which walls will receive each colour if you are planning a feature wall.
If you are supplying paint, check the product and quantity with the decorator before purchasing it. Different surfaces may need different materials, and having an unsuitable product ready on the first morning can create avoidable complications. Decisions made early give the project a clearer starting point.
Remove Small Belongings and Fragile Items
Clear shelves, windowsills and surfaces within the working area. Photographs, ornaments, lamps and other small belongings are usually easier to move before equipment and protective coverings are in place.
Take fragile or valuable items to another room where they will remain safely out of the way. Putting everything just beyond the doorway may obstruct the route the decorator needs for tools and materials.
It can help to pack items by room so they are straightforward to return afterwards. Keep everyday essentials separate if you will still need them during the project.
Think about wall-mounted belongings too. Pictures and mirrors may need removing, although larger or securely fixed items should be discussed before you attempt to move them. Ask whether their fixings should remain or whether the holes will be filled. That decision affects both the surface preparation and how the room is arranged afterwards.
Agree a Plan for Larger Furniture
Large furniture can be one of the main obstacles in a decorating project. Beds, wardrobes, sofas and dining tables may need moving to create enough working space around the walls.
Ask the decorator how much clearance is required and whether larger items can remain in the centre of the room. The answer depends on the room, the work and the equipment involved.
Do not assume that a heavy item can be moved safely without help. Tell the team about furniture that is fixed, unusually bulky or difficult to dismantle. Arrangements can then be made before the start date.
If furniture is staying in the room, agree how it will be protected and whether anything needs removing from inside it. A clear plan is more useful than pushing everything into a corner and discovering that the decorator cannot reach the area behind it.
Discuss Curtains, Blinds and Fittings
Curtains and blinds can sit close to surfaces being painted and may restrict access around windows. Dulux’s advice on preparing a home for painters recommends removing them to help protect them from paint splashes.
Agree which items should come down and who will remove them. This is particularly useful where fittings are delicate, awkward to reach or unfamiliar.
Ask about shelves, brackets and other fixtures as well. Some can remain protected in place, while others may need removing for the agreed finish. If you plan to replace them, tell the decorator whether old holes should be filled.
Electrical fittings and connected equipment need a suitable approach. Discuss any work involving their removal or alteration with the contractor rather than treating it as routine room clearance. Preparing the home should focus on agreed tasks that you can complete confidently, with specialist work arranged where needed.
Show the Decorator Any Known Surface Problems
Before the project starts, point out areas that have caused problems in the past. These might include recurring stains, peeling paint, damaged plaster or a section that has been repaired several times.
Even if the problem seems cosmetic, the information can affect the decorating approach. Explain whether it followed a leak, recent building work or an unknown event.
Avoid covering up an area immediately before the decorator arrives. They may need to see its condition to decide what preparation or investigation is appropriate.
Where more extensive repairs are needed, our plastering and rendering services provide information about another part of JML’s property work. Discuss whether any such repairs need completing before your decorating date. New or repaired surfaces may have their own preparation and drying requirements, so the sequence should be agreed around the work actually being carried out.
Make Access to the Property Straightforward
A clear route into the property helps the team bring in tools and materials without navigating around household clutter. Check the entrance, hallway and stairs, especially if the main work is upstairs.
Discuss parking and unloading arrangements before the first day. If access is restricted or the property has shared entrances, explain that during planning.
For a flat, let the decorator know about stairs, lifts and any relevant building arrangements. If you need to coordinate access with another person, make sure the agreed process is clear.
You should also confirm how entry will work on later days. Whether you will be home, provide access at a set time or agree another arrangement, everyone needs the same understanding. Small logistical details can become delays when left unresolved, so dealing with them beforehand helps the project get under way as planned.
Plan Around Family Life and Working from Home
Decorating can affect how you use the property, even when only one room is involved. Think about where you will work, sleep and store displaced belongings while that space is unavailable.
If you work from home, explain when you need quiet and whether another room can serve as a temporary workspace. The decorator can then discuss what is realistic within the agreed project.
Children and pets should have suitable space away from active work areas, equipment and stored materials. Establish those arrangements before work begins so household routines do not rely on passing through the room being decorated.
For projects covering several rooms, ask about the proposed order. You may be able to plan the household around that sequence, but any essential access requirements should be raised early. The more clearly you explain how the home is used, the easier it is to identify arrangements that need attention.
Allow Time for Rooms to Be Returned to Use
The end of painting is not always the moment to move every item back into place. Ask your decorator when the surfaces can be handled, when furniture can be returned and when normal cleaning is suitable.
The guidance depends on the products and conditions, so use the advice for the finishes actually applied. Avoid relying on a general drying time found online for a different paint.
Plan how curtains, pictures and other belongings will be reinstated. If you have changed the room layout, make sure any new fixings are considered at the appropriate stage.
Keep the final colour and product details for future reference. They can help if you want to match another room or discuss a touch-up later. A thoughtful return to normal use protects the effort invested in the decorating and gives you time to arrange the room as intended.
Preparing Paignton Homes and Holiday Properties
Paignton’s local history includes historic streets around Church Street, Winner Street and Palace Avenue, alongside the town’s development as part of Torbay. Preparing a property here should still be based on its individual layout and use.
For a holiday property, coordinate the project with your booking calendar and allow time for the agreed work, reinstating furniture and cleaning before the next arrival. Do not assume that guests can return immediately after the final coat.
Commercial and accommodation operators seeking wider regional support can also refer to the British Chambers of Commerce’s Devon chamber profile for local business information.
For the decorating itself, share the dates and property requirements early. At JML Property Maintenance, you can discuss the areas involved and any associated maintenance needs. To plan your Paignton project, contact our team and agree what needs to be ready before the work begins.