Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Sep 01, 2008 1:13 pm I put this in another thread, but nobody seems to have noticed it…maybe. Lol. Maybe you’re avoiding it. Anyway, here it is again…
Well, we got the second quote today...they think they can do it in one single day. Is that bad? It's a 2 bedroom medium sized apartment. Just walls. No ceilings, cornices, architraves, skirtings, doors, kitchen or bathrooms to be painted. Just a bit of patching from a crack and some nails/picture hooks. They say it'd be around $850 all up, including $250 or so for paint. Is this ok? It sounds SO cheap. The other quote we got was $1,700 for the painting (incl. paint) and $360 for patching the crack. The other place we were going through a building company who then utilised a painter...this quote is direct through the painter. (who I was referred to by another building company who said it'd be cheaper to go direct through the painter) Nothing has been mentioned about a contract. Do ALL painters get you to sign something and if they don't, is that really bad? How the hell did I become a senior member!? I know nothing! Re: Is this painter too cheap!? 2Sep 02, 2008 11:39 am I wish someone would post something on this thread.
I’m now REALLY stressed out cause we’d booked in the painters for tomorrow, and they said they could do it all in one day, which was great for us because we need (major NEED) to get this done so we can get the carpet chosen and ordered, and once the painting was booked in for tomorrow (Wednesday), we then made 3 appointments for carpet people to come with their samples so we can firstly see them in our own place and lighting and stuff, and secondly, once the painting was done we could really make an accurate decision on colour, and then order it, cause they take around 2 weeks to get them sent up from the Melbourne store rooms. 2 weeks from now we would be needing to move in within 5 days. We also cannot book the removalist until we know a proper date we can actually move in, and we can’t know that till we know when the carpet is going to be laid, and we can’t know that till we know what carpet we want, and we can’t know THAT till the painting is done, DAMMIT. They say they can do it on Saturday, again in one day, which is ok, but now we’ve got carpet people coming and we can still try and choose a carpet, but…it won’t be as easy without the end colour on the walls. We’ve got samples on there, but…they’re not really enough. I’m also freaking out that Friday will come and they’ll turn around and say they can’t do it on Saturday. Then we will be SCREWED. We’ll simply have to order the carpet regardless and hope it looks good. *shrug* Actually, technically the painters COULD still do it tomorrow, but only if WE supply the paint. And it’s like, I don’t drive and I’m at work. How exactly am I supposed to get 15 litres of paint and 4 litres of the feature wall paint? I cannot carry 15 litres of paint myself!!!! I find it difficult to lift a 3 litre bottle of juice for god’s sake! Also, I’m VERY concerned about 3 things… 1. I asked for their email address or fax number so I could send them through instructions (as we’re not able to be there when they’re painting, as we have to work, and we don’t want certain walls painted like around the kitchen and stuff), but he didn’t give me any of that. He said we’d have to be there in the morning when they start so we can tell the painters. Is this normal? We have to WORK for god’s sake!! And again, we don’t drive, so we can’t just pop in on our way to other places, you know? I also wanted the fax and/or email so he could send ME a proper written quote acceptance form that I could sign as a guarantee of the work and the quoted price, you know? I’ve got nothing. Is this normal? To simply do it all verbally? Who’s to say they won’t say at the end we owe them twice what they quoted us? And there’s no record of any of it? 2. They said if I got the paint myself to go to this paint place (which I’ve heard of so that’s ok) and get Dulux paint, as they get trade prices on Dulux, which is fine, but the paint colour on all the walls (except the feature wall which IS Dulux, the suede one) is TAUBMANS, not Dulux. They said this doesn’t matter. But it DOES to me! I’m happy with Dulux, BUT the colour is NOT in Dulux. I’ve looked. There’s no Portland Stone (half strength) in Dulux. And if there WAS, it’d be different. And I don’t have the code or anything to tell them what to mix and stuff if there is no exact match to Portland Stone in Dulux. So…what if they finish the job and it’s all a completely different colour!??! 3. The fact we have to be there when they start, and when they end. This is awkward for us as once again, we do not drive. If they want to start at 7am or something, we’d have to get up at 6am (on Saturday as well!) and get a cab there to try and beat them there from wherever they’re coming from, and then when they finish, we’d have to again rush back there in a cab so they wouldn’t have to hang around…and then we’d pay them. But again, there’d be no written record of anything. The quote is either $850 or $850 PLUS paint being around $300 they said. This is a hell of a lot less than our other quote (through a company I’m more comfortable with, I have to admit) for $2,000. ALSO, is 15 litres of paint considered enough to do a good job with 2 coats on a medium 2 bedroom apartment with large living area? (no ceilings or doors or architraves or cornices or kitchen or bathrooms) and is 4 litres enough to do one long/large wall in the suede feature paint with 2 coats? I’m just wanting to know if they’re not trying to water down paint so they can use less or something? I AM NOT HAPPY!!!! Can I PLEASE get people’s honest opinions? Is this a bit ******* (or not necessarily *******, but is it not the most professional or indicative of a good job is going to be done), or am I just overly paranoid? How the hell did I become a senior member!? I know nothing! Re: Is this painter too cheap!? 3Sep 02, 2008 12:04 pm I don't know much Grace so can only comment on point 2..
If you give them the taubmans paint name I think they will look it up in a book and find the right mix of colours and then mix that into dulux paint. Re: Is this painter too cheap!? 4Sep 02, 2008 1:10 pm Thanks for that. I’m just uncomfortable, as I’d really prefer to have something in writing, and I don’t think it’s normal for painters to have you get your own paint for a job, is it?
Also, if they’ve been too busy to quote for a week (they said they’d quote last Wednesday and couldn’t end up doing it till Saturday), and they’re too busy to get their own paint for the job, well…will the job itself be rushed? Or would it be pushed back again cause they’re always too busy, and it’s a small job so it doesn’t ever take priority? How the hell did I become a senior member!? I know nothing! Re: Is this painter too cheap!? 5Sep 02, 2008 1:14 pm Hi Grace,
If it was me, I would call the paint place that they told you to go to & ask them what they know about your painters. They must know something as your painters get trade discount there so they must go there regularly. If all seems ok then let them paint, just dont pay until you are happy with the job. Also if you have to be there in the morning just get them to sign something concerning the price. Hope this helps. Cheers, Pip. Re: Is this painter too cheap!? 6Sep 02, 2008 1:18 pm Yeah…I just don’t know if I’m comfortable with all the setbacks and other things I raised above.
The other quote we got was for $1,700 for painting and $360 for patching a crack…it’s a LOT more expensive, but then, why is this cheaper one so cheap?? It scares me! How the hell did I become a senior member!? I know nothing! Re: Is this painter too cheap!? 7Sep 02, 2008 1:47 pm I just heard from someone on another forum (not renovation-related) that when their parents painted their 2 bedroom apartment, they used about 12 litres of paint. So I guess 15 is enough. That’s something I guess to put my mind at ease in that regard anyway…
I’ve decided what I’m gonna do is wait for the original painters to reply to my email (I asked questions that will help me decide which one to go with. Things that affect the convenience of how things will go. Like if they can come and get keys from us as opposed to us having to miss work and such to be there, etc) and then once I get that (they’re usually very quick to respond), depending how we feel about it, if we accept the quote we will do so and then let the other cheaper and now stressful painters know we’ve changed our minds, and if we decide to go with the cheaper ones (if the other ones don’t seem any more convenient, or any less INconvenient rather), then we at least have them (I think) booked in for Saturday. *sigh* How the hell did I become a senior member!? I know nothing! Re: Is this painter too cheap!? 8Sep 02, 2008 1:49 pm Just another thing –
Is it rude to say, for example, to the first painters who quoted me (the more expensive ones) that we got a second quote that is whatever amount, but we’re unsure, and could they go a bit lower? (not to match the cheaper one, but…) Is that inappropriate? How the hell did I become a senior member!? I know nothing! Re: Is this painter too cheap!? 10Sep 02, 2008 2:43 pm Ooh good. Ok. When I get a reply from the original (and preferred in every single way except price) painter, I’ll see what happens. How the hell did I become a senior member!? I know nothing! Re: Is this painter too cheap!? 12Sep 02, 2008 7:16 pm Yep, we stipulated 2 coats of paint. *shrug* I don't know.
They said vague costings to us...$250-$300 for the paint (that's 15 litres plus 4 litres of feature wall paint...so if it's $300 in total, that equates to $15 per litre of paint...is that normal? I assume this is their trade deal on paint, which by the way, if we went and ordered it ourselves we wouldn't necessarily get) Then they said the whole thing would be $850. So...not including paint, it's only $500-$550 for the WHOLE 2 bedroom apartment (well, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and large living area, no ceiling, just walls) Based on your $500 per room thing, that's WAY under priced. I feel so torn. I mean, we're pretty much 90% decided we're more comfortable going with the more expensive one, but I feel bad because I just don't know if maybe the cheap ones are ******* (not meaning bad or trying to do a bad job by us, but more, just won't do as good a job or may get the paint wrong or will be too busy when we need them, etc) or if they're just honestly trying to help us out by being cheap and they're so used to doing this that to them, it's such a small job and so they don't get why we're so control freakish about it... How the hell did I become a senior member!? I know nothing! Re: Is this painter too cheap!? 13Sep 02, 2008 7:54 pm Cheap labour definately and materials, $15/litre for paint sounds OK, Isn't Dulux worth that?
Sounds like easy money though for the painters if its just walls and minimal patch ups. What about other prep (wall cleaning etc) We painted our 2 bedroom unit many moons ago in one day, the next put the second coat on. Good luck with your decision. Why not have a crack yourselves? Re: Is this painter too cheap!? 14Sep 02, 2008 10:51 pm I dont know about professional painting jobs but I have painted quite a few of my own houses now and a small unit could definitely be done in a day especially considering your excluding all of the fiddly time consuming components also 15 litre is definitly enough.
$15 per L = $60 per can yep on the money as well. Good luck with your decision. Re: Is this painter too cheap!? 15Sep 03, 2008 11:03 am We’ve decided to go with the more expensive people, just for our own peace of mind. I’m fairly sure the cheaper people aren’t ******* and are just not used to dealing with paranoid/worried people (they generally are contracted out through a building company who deals with the public. They don’t usually go direct to the people), and consider it such a small quick nothing job for them that they’re very casual about it, but to us it’s a big deal cause it’s our unit, etc.
Anyway, the main concern after considering everything again is the fact they do consider it a small job and they generally seem to do bigger, high rise type jobs, and so our job has never been made a priority so far and we NEED it done ASAP and we’d worry about the vagueness of the new arrangements for Saturday and the painter calling on Friday to arrange…we’re concerned the same thing would happen again with the paint, or it’d be pushed back again cause they’re too busy. So I said today we’ve decided not to paint at this point (ok, a white lie, but meh), and he was fine with it. He apologised for being a bit abrupt yesterday. I feel bad, but we’re comfortable with our decision. How the hell did I become a senior member!? I know nothing! Re: Is this painter too cheap!? 16Sep 03, 2008 12:21 pm grace_slick We’ve decided to go with the more expensive people, just for our own peace of mind. That's what I would be going for... I've had enough years in me to know that it sometimes just ain't worth the hassle for cheaper prices in a building situation - if it was, we wouldn't have half the posts we have on Homeone. Re: Is this painter too cheap!? 17Sep 03, 2008 1:14 pm Heheh, very true! How the hell did I become a senior member!? I know nothing! Re: Is this painter too cheap!? 18Sep 03, 2008 2:00 pm Hi Grace,
Well my wife and I have decided we will go with the companies that give the best customer service are the ones that will get our business. I am sooo over buying from cheaper company's but just to receive really bad service. So if the more expensive company makes you happier then your doing the right thing. That's my opinion anyway. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There's no use being a damn fool about it. W.C. Fields Brought Established. Re: Is this painter too cheap!? 19Sep 03, 2008 2:14 pm Thank you! That makes me feel reassured. How the hell did I become a senior member!? I know nothing! Re: Is this painter too cheap!? 20Sep 03, 2008 11:42 pm hey Grace, I'm painting a whole house by myself, ceilings , walls and all the woodwork, along with sanding and varnishing floors... you and your partener could easily do it, you just need to be confident and it's a great feeling of achievement. out of interest im a female aproaching 50 1. Roof cleaning and paint - which colour do you recommend? I often see black/ dark grey in use these days but I would prefer… 0 5226 It will be neat but you won't have much freeboard. At least they are not weep holes. Are you in a high intensity rainfall region? The regulatory slope is only required… 3 5278 Firstly, if your house is still under builder's warranty (10 years in Victoria) you should have no need to crawl into roof space but let the builder handle it, unless you… 3 4481 |