Hiring professional painters takes most of the hard work off your hands, but there’s still a bit of preparation on your side that makes a real difference to how smoothly the job goes, whatever kind of property you’re in — from a Georgian townhouse near Belgravia to a mansion flat close to Marylebone.
Clear the Space as Much as You Reasonably Can
The single most useful thing you can do before decorators arrive is clear as much of the room as possible. Small furniture, ornaments, wall art, curtains and rugs are all worth moving out entirely if you can, since it means less time spent covering and working around items. For larger furniture that can’t be removed, moving it to the centre of the room and covering it properly gives painters room to work around the edges.
Take Down Wall-Mounted Items
Pictures, mirrors, shelves and curtain poles all need to come down before painting, and it’s worth doing this yourself in advance rather than leaving it for the painters to sort out on the day. It also gives you a chance to patch and fill any old screw holes or fixings you no longer need, which your decorators can then prime and paint over as part of the job.
Think About Access, Especially on Mews Streets
Many of Westminster’s Georgian and Victorian properties, particularly around Belgravia and Mayfair, have narrower mews streets and staircases than more modern housing. Letting your decorators know in advance about any tight doorways, narrow staircases, or limited parking directly outside the property helps them plan properly and bring the right equipment on the day — especially given how busy the controlled parking zones can get near Oxford Street.
Sort Out Any Repairs Beforehand
If there’s any plumbing, electrical work or structural repair needed in a room, it’s worth getting that sorted before the painters arrive rather than after. Painting over an unresolved issue, like a slow leak that’s already caused ceiling staining, generally just means the same problem reappears through the fresh paint a few months later.
Protect What Can’t Be Moved
Flooring, particularly original wood flooring common in many of the period properties around Marylebone and St James’s, is worth protecting properly with dust sheets, even though professional decorators bring their own protection as standard. Letting them know in advance about any flooring you’re particularly keen to protect means they can take extra care in that specific area.
Plan Around Pets and Children
If you have pets or young children at home, it’s worth thinking through how the household will work around the job, particularly for rooms with open paint tins, wet paint or equipment like ladders and dust sheets. Many households find it easier to plan a few days away, or at least keep pets and children out of the rooms being worked on until the paint has properly dried.
Decide on Colours and Finishes in Advance
Nothing slows a job down more than indecision on the day. Having your colours, finishes and any specific requirements decided and confirmed before your decorators arrive means they can get straight into the work rather than waiting on decisions partway through.
Communicate Any Access or Timing Constraints
If you work from home, have specific times you need quiet for calls, or have any other constraints on when rooms can be worked in, it’s worth flagging this clearly before the job starts rather than trying to manage it in real time once painters are already on site.
Consider Ventilation
Good ventilation helps paint dry properly and keeps fumes from building up, particularly in smaller rooms or during colder months when it’s tempting to keep windows shut. If you have any specific concerns, it’s worth discussing this with your decorators beforehand so they can plan the work accordingly.
A Little Preparation Goes a Long Way
None of this preparation needs to be elaborate — clearing the space, taking down what needs to come down, sorting out any underlying repairs, and communicating clearly about access and timing covers most of what actually matters. Doing these few things beforehand, whether you’re in a townhouse near Belgravia or a flat near Paddington, means your decorators can focus entirely on the job itself, and it usually means the whole project runs faster and more smoothly for everyone involved.
