Painters and Decorators in South East London

What Affects the Cost?

• •Level of preparation required (filling, sanding, repairs)
• •Quality of paint selected (trade emulsion vs Farrow & Ball)
• •Wallpaper hanging and removal
• •Height and access (scaffolding for exterior work)
• •Working hours (day vs weekend/evening)

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Areas We Cover

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to paint a room?

A standard room in good condition — walls, ceiling, and woodwork — costs from £400 including preparation and two coats of quality trade paint such as Dulux Trade Diamond Matt. Rooms needing heavy preparation such as crack filling, plaster repair, sanding, or lining paper with 1400-grade lining stock cost from £650. A full 2-bed flat typically costs from £2,500 and a 3-bed house £4,000-£7,500, depending on condition and ceiling height. The single biggest factor affecting price is the amount of preparation needed — a freshly plastered room takes half the time of one with crumbling Victorian plaster and decades of paint buildup. Premium paint brands like Farrow & Ball or Little Greene add approximately £150 per room over standard trade paint. These prices are based on projects completed across South East London boroughs since 2020. We provide a fixed price after a site visit so you know exactly what to budget.

What prep work do you do before painting?

Proper preparation is the difference between a paint job that lasts 2 years and one that lasts 10. We fill all cracks, holes, and dents with flexible filler such as Toupret or Gyproc, sand surfaces smooth by hand and with orbital sanders to 120-grit finish, wash down walls to remove grease and dust, scrape and sand flaking paint back to a sound edge, apply stabilising solution to chalky or powdery surfaces, mask off all woodwork, fittings, and flooring with low-tack tape, and apply primer or undercoat where the surface demands it. On older London properties — particularly Victorian and Edwardian terraces common across Lewisham, Bromley, and Southwark — we often find layers of distemper, blown lime plaster, or hairline cracks from settlement. We address all of these before any top coat goes on. Most decorators skip this work because it is slow, but it is what makes the finish last.

What type of paint do you use?

We use high-quality trade paints as standard — typically Dulux Trade Diamond Matt for walls (which offers superior coverage and durability over retail equivalents) and Dulux Trade Satinwood for woodwork. For premium finishes, we work with Farrow & Ball Estate Emulsion, Little Greene Intelligent Matt, and Paint & Paper Library — all of which we can colour-match if needed. We are happy to use any paint you prefer and can advise on the best product for each surface: matt emulsion for ceilings, eggshell or satinwood for woodwork and high-traffic areas like hallways, and specialist masonry paint such as Dulux Weathershield for exterior walls. For kitchens and bathrooms, we use moisture-resistant formulations like Dulux Trade Kitchen & Bathroom that resist mould and condensation. On exterior work across South London, we typically recommend a three-coat system — stabiliser, undercoat, and two top coats — to withstand the British climate.

Do you work with limewash and breathable paints?

Yes, and on the right wall it's the only correct answer. Limewash is a mineral paint made from slaked lime that soaks into the surface rather than forming a plastic film on top, so the wall underneath keeps breathing. That matters on the lime-plastered walls in most pre-1930s South London houses: seal them with modern vinyl emulsion and trapped moisture blows the plaster or feeds black mould; finish them in limewash and the moisture moves through harmlessly. You also get a soft, clouded, matt surface that modern flat emulsions imitate but never quite match. We use Bauwerk and traditional lime putty washes for true limewash, and Keim, Beeck, and Earthborn mineral paints where you want the breathability with more scrub resistance. Expect from £200 per room over standard trade paint, mostly in the extra coats — limewash builds in thin layers, usually three or four. We specify it most on period exteriors, exposed brick, and walls we've just damp-proofed, where a breathable finish protects the repair.

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