Paint house or new bathrooms??

Fittle

Hi all,

I'll be coming into some money later this year (3K)- not alot, but enough to decorate the house from top to bottom all over again:D

Briefly, I bought a new build four years ago - all the walls were magnolia so I didn't do any painting. I got basic tiles and wooden floors throughout (it's a 2bed) and I have put colour in the house through the furniture (bed covers, furniture etc).

So my tight budget means I could get two whole bathrooms completed, with tiling and new showers etc (one has a bath that I'd like removed, the other is a downstairs loo with space for a shower)...OR I could get the backgarden paved completely (incl garden furniture etc) OR I could spend the money on painting the whole house, room by room and injecting a bit of colour into the house (including new floors etc). There is just myself and my 10yr old living in the house.

What would you do?? Advice appreciated, thanks:)

Daisy M

Personally speaking I would leave painting the house. The reason I say this is because this is a job you can do a little at time room by room and you could easily do it your self. Also as regards the wooden floors you can keep an eye out for offers and do one room at a time. Re wooden floors from experience I would urge you to buy a good quality laminate rather than real wooden floors. THey are much more durable and look better for longer.
The bathroom sounds like the main job that needs doing, is there no tiling or showers there at the moment? If not that would be my priority.
I am sure whatever you decide it will be lovely. Like you I have a bit of money coming and a lot of holes to fill, its hard to know what to do. I have cut back on doing a lot in the house to try and have a few foreign holidays before the kids flee the nest, but this year we need to get a few things done!

Fittle

Thanks Daisy.

Neither of the bathrooms 'need' to be done persay. There are tiles from bath to ceiling all around the bath, and the walls are painted etc - the downstairs loo is only a toilet and sink, but it's a large room and there is space for a shower.

I think if I don't get these done with this money, I won't have a 'lump sum' in the future again, so I might invest it in the bathrooms alright.

The problem with doing the painting here and there is that it's just me and my boy..I work f/t and have zero interest in painting (even though I have tackled his own bedroom) - so I would have to get someone in to paint, and I thought I could get them to paint the whole house in one job.

O I dunno what to do!

gaz wac

Gonna agree with Daisy. We moved into a new build six years ago and only getting to paint now !! i know what you mean about working f/t and then painting but the prep work is the worse, so do a little every night and then go for it on a saturday or sunday...you will get a room done in a day! Ive saved myself a ton doing my place and not getting the painters.

when you think about it, does the bathrooms really need to be done? if they look well, thats the main thing..you could spend 3k getting rid of a bath but what use is that? personally, i would put it into the garden! i love my back, with decking and patio, lights etc...spend the money where you will use it...bedroom, sitting room...i swear, when you get the garden done, you spend alot more time in it !! ...and sure the summer is coming !

good luck

Daisy M

Regarding painting I think the thought of is worse than actually doing it. As gaz said do a little at a time. Start with emptying the room, then masking tape and putting down sheets/furniture covers. When you stop painting for the day/night there is no need to wash your brushes and roller, wrap them air tight in cling film and they will be ready to use the next day (provided you are still using the same colour of course:)). I hate washing brushes and rollers maybe you could bribe your lad to do this job.
Do you know someone who is a jack of all trades and maybe able to do as much of the work as you could afford. I know a couple of guys who can do everything from plumbing to floorlaying and are not expensive, doing it this way may mean you get more done than you first thought.

Fittle

Thanks guys.

I think the garden is probably the best idea.

My living room has a triple glass door that leads directly out to the garden - it's not a very large garden, and just has a lawn with some bedding around the sides, but I've seen what neighbours have done with theirs, and it becomes almost an extension of the house if done properly.

I do know a load of guys who can paint and so on, so possibly could rope them in to paint the odd room here and there.

~The bathrooms don't need to be done to be honest - but again, I've seen what neighbours have done and would love something similar (no bath, a shower and the room tiled from floor to ceiling).

So it's the garden I think...with the weather so nice today, we were out there for a good while - first time I'd taken the lawnmower out since last year - but I'd love if it have crazy paving with raised borders throughout - I'm very 'low maintenance' so although I love decking, I wouldn't be a massive fan of it for my own garden.

byrybak

if its only 2 beds u can paint whole house for under 1000, and still do some work on ur bathrooms!:D

Fittle

I got a quote for both bathrooms for just under 3k.

The downstairs loo has only a toilet and sink, and would require a good bit of plumbing to put in a shower. The upstairs bathroom is more straightforward, as I'd be removing a bath to install a shower.

tweenie

I think it is good to keep a bath in a house. If you pull a muscle/just want to relax or even to sell the house in the future a bath is better in the house. Why don't you leave the bath upstairs and just put a shower in the downstairs bathroom?

Acoshla

We got both our bathrooms done for about €2,000, new tiles, new toilets, sinks, shower and bath.

I would never pay someone to paint internal walls, my fiance has no interest in painting, will not help me, I have painted every wall in this house myself, some rooms are huge and some I've changed the colour of after I've finished so lots of work. I work too so I only get to do it weekends and evenings when it's bright, I can paint a whole room in about an hour (excluding ceiling), two days of that and you're done. We've a four bed house, big kitchen, big sitting room, one big bathroom (other is all tiles) and utility room, it's taken me absolutely ages to get them all done as I've had to spread the time over the last year as we renovated bit by bit but it's grand. I've painted all the doors, most skirting boards, window sills, radiator cabinets and the front wall, it's so much easier to get it done instead of spending a fortune that you could spend elsewhere.

Fittle

Well, I detest painting - I have tried it and end up making more of a mess than a kid would! I went to great lenghts last year painting the little fellas room - bought the low-adhesive masking tape. When I pulled it off, the paint came off with it everywhere! So I now have a lovely blue room with a celing that needs to be re-done because of all the paint that came off around the edges. AND I need the skirtings done because all the paint came off those goo:mad:
I would honestly rather pay someone else to do the paint job properly that bother tackling it myself again;)

MgtH

Currently doing some research for gutting and refit of new bathroom for 3 bed semi.....any ideas on quotes gratefully received! Thanks, M

Acoshla wrote: »

We got both our bathrooms done for about €2,000, new tiles, new toilets, sinks, shower and bath.

I would never pay someone to paint internal walls, my fiance has no interest in painting, will not help me, I have painted every wall in this house myself, some rooms are huge and some I've changed the colour of after I've finished so lots of work. I work too so I only get to do it weekends and evenings when it's bright, I can paint a whole room in about an hour (excluding ceiling), two days of that and you're done. We've a four bed house, big kitchen, big sitting room, one big bathroom (other is all tiles) and utility room, it's taken me absolutely ages to get them all done as I've had to spread the time over the last year as we renovated bit by bit but it's grand. I've painted all the doors, most skirting boards, window sills, radiator cabinets and the front wall, it's so much easier to get it done instead of spending a fortune that you could spend elsewhere.

paddy147

Painting a house yourself is great fun and actually relaxing,for some people.It also saves you a hell of alot of euros too.:D

The paint can be got in trade paint centres like Crown and Fleetwood trade.;)

paddy147

Fittle wrote: »

Well, I detest painting - I have tried it and end up making more of a mess than a kid would! I went to great lenghts last year painting the little fellas room - bought the low-adhesive masking tape. When I pulled it off, the paint came off with it everywhere! So I now have a lovely blue room with a celing that needs to be re-done because of all the paint that came off around the edges. AND I need the skirtings done because all the paint came off those goo:mad:
I would honestly rather pay someone else to do the paint job properly that bother tackling it myself again;)

A 2-3 inch angled and tapered "cut in" brush and a steady hand will mean that you do not need masking tape.

If you do need masking tape,then a simple and very effective trick is to put stick down the length of low tack masking tape on a carpet or piece of wood 1st,then peel it off and put it onto the wall,ceiling.

A 50 meter roll of tape can be got for 2:50-3 euro in most paint trade shope.These trade shops sell to the public too.

Once you have painted that area,remove the masking tape by gently and SLOWLY pulling the tape off at a 45 degree angle,away from the area you jave just painted.

Clean lines with no hassle.:)

irelandspurs

You could get the painting and garden done for under 3k.A professional painter does not cost that much like myself,cough cough.
Painters are the trade that gets hit hardest as its the job that people will give ago themselves which is great but you also get people that says i'll do that for you its easy, and might charge very little but ends up messing it up.
If you get the right tools you can do it right yourself,If you need any advice just pm me or any of the other painters on here and we'll give you some tips.
The masking tape on the ceiling is one i see alot,lol.
Also like paddy said the trade shops are best to go to as they have everything you need and will give good advice also.