Painting & Decorating Service

Interior painting, wallpapering and refresh work for homeowners, landlords and small offices.

Fresh decoration is the highest-impact spend before selling, letting or moving in. Typical offers: per-room quotes, day rates for snagging lists and repeat letting-agent refreshes. Clean edges, dust control and reliable dates are what clients remember and review. Letting agents supply steady void-period work once trust is earned. Gross margin figures are planning estimates of revenue minus direct costs (materials, consumables, fuel and per-job expenses); they exclude the owner's own labour, so treat them as a guide to job economics rather than take-home pay.

Steps

  1. Register and insure: Week 1. Sole trader registration and liability cover.
  2. Price the menu: Week 1. Per-room benchmarks from local listings.
  3. First jobs: Weeks 1-2. Platform profile and leaflets in two postcodes.
  4. Agent pipeline: Month 2. Pitch void-refresh packages to letting agents.

Risks

  • Quote pressure: Customers compare per-room prices closely.
  • Physical pace: Earnings track speed and stamina.
  • Prep surprises: Bad plaster and damp stretch jobs beyond quotes.

Costs

  • Tools — Brushes, rollers, poles, dust sheets, sander and steps — 500 GBP
  • Insurance — Public liability at entry level — 200 GBP
  • Marketing — Leaflets, van signage and Google Business Profile — 250 GBP
  • Platform profile — MyBuilder or Checkatrade membership and first-job materials float — 250 GBP

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