Painting and decorating is preparing and finishing the surfaces of a home, including filling, sanding, priming and painting walls, ceilings and woodwork, hanging wallpaper and painting exterior walls and joinery, to protect them and refresh how rooms look.
We arrange painting and decorating for homeowners in Southsea and the wider Hampshire. The job is planned, priced and managed by us and carried out by tradespeople engaged under our contract, so there is one agreement and one contact. On a typical home the work takes 1–2 days per room; 3–7 days for a house exterior, and guide pricing in the South East is £1,350–£3,400, VAT included.
- Guide price
- £1,350–£3,400 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 1–2 days per room; 3–7 days for a house exterior
- Postcodes
- PO1, PO2, PO4, PO5 and PO12
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- Portsmouth
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
How much does painting and decorating cost in Southsea?
To help you plan, we show what painting and decorating typically costs in Southsea instead of holding figures back for a sales call. The range is £1,350–£3,400 with VAT, using rates in the South East that are about 12% above the national guide. A free survey then fixes your actual price.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Southsea |
|---|---|---|
| Single room | Walls, ceiling and woodwork in one average bedroom or living room. | £400–£1,000 |
| House exterior | Masonry and joinery on a typical semi, including access equipment. | £2,800–£6,700 |
| Whole interior of a 3-bed house | Every room, hallway, stairs and landing, including woodwork. | £3,400–£7,300 |
The main things that change the figure:
- Number and size of rooms, including ceiling height
- Amount of preparation, filling and repairs needed
- Paint quality, colour changes and number of coats
- Exterior access, scaffolding and the condition of surfaces
What does the job include in Southsea?
- Survey of each surface and agreed colours and finishes
- Filling cracks and holes, sanding and spot priming
- Mist coat on new plaster before finishing coats
- Two finishing coats to walls and ceilings as standard
- Woodwork sanded, primed where bare, and painted
- Wallpaper stripped or hung where included
Homes in Hampshire
Southampton and Portsmouth have dense Victorian terraces, with plenty of post-war rebuilding after wartime bombing. Winchester keeps Georgian and medieval streets, Basingstoke expanded rapidly with 1960s and 1970s estates, and New Forest villages feature cob, thatch and brick. Brick and flint is common on the chalk downs, and new estates ring most towns.
Terraces suit loft rooms and side-return extensions; post-war and expanded-town homes often need window, roofline and cladding renewal. Cottages in the Forest may call for lime repairs and planning-sensitive windows.
So when we survey a Southsea property for painting and decorating, the first step is working out how it was built and what has been changed since.
Planning and building rules in Southsea
Homes in Southsea come under the regulations for England, summarised below. We don't rely on general rules alone: we confirm the position for your address with the council before a quote goes out.
Internal work such as a new kitchen, bathroom, flooring, plastering or decorating does not need planning permission in England, unless the house is listed, when listed building consent may be needed even for internal changes.
Some internal work is covered by Building Regulations: new electrical circuits and work in bathrooms (Part P), new drainage, structural changes, extractor ventilation and any new window. Notifiable work is certified by a registered installer or by building control.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
What happens after you get in touch?
We look at the job
A free survey comes first. It gives us what we need to price painting and decorating properly, including dimensions, existing materials and access for deliveries, and gives you the chance to ask anything you like.
Your fixed price
We turn the survey notes into a written quote. The price is fixed for the specification we agree, and the document sets out materials, scope and payment stages in plain language.
Booking the work
We handle the paperwork side: checking whether planning permission or building control approval is needed, submitting applications where they are, and scheduling the trades and materials around your dates.
On site to finish
On site, the agreed plan is followed and any change is put in writing first. At completion we do a final clean, go through the snagging list with you and leave you with the relevant documents.
Why homeowners choose us
Common questions
When is the right time to paint the outside of a house?
Exterior painting needs dry weather and mild temperatures, so late spring to early autumn is usually the right time. Paint should not be applied to damp surfaces, in rain or frost, or in strong direct sun. Surfaces need time to dry out after rain before work starts. We plan exterior work around the forecast and pause if conditions turn.
Who do I deal with during the job?
One point of contact manages your project from survey to handover. They schedule the trades working under our contract, keep you updated on progress, and are the person to call with any question. You don't need to coordinate builders, electricians or decorators separately, because that is part of what we do.
What happens at the survey?
We visit your home at a time that suits you, look at the area involved, take measurements and check access, condition and any services that might be affected. We talk through what you want from painting and decorating, explain the options and answer questions. There is no charge and no obligation; afterwards we send a written quote.
How long does it take to decorate a room?
Decorating an average room usually takes one to two days, allowing time for preparation, a mist coat or primer where needed and two finishing coats. Hallways, stairs and landings take longer because of the height and the amount of woodwork. Wallpapering adds time for stripping and lining. We give you a schedule so you know which rooms will be out of use and when.
Do I need to move my furniture?
You only need to remove small items, ornaments, pictures and anything fragile. We move larger furniture to the middle of the room and cover it, or into another room where agreed. Please empty bookshelves and cabinets that need moving. Let us know about anything very heavy, valuable or awkward, such as pianos or large wardrobes, so we can plan around it.
Near Southsea
From PO1, PO2, PO4 and PO5 to the edges of Southsea and on into Portsmouth, Gosport and Ryde, we can arrange a site visit and a written quote for your project, planned around dates that work for you.