The secret decorator

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  Welcome to the first instalment of the Secret Decorator's Blog, where twice a month, our man in the know will give us his view from the inside. Not afraid to speak his mind, he won't gloss over the juicy details. Think of him as the Stig of the decorating world - because his identity is kept secret, he can say what he likes! So stay tuned for an entertaining mix of real-life escapades, tips on what's worked well on jobs and how best to win work, and some honest opinions on the industry. Enjoy!

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Break the mould

During the winter months especially, I often come across properties that are suffering from problems caused by condensation, such as damp and mould growth. It's an issue that can affect most buildings, both new and old, as it's caused by warm, moist air coming in to contact with cooler surfaces.

From working on these kinds of projects, I have learnt that in order to treat, or even prevent, the effects it's important to understand the cause of the problem and how it can be prevented.

I'm currently working on a commercial project which has a bad case of mould on the walls and from initial inspection, it seems to have been caused by a lack of ventilation. At first, the customer was keen for me to just paint over it but I raised my concerns that this would only provide short term relief.

I explained to the customer that it's important to address the underlying issue first. There is no point using a quick-fix solution because it will only last for a while until the mould begins to appear again.

While there are special anti-condensation paints available, a paint treatment alone will not cure the problem for good - conditions within the building must be improved first, for example, providing good ventilation to remove moisture-laden air from the building, or installing thermal insulation.

Once the source has been identified and resolved, treatment can begin by using mould-killing spray or a fungicidal wash on the affected area, and following this, a new coat of paint can be applied. I find using fungicidal paints more effective than standard paints in these cases.

Have you ever worked on a project that suffered from condensation problems? How did you deal with the issue? It would be great to hear your solutions.

Prevent a load of problems

My work van is usually packed full of the painting and decorating essentials that I need to take with me to complete a job. But every now and again, I need to double check that it's not too full in order to avoid being landed with a hefty fine.

I recently heard that in 2012 there is going to be a government crackdown on overloaded vans, so it's more important than ever to ensure your vehicle complies with current regulations.

Whether you drive a goods vehicle, van or a car, overloading it is illegal and if it's found to be over the maximum weight (different for each vehicle type) you could be fined up to £5,000. The vehicle may also be taken off the road until your load has been corrected, which obviously poses a problem if you have an urgent job to get to.

Overloading a vehicle can not only get you into trouble with the authorities, it can also cause problems to your vehicle or other road users. For instance, excessive weight can put a huge strain on your tyres, making it harder to steer and more difficult to stop in an emergency.

To avoid these problems, it's important to get to know your vehicle and familiarise yourself with its Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) - the maximum permitted load of the vehicle, which includes the driver, passengers and any load it is carrying. The restrictions are easy to check as they are usually found in the vehicle handbook or on the manufacturer plate in the door or under the bonnet.

Once you know the GVW, I would definitely recommend going to your nearest weighbridge if you are worried that your vehicle is overly heavy. The last thing you want is to find yourself paying a fine or missing a job because your vehicle was seized.

Have you ever had a problem with excessive vehicle weight? It would be great to hear your stories.

Secure peace of mind

In this day and age security is a major issue for property owners and it's always important to keep a property protected to make sure it isn't targeted by criminals.

I'm often left alone in a property to get on with the job because the owners are at work or on the go. When this is the case, I always insist on locking myself in to make sure that any unwelcome visitors can't enter the house.

I'm currently in the middle of a paint job for a lovely couple who live in a three storey town house. Since I'm redecorating the rooms on the top floor, if the front door was left unlocked anyone could just waltz in downstairs and I would have no idea. That's why it's important to take precautions. It's definitely worth asking for a spare key to lock the property before the owners leave. I would hate to be in a situation where I had to explain to the customer that they were burgled when I was present.

I would also strongly advise that you make any arrangements about security clear with the customer before you begin the job to cover your own back. This is particularly necessary for exterior decoration if, for example, you need to paint a window frame or a door and leave it open to dry properly. A customer's home insurance might not cover a break-in if a burglar was to climb in through an open window.

Have you ever had to deal with a security issue? How do you tackle this problem? It would be great to hear from you.

Good things come to those who wait

Sometimes it seems as though customers can't wait to get me out of the house. Not because they don't like having me around (I hope!), but because they're always eager to get jobs finished as quickly as possible. I find this even more so in December when the dash to get the house perfect for Christmas is on. A lot of the time, however, this haste to get things done can lead to disaster.

I recently experienced this when I was fitting a new carpet for a customer. While I was removing the old one, we uncovered the most magnificent wooden floor lying underneath. Unaware that this lay beneath, the customer had a change of heart and decided that instead of installing a new carpet, they wanted to restore the wood to its former glory.

After prepping the floor, I applied the varnish and left the homeowner with strict instructions that it'd take at least 24 hours before the floor was fully dried and ready to walk on. But the customer obviously grew impatient waiting for their new, polished, floor, and in an attempt to speed up the drying process, decided to turn on a heater to blast the varnished area. Big mistake.

The gust from the heater's fan blew dust and bits of debris all over the freshly coated, and sticky, floor - leaving it covered in mess and ruining an entire day's worth of work.

After receiving a sheepish phone call letting me know what had happened, I had to go back to re-do the work, meaning the process took twice as long as it should have done, all in an effort to get it finished faster.

Customers need to understand that if you want a job done properly, it takes time. You can't rush a project and expect the same standard of finish because you often end up causing more harm than good.

Do you have any stories about hasty homeowners causing decorating disasters? It would be great to hear about them.

Remember to fill out your Tax returns before it's too late

As I'm self employed, I need to complete a self-assessment form every year to calculate how much tax I need to pay for the current financial year.

Last week, I received a phone call from my accountant reminding me to make sure I file my 2010/11 self-assessment tax return forms before the January deadline because HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) have introduced new, stricter penalties for late returns.

There are two deadlines for completing tax returns. The first was the 31st October for all paper returns. For all online returns, the final date for submission is midnight on 31st January 2012.

It's important to be aware of this upcoming date because if you miss it you may have to pay interest and fines. The new penalties mean that if you miss the deadline, the longer you leave it, the more you'll have to pay. Even if it's just one day late you will be given a fixed penalty of £100. This applies even if you have no tax to pay or have paid the tax you owe.

There are also new, significant penalties for late returns which are more than a couple of months overdue. If you are three months late you will have to pay £10 for each following day, as well as the fixed penalty of £100. If you leave it later and, for example, are six months late, you will be fined £300 or five per cent of the tax due - whichever is the highest. In serious cases where you are more than 12 months overdue, you may be asked to pay up to 100 per cent of the tax owed instead, as well as the penalties above.

Previously the penalty system for late filing was fairly lax because of the £100 limit, so this change may come as a shock to many taxpayers who avoided late filing penalties simply by ensuring that they did not owe any tax by the January 31 deadline.

My accountant informed me that if you have a reasonable excuse for missing the deadline then you won't have to pay, but these seem to be exceptional circumstances, such as a death of a partner shortly before the deadline.

So what I'm trying to say is that if your tax returns have slipped to the back of your mind, I strongly recommend that you get it sorted sooner rather than later to avoid being left out of pocket!

What do you think about the tougher penalties? It would be good to hear your views.

The Christmas rush

With Christmas just around the corner, it seems to be the time of year when people begin thinking about carrying out odd jobs around the house so that it looks good in time for family and friends to descend.

Every year without fail, I notice a surge in the number of customers ringing me up to ask whether I can complete a job before the big day finally arrives.

Now I shouldn't complain because the influx of work is great for business, but it is important to manage customers' expectations as the date gets closer.

We're now coming towards the end of November, and from past experience, the customer ideally wants the job to be finished at least a week before Christmas day, so if you take that into account it doesn't really leave much time to get the work done. Therefore to avoid disappointment, it's important not to make promises that you can't fulfil.

It's worth explaining to the customer that you want to deliver excellent results, and in order to do so, you need adequate time to achieve these. Most customers will appreciate your honesty. They'd prefer a good job rather than a rushed one - after all, a decorating job isn't just for Christmas!

Obviously it's essential that you hold on to the business, so make sure you arrange a set date in the new year for the job to be completed - that way they can enjoy the festivities and look forward to a fresh look in the new year.

Do you have any suggestions on how to manage the Christmas rush? It would be great to hear your own experiences and any tips you may have.

My new purchase

I thought I'd give you a quick update on my van situation, due to London's Low Emission Zone (LEZ) coming into action from 3rd January 2012. Well, I finally did it - I bought myself a new van to comply with the regulations. It's a second hand Citroen Dispatch in a go-faster white shade. It has a good height so I can stand up inside, and it's ideal to hold all of my decorating equipment. What's more, it has lower emissions than my previous one, meaning it's compliant.

Since my last blog about the LEZ, I was unsure what to do. However, after weighing up all my options, I decided to invest in a van that would comply with the forthcoming regulations because the majority of my work comes from the London area - where the new vehicle emission restrictions will come into force.

It's taken me a couple of months of searching to find the perfect van for my needs and that was also within my budget. The price of a new vehicle is terribly expensive, so unless you have lots of cash then most people, like me, need a good second hand deal. When I decided to buy the Citroen, the lads at the garage told me that they are finding it hard to find good quality, second hand, stock. There has been a rise in the demand for vehicles that will meet the terms of the LEZ rules and as a result some garages are finding it difficult to obtain quality used transport to fulfil the demand.

So my advice is to not leave it too late if you need to purchase a new vehicle before January. If you want a specific van for your requirements then you should start looking now or it may end up costing you more money than you first thought.

Have you recently purchased a compliant vehicle or are you looking to get one? I would like to hear from you.

Cautious customers

Admit it, I bet most of you have experienced this feeling at least once. You're busy on a job, be it putting up wallpaper or painting a wall, and all you can feel are the eyes of your customer burning into the back of your head.

I've experienced it several times now and, to be truthful, it can be quite unnerving. I obviously want to do the best job I can but when someone is watching me so intently, it can be rather off-putting.

I understand why people are cautious though, having a stranger on your property is a big deal, especially if you've suffered from bad experiences or botched jobs in the past. Even I've been known to be overly attentive when the plumber comes round to my own home, when I know it's usually easier to just let them get on with it.

In some cases, customers can take it to the extreme. I once decorated a property for a friend who was extremely house proud. As such, he made me wear slippers to work and asked for sheets to be put down everywhere. He also watched me like a hawk because he didn't want any of his belongings to get damaged or covered in paint. Although I understood his concerns, having him stood behind me the whole time was uncomfortable and I couldn't relax.

Half way through the job, I popped to my van to get another dust sheet to place down. After shaking it out, a dry piece of emulsion, about the size of a 50 pence piece, fell from the cover. It was at this point a cheeky thought popped into my head.

To get my own back on my friend, I placed the dry piece of paint in the middle of the laminate flooring in the hallway. It didn't take long before he'd spotted it and was prodding the paint to see if it was wet. I immediately burst out laughing, and after he realised that it was a joke, he looked quite sheepish. It made him realise that he was being unreasonable and so from that moment on he left me alone to get on with the job.

Obviously I wouldn't do this to a customer I didn't know on a personal basis, but if they are proving to be a distraction I try to put them at ease. I assure customers that they are in capable hands and that they should feel free to get on with their daily tasks, leaving me to get on with the job at hand.

How do you deal with an overly cautious customer? It would be good to hear from you.

Quote Perfect

Quotations are a mandatory part of the job for any painter and decorator, so it's important that you get them right to ensure both you and the customer benefit.

Visiting a project's location before providing a quote can be quite time consuming, especially when you are busy. Therefore when a customer asks for a price over the phone, it may be quite tempting to estimate the cost without seeing it first, which is risky because the figure may not be completely accurate.

Just the other month, a customer asked me to give him a ball point figure over the phone if I wanted to secure the job. He told me that his lounge needed wallpapering and gave me the room's dimensions. I agreed and based the quotation on stripping the room and hanging the new wallpaper. However, it wasn't until I turned up to the job that I found out it actually involved a lot more than this. The customer had bought his home from a set designer who had decorated the whole house like a film set. The lounge was decorated with bold, glossy shades of paint and so I needed to prime the walls with lining paper to prevent the old wall colour from showing through.

Unfortunately, this wasn't included within my quotation and so I had to explain to the customer why I was charging him more than we initially agreed. To avoid this situation, I would definitely recommend viewing the project before any figure is decided, no matter how time consuming it may be.

As you will know, there are many factors to consider when pricing up a job, from the dimensions of the property to ensure you purchase the correct amount of product, to preparation work and cleanup costs. Therefore, it's essential to know all of this before you give a price.

It may be worth putting a foot note on the written quotation to let the customer know that they will be consulted if any unplanned work needs to be carried out which may increase the time and, ultimately, the price of the final bill.

What do you do to ensure you give an accurate quotation? I am keen to hear your suggestions!

Paying the price of materials

Recently I've noticed that in an attempt to save money a few customers are requesting to purchase decorating materials and products themselves, so that they only have to pay for labour.

Last month, I received a phone call from a gentleman who wanted the front of his house painting. He asked for a quote based on the fact that he would supply the paint. I was happy to oblige but when I arrived at the job it turned out that he had bought several cans of poor quality paint, which I am not used to working with. As the product was so cheap, it took three coats to produce a commendable finish and, as a result, it took far longer than usual to complete the job.

Bearing in mind that redecoration should be an infrequent occurrence, it is always worth using quality materials that will last. Trade paints are designed for the needs of professional tradesmen because they provide better opacity, higher spreading rates and long-lasting durability, therefore they are worth paying that little bit more for. If I had completed this particular job using the high quality paint that I normally use, only one application would've been needed. Not only would this have saved a great deal of time, but the standard of finish would've also been improved.

The trouble with customers purchasing the materials for a job is that they are unlikely to know the exact amount of product that will be required, and a significant amount of time may be wasted if the product runs out half way through a job. On the other hand, the customer could be left with lots of left over paint if they buy too much. Any reputable painter and decorator will supply the correct quantity of materials needed and will only buy the best tried and tested products.

Therefore, I always strongly advise my customers to let me 'supply and fit' the materials so that they don't need to worry about these issues. Of course, they are not obliged to accept this service, but it's definitely worth it, because if a customer supplies their own products, a painter and decorator cannot be held accountable for any problems that arise regarding durability and finish.

Have you ever used products that a customer has bought? It would be great to hear about your experiences.

The two sides of Health and Safety

Since I wrote my last blog on first aid, I received a shocking phone call from one of my friends who told me that he had been admitted to hospital because he had tried to stop a circular saw with his hand. Luckily, it wasn't too serious but it did involve a painful night in the hospital and a small operation on his finger. I couldn't believe it when he told me, but when I asked how it had happened he admitted that it was his own fault because he had been rushing to complete a contract.

For reasons like this, I think it's really important to have health and safety regulations in place to help educate staff and prevent accidents and injuries in the workplace.

When I was at school, my woodwork teacher once showed our class several gruesome pictures of accidents that had happened in the workplace and these definitely made sure we acted responsibly. He also gave us some valuable advice that I still remember to this day - remove the tie, tuck-in shirt tails, do-up cuff buttons or roll your sleeves up. Never wear jewellery and remove your watch.

These were the days before health and safety regulations and it was mainly left up to the individual to use their own common sense - or not, in some cases. When I was a teenager, I remember seeing a builder fall off some beer crates, which he had been using to stand on a roof in order to reach the chimney. It literally was an accident waiting to happen and if the right health and safety procedures had been in place, it most certainly would have been prevented.

Fortunately over the past decade, more and more employers in the painting and decorating industry are considering the impact of health and safety in the workplace, with many introducing better regulation and risk assessment.

It's important to be prepared because there is always the risk that accidents could happen. That said there are always going to be people that take it to the extreme and use an excessive approach that goes well beyond what the law and common sense require. For example, I recently read about a restaurant that would not give out toothpicks for fear of injury, and I'm sure most of you have heard about children being made to wear goggles to play conkers.

This extreme approach is partly due to the risk of no-win, no-fee personal injury claims, which drive businesses to take health and safety precautions too far in order to protect themselves from blame, claims and payouts. Unfortunately, this has led to a bit of a backlash and claims of 'health and safety gone mad', but it's important to remember that in high risk industries, proper health and safety measures are vital for both employees and staff.

What do you think? It would be great to hear about your experiences of health and safety at its best - and worst!

Brush up on your First Aid

There are so many stories in the news about people injuring themselves in the workplace. In the worst instances, accidents can cause serious injury and put people out of work, so it's obviously important to be aware of health and safety issues.

In the painting and decorating industry there is always potential for accidents to happen. Working up a ladder is a common part of the job, so it's no surprise that slips and falls are frequent occurrences.

Thankfully I've never had a serious accident but I've had a few close shaves and every time something minor happens I always think about going on a first aid course - just to be prepared.

The worst injury I've suffered was a couple of years ago when I cut my finger badly on a Stanley knife. It was extremely painful and the customer had to take me to a local pharmacy so that I could get it sorted out.

I always look back to that incident and think that if I had been on a first aid course, or at best had a first aid kit with me, I would have been able to quickly deal with the wound and get back on with the job.

By completing a first aid course, painters and decorators can operate with confidence, knowing that if there were to be an accident or injury sustained on a job, they would have the skills and knowledge needed to be able to handle the situation effectively.

Becoming a trained first aider has many advantages. It may help to encourage safe working practices, offer peace of mind to clients, and, most importantly, potentially make a difference to someone's life.

My godparent is a Knight of the Order of St John, an honour granted by the Queen in recognition of outstanding contributions to his work. His accolade always makes me feel guilty that I have still not become certified in First Aid. However, with the numerous courses available, it's something I am definitely considering.

Have you ever had an accident at work or have you been on a first aid course and would like to share your tips? I would like to hear from you!

Nicotine Nightmare

It's occurring less often but, in my time as a painter and decorator, I have been asked to paint a number of houses that have been occupied by a smoker. In one instance, I had to paint a kitchen that was so badly stained with nicotine the walls had turned yellow.

Nicotine and tar are pervasive and have the power to stain more than just your teeth. They seep into the walls leaving a greasy stain, which is not that easy to remove if it's been left for a long time.

In these types of jobs, it just means spending more time prepping and cleaning the walls before you paint. Nicotine affects the finish of paint, so it's important that the surfaces are cleaned and primed properly before the painting begins. You shouldn't just paint over the problem, as nicotine will still 'bleed' into the following coats of paint and the unpleasant stains will linger.

I find the best way to tackle stains of this sort is to wash the walls and trim with a strong cleaning product and use a good bit of elbow grease. Another good option is to start with a bucket of warm water mixed with vinegar, increasing the strength of the solution, depending on how tough the stain is.

Once the room is clean and dry, the next stage is to prime the walls with a stain block primer - a tough, durable coating which will prevent any stains from migrating into the paint finish. Then the actual decoration can begin.

It can be a lengthy process, and may prove to be more costly for the customer, but it's well worth doing the job effectively in order to permanently remove the stains and smell caused by smoking, and achieve a long lasting, high quality finish.

Do you have any tips for painting a room which has suffered from the effects of nicotine? I would like to hear your suggestions!

London's Low Emission Zone

As a painter and decorator, my reliable van of ten years is vital to my profession. It contains my necessary tools of the trade and gets me to all of my jobs on time. I frequently use it to travel to jobs in Greater London, but come January I don't think this will be the case.

This is because the next phase of London's Low Emission Zone (LEZ), which aims to improve the air quality around London, will come into force from 3rd January 2012. The new vehicle emission restrictions will affect trucks, vans, coaches and even motor homes.

The proposals mean that if I drive on any roads within Greater London, I will be facing a daily charge of £100, as my van will be one of the thousands of vehicles affected by changes to the rules. There will be no way of getting around this - if vehicles do not meet the new criteria, cameras in the restricted areas will pick up the number plate and the authorities will then issue a fine of up to £500.

A lot of my friends in the painting and decorating industry are now considering the various options available to them in order to avoid the daily charge, whether it be to fit a pollution filter to their vehicle, use alternative means of transport or avoid business in the London area all together.

I am obviously concerned about the impact these changes will have on my business, particularly as many of my regular customers are situated in this area. What's more, there is no way that I can afford a new vehicle which complies with the LEZ, particularly when my old van will be worth nothing, as it will no longer be suitable for use in London.

To check whether you may need to take action to meet the new standards in time, there are a number of websites you can visit, including www.tfl.gov.uk

Do the new restrictions affect you and your vehicle? How do you plan to deal with it? I would like to hear your views!

Apprenticeships: making the right decision for your company

Recently, there has been a lot of attention in the press about apprenticeships, especially with National Apprenticeship Week having taken place in February. Reading about it in the paper got me thinking about how I began my career as a P&D, and how I would have loved to have been offered an apprenticeship when I was younger.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the case, but looking back it would have really improved my knowledge and skills at a much quicker rate. My career probably began when I couldn't afford to pay someone to do the work in my house. I did some research and picked up the skills as I went along, turning my hobby into my livelihood.

Although I've never employed an apprentice myself, several of my P&D friends have and I have seen for myself the enormous benefits they gain from having an apprentice working with them. For a start, it's helpful to train them to your way of working and use the same techniques as you. This makes sure that they don't pick up any bad habits along the way. In return, they'll share the same work ethic and will learn to be just as skilled as you are.

Obviously, you need to invest time and money into supporting your apprentice to make it worthwhile. And it's worth considering this because it does takes time to teach them the ins and outs of the business. But if you have the resources available, there are many benefits that can be gained through this investment.

With so many young people looking to gain apprenticeships at the moment, there is an abundance of eager, motivated and flexible people available.

The bottom line is that we're all in business to make money, so deciding whether or not to employ an apprentice must be a decision based on you and your company. What are your opinions? I'd like to know about your experiences - whether you started life as an apprentice yourself, or have taken one on, it would be great to hear from you.

Reduce, reuse, recycle

I recently accompanied my daughter on an open day for an environmental consultancy masters, and it got me thinking about good old 'mother nature' and what decorators can do to help.

In the UK we have definitely become a 'throwaway society'. Most of what we buy is wrapped in some form of plastic, much of which will go straight into the bin and eventually end up in landfill. The day with my daughter got me thinking about what I already do to reuse leftover packaging, so I thought I'd share some of my best tips with my readers.

Firstly, I never throw away any plastic bottles. I can't count the number of times I've been on a site and there's been no water source, and I've even had to knock on neighbours' doors to ask for water! So my first tip is to keep all the good sized bottles you buy and take your own water to any job.

Secondly, plastic tubs can be used in a million ways. You know those two for £4 chocolate chip cookie tubs you get from M&S? Well, after you've finished passing them round your work mates, they make a great pot for mixing filler! Ice cream tubs are also great for storing medium sized items like paintbrushes. I've been doing both for years now.

The best tubs I've ever found have to be 600g supermarket soups. If you chose ones with clear lids, you can put different things like cable clips in each one, and find them straight away at a later date.

However, I still need to find the time to recycle my old paint tins. I must have twenty different tins lying around in my garage, each with a little bit of paint in! Of course, you can't wash the paint down the sink, so they very quickly start to pile up. I'll have to pick up some Dulux Trade Paint Solidifier next time I visit my local merchant and then get those tins to my local recycling station!

Does anyone else have any handy tips to reduce, reuse or recycle?

How not to watch paint dry

I'm sat at home on a glorious Friday afternoon and the sun is properly shining for the first time in months. Nice weather can definitely be the difference between a good and bad day for anyone, but it's even more important for us decorators as it can be the difference between getting or not getting an exterior job done.

It must have happened to all of us at one time or another. You start a job with plenty of time left until the deadline, and then half way through the project it starts pouring down. Suddenly there is no chance of getting the job completed in time and you have to sit inside twiddling your thumbs. Instead of the joke about watching paint dry, you find yourself having to watch the weather dry!

Of course it's great when the sun is shining, but we can't ever be sure of how long it will last. I remember a time back in the late 80's when I had to hire scaffolding to do a summer job on a block of six flats in London. It absolutely chucked it down for an entire week so we couldn't do anything!

One great tip for avoiding this is to hold on to interior jobs. Most projects have an interior decoration element, but don't rush and do this right at the beginning - which sometimes can be tempting especially if it's chilly outside! I'd suggest leaving the tasks which can be completed inside until you have a bad weather day, for instance in the example I used above, I spent the spare time painting an internal stairway.

Another tip is to spend wet days doing those little tasks that you often don't have time to do, such as going to your local merchant and finding out about any new products, and stocking up on anything you need. Every time I go I find out about something interesting that will make my decorating life much easier.

Does anybody else have any rainy day tips to share?

Swap shop

I've discovered something that I think is going to save me a lot of money and it could save you some too. I'd describe them as local exchange trading systems, basically 'swap shops', where you can swap skills, talents, hobbies and items for just about anything - in my case it's painting and decorating.

My wife needed a second hand car, just a little run around that would get her to the shops and back, and I found somebody who needed a painter and decorator - so we swapped. I painted their house and they gave us a car that had been taking up space on their drive for a few months.

My friend, an electrician, got a really good bargain. He rewired somebody's house in exchange for a holiday. It turned out the people he swapped with had a stunning holiday home in the South of France, so he did a couple of days work in their home in return for a week in their villa.

It's a brilliant idea and I don't know how I've not discovered it sooner. All you have to do is sign up to an online skill-swapping site and look through what's available. Or you can do what I've done and set up your own profile. It's so simple, I've listed painting and decorating as my skill to offer to others, but you can offer just about anything, and then people can get in contact when they want to make use of your skill. To give you an idea, people offer anything from plumbing, photography and hairdressing, to book keeping, language teaching and website building.

There are a few websites on offer and I guess it depends on what's available in your local area, but Swap A Skill, Team Up Here, LETS, Gumtree and Freecycle are some of the best ones I've found. If you know of anymore let me know and if you do go ahead and exchange your painting and decorating skills, please keep me updated on all your stories.

A bit of a botched job

I went out for a lovely meal with the missus the other night. We got all glammed up (by glam I mean I didn't wear jeans) to attend one of the town's top Chinese restaurants. It was very posh and expensive looking inside (the place was dripping in gold) and the food wasn't bad either.

Sitting eating my sizzling chicken in satay sauce, I sat admiring the extravagant wall paper - it really was amazing! I'd describe it as (remember English Language was never my strong point at school) very artistic and floral, with lots of trees and exotic looking birds. Ok, maybe my explanation isn't doing it justice, but my point is, a lot of care and attention had gone into designing, producing and picking this wall paper. So why then had it been put onto the wall upside down?

Surely for the owners to spend so much money on the wallpaper you'd think they would pay a little bit more money for an expert to put it up. Just like second lane motorway drivers, this really does annoy me. In my opinion, to tackle a very small paint job is acceptable but to spend £100 per roll and not ask a professional to put it up is clueless.

Painters and decorators spend years training and learning the craft. We are skilled in specialist techniques and have in-depth knowledge about what products work best and in which situation. This understanding allows us to provide professional results regardless the job size; something that may not happen if a customer decides to do it themselves.

Am I the only decorator who feels this way? If you have any stories of botched jobs, whether you have been involved in them or not, I'd love hear them. Oh and for the record, I didn't say anything to the staff at the Chinese restaurant about their upside down wall paper, I didn't want to upset them, but maybe I'll drop my card off in the near future!

P&D and VAT

Hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year. I'd love to say I had a relaxing couple of days off, but if I did I'd be lying. Right when I should have been at home with a nice cup of tea, enjoying Christmas TV and finishing off the kids' selection boxes, my missus dragged me down to the local high street. Going crazy over the 'Beat the VAT' sales, she insisted on looking for 'bits and bobs', stuff we didn't need or want, to avoid paying a few extra quid just in case we do need them.

So how will the 2.5 per cent rise affect us painters and decorators and what should we be looking out for? For a start, I know lots of my mates in the business are now wondering whether to rethink the prices they quoted before the New Year or just swallow the loss. Really, it is an individual choice and people will have to make this decision based on their own business needs.

As well as thinking about the increase in costs to our customers, it's worth thinking about the increase in overheads to us. We all know how easy it is to drop into a store, pick up some paint, put it on the account and forget about the accumulating charges. My guess is that we'll really start to feel the pinch of the VAT increase when the first set of invoices and statements start coming through. This might be worth bearing in mind over the next couple of months - I know that I'll be keeping a record of everything I buy on account.

With consumers being encouraged to be cautious with their money, they may become more hesitant to use the services of a painter and decorator and resort to picking up a paintbrush themselves just to get the work done. That's why it's even more important for us to sell ourselves, demonstrating to the customer the long term advantages of using a professional painter and decorator.

As both a consumer and business owner, I will continue to budget well and spend my money wisely over the coming year but with a little careful planning and forward thinking, the VAT increase needn't be as bad as we think.

How do you plan to deal with the VAT rise? Has the increase affected your business? Let me know how you feel about it!

All singing all dancing decorators!

If there's one thing I've learnt from working in the industry, it's that being a painter and decorator isn't as simple as sticking a fresh coat of paint on the wall and hanging a few rolls of wall paper! It may add a bit more time onto a job, but keeping a customer happy is about providing a full service, start to finish. From preparing the room and surfaces to presenting it to the customer when it's complete and tidy, it all adds to the overall experience.

Let me explain a bit further. To do the best job possible it's good to be skilled in areas other than just painting and decorating. I often need to do 'little' jobs like removing a radiator off the wall, taking light fittings down and even taking doors off hinges and re-hanging them again, just so I can get the job done.

If the job involves electrics, you need to know the regulations - in particular, Part P. Part P dictates that unless you have completed a competent person scheme, any electrical work you do in a garden, outbuilding, garage, greenhouse, conservatory, porch, kitchen and bathroom, must be reported to Building Control.

On the other hand, if you're not comfortable doing these sorts of odds and ends or you don't have the right tools, don't be afraid to say no, as most customers will appreciate your honesty. In this situation, it's always handy to know a good spark, plumber or even carpet fitter who you can recommend to the customer. Beware though; it may be good to work alongside another professional, but if they let the customer down or make a mistake it's you that'll get it in the neck. So do your research or ask around before you recommend them.

If you'd like further info on courses, just give me a nudge below and I'll try and point you in the right direction. Similarly, if you have any unusual stories of what you've needed to do just to get a job done, I'd love to hear them. I was once asked to babysit whilst painting a customer's dining room. Although I have to say, I'll not be making a habit of that one!

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Decorating, and extras!

Picture this, you're four days into a job for someone you know (a friend of a friend you conveniently bump into at the pub when they need a job doing), you've already charged them discounted rates, and as it turns out, the job is a lot more time consuming than you originally planned for.

You've got one day to finish two rooms before starting your next job, which also happens to be for a friend of a friend with an over ambitious project, when the following words are murmured (in an embarrassed like way) from the customer: "whilst you're here, would you mind doing the skirting boards and door frames too?"

After nearly spitting the brew (tasteless orange water disguised as tea) back into the china cup it came in, you throw a 'you've got a nerve' look their way whilst unconsciously mouthing the words 'sure no problem'. But it is a problem, it's a massive problem. It means you're going to have to let down/tell a tiny white lie to the other friend of a friend booked in for the next day. What do you do?

Alright, it's not a life or death situation, but if the wrong decision is made it could not only affect future business, it will probably annoy the wife, especially when you've promised to pick the kids up from school whilst she has her hair done.

You're most likely reading this looking for the perfect solution. In truth there is no right or wrong answer, but speaking from experience, I'd recommend assessing the given situation and making a decision based on how much flexibility you can get away with.

If they are asking you to do a time consuming job, get your diary out and look for the next available date you can fit it in. This way the customer will see from your diary that you're busy and not making up excuses because you don't like the way they make a cup of tea.

If the job will take less than a day and could guarantee further work in the future, talk to your next customer and ask them to reschedule. We've all told a little white lie to postpone the next job, plus, if you're good the customer will wait for you.

So how do you approach the customer with an amended quote for the 'extras' they conveniently just added on? There is a simple solution to this; make sure you always carry a carbon copy book with you. Before undertaking any extras, quote the customer, asking them to sign the carbon copy with the agreed price on it. That way we all know, and have hard copy proof, on where we stand.

Yes, customers can be hard work but ultimately, they pay our mortgages and keep us in business. In these situations, you've got to get the right mix of being flexible, thinking about the bottom line and your reputation, while creating good long term relationships with the client.

Am I the only decorator who has this problem? Or are we all painting from the same pot? If you've got any tips on dealing with tricky customers, or have any stories to share, I'd love to know.

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