Home Improvements

I need to get a room in my house painted. I'm going to have to pay somebody to do it. Obviously I can't move the furniture myself first in preparation and I don't have anyone else who can do it for me. I've been told painter/decorators don't move furniture. Any ideas?

 

I have a similar issue in that I need a couple of ceilings replastering and need work on the lounge floor too, but don't know how I could prepare the rooms!

 

Presumably some decorators would be willing to move furniture etc if paid to do so, which might mean you are paying skilled worker rates for unskilled work, though if that was the only option it would be worth considering.

I have notice in my area an increase in people advertising for general handyman/odd job work, but don’t know if this is happening more widely.

 

My decorators always move the furniture. Usually they put it all in the middle of a room with dust sheets over. And that's two lots of decorators. I think you should be able to find someone who will although it might depend on where you are.

 

Thanks all! I'll call around different decorators and ask and if that fails perhaps it'll have to be a handyman, thinking about it, there's probably enough other jobs that need doing around the house to make that worth while if necessary. I find organizing this kind of thing so overwhelming, I just wish I could do it myself like I used to - so much easier. Feel less overwhelmed after your replies though so thank you

 

I explain that I'm disabled, so moving X pieces of furniture would need to be priced into the decorator's time (which signals that you don't expect it done as a favour). They always want to come and look at the job before quoting, so they can see what needs doing easily enough and include it in the total.

In practice, it takes so little time that it doesn't really add to the bill anyway. I always give myself enough time to have moved any lamps, clocks, vases, etc to another room before they come to do the quote – as that's actually the most time-consuming part of the job, it helps to make the furniture-moving look really straightforward!

ETA: I do leave anything heavy, like the TV, for them to deal with. I just clear all the bits and bobs that I can carry easily.

 

There are quite a few in my local newsletter - don't know if they're any good though!

 

Decorators don’t move furniture due to the ‘it came apart in my hand problem” so much contemporary or flat pack pieces cannot stand the movement often due to pins or glue failure yet still function if left alone. You may consider what your response will be to damage if you go down the handyman path? We manage to move a lot of our furniture by emptying it entirely and then use a garden spade as a lever / fulcrum protecting floor and furniture with rags. But there is two of us to steady things. Any movement with loaded drawers is a failure waiting to happen. Two spades work surprisingly well given a few days effort.
Some painters do a ‘bump job’ just paint over existing and run. Year later it starts to peel off. No preparation or multi coats. Only cure is then to sand down and pay more or diy. Past experience.

 

I have found cheap furniture gliders really useful for moving furniture. I haven't moved anything really heavy, but have moved fridge, sideboard very easily. The hardest job is getting them under the item, 2 people a lot easier than one. Not sure I'm allowed to link, but screenshot shows the item, available from at least a couple of online marketplaces.