You paid a deposit. He came for two days. Then he stopped answering his phone.

Or the quote was £800, the job took twice as long as planned, and the final invoice was £1,400. Or the skirting boards have been painted but the masking tape pulled the old paint off the wall when it came off.

Bad decorating experiences are genuinely common across the UK. Northampton is not exempt. Here is how to find someone reliable, what to look for, and what questions to ask before you hand over a penny.

Why It Is Hard to Find a Good Decorator

Painting and decorating is an unregulated trade in the UK. There is no legal requirement to hold a qualification, carry insurance, or join a professional body. Anyone can call themselves a painter and decorator after a weekend’s practice on their own spare room.

That means the gap between a skilled professional and someone who bought a brush last month is completely invisible until they start working in your home.

The good news is that skilled, reliable decorators do exist, and they are findable if you know what to look for.

The Three Questions That Matter Most Before You Book

Ask these three things before you invite anyone to quote.

Question 1: Are you insured?

Public liability insurance protects you if something goes wrong during the job. A decorator without it is a significant financial risk. If they knock a tin of paint onto your carpet, scratch your floor, or damage furniture, you have no protection and neither do they.

A professional decorator or company will confirm their insurance immediately and without any hesitation. Ask to see documentation if you have any doubt at all.

Question 2: Can you show me recent reviews or references?

Recent is the key word. Five Google reviews from 2021 and nothing since raises a question. Recent reviews show the decorator is still actively working and still delivering to the same standard.

Ask specifically for references from jobs similar in scope to yours. A decorator who mostly does single rooms may have different experience from one who regularly does full-house redecorations.

Question 3: What exactly does your quote include?

A professional quote should specify in writing: the rooms or areas covered, the number of coats, whether surface preparation is included, whether paint is included or supplied by you, and the payment schedule.

Any quote that cannot answer these questions clearly in writing is a warning sign worth taking seriously.

Preparation Is Most of the Work

This is what most homeowners do not discover until after the job: preparation is where the majority of the professional’s time should go.

Filling holes and cracks, sanding surfaces, applying primer where needed, protecting floors and furniture before any paint is opened: this is the work that determines how long the finish lasts. A decorator who skips preparation is cutting corners that show up within months. Paint does not bond well to un-filled, un-sanded, or poorly primed surfaces, regardless of the quality of the topcoat.

Ask a decorator directly: what preparation will you carry out before painting? The answer should be specific. If they say they will just put a coat on, keep looking.

What Should You Expect to Pay in Northampton?

Based on 2026 UK rates, which are broadly consistent with Northamptonshire pricing (below London rates):

  • Single bedroom: £350 to £600 for a full repaint including ceilings and woodwork
  • Lounge or living room: £450 to £750
  • Hallway, stairs, and landing: £500 to £900 (complex shapes and height work)
  • Full 3-bedroom semi interior: £2,500 to £5,500 depending on condition, spec, and prep required
  • Day rate for a professional decorator: £180 to £280 per day

Be cautious of quotes that come in significantly below these figures. A quote that looks too good usually means preparation has been removed from the scope, the paint quality is lower than expected, or the person quoting intends to make the money back with additions later.

Should You Supply Your Own Paint?

This is a personal choice with practical implications.

Supplying your own paint means you control the exact colours and brand. If you have strong preferences (Farrow and Ball, Little Greene, or a specific Dulux colour), this makes sense. If you supply paint, buy enough. Running out mid-job causes delays, and matching a mixed colour from a new tin is not always exact.

A professional decorator typically includes trade-grade paint in their quote unless you specify otherwise. For most standard redecorations in Northampton homes, Dulux Trade or Crown Trade is the standard and is more than adequate.

Red Flags to Watch For

  • Requests a large upfront cash payment before any work begins
  • Cannot provide a written, itemised quote
  • Has no verifiable reviews, no online presence, and no references
  • Insists on day rate only and refuses to give a fixed price
  • Starts work without protecting your floors and furniture first
  • Cannot confirm they hold public liability insurance

What We Do at Marlton Enterprises

We visit and quote before starting any decorating job. We protect your floors and furniture before any paint is opened. We prepare surfaces properly: filling, sanding, and priming as required. We clean up at the end of every working day and fully at the end of the job.

Our pricing is fixed. The quote you receive at the start is what you pay.

We cover Northampton and the surrounding area including Kingsthorpe, Abington, Duston, and Weston Favell.

Request a decorating quote or call us on 07743 636769, Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm.