Interior Painting and homeowners

[Eieio]

Increasingly on our recent remodels the homeowners are opting to do their own interior painting..

They just can't seem to wrap their minds around spending the money or do it to reduce cost..

We are finishing up a whole house renovation, nice finishes, good layout. I went back over last week to meet the inspector for one of our inspections and noticed the painting had started.

It really did not look good, cuts were bad and the quality of the paint was awful..

I really wanted to try and talk them into a repaint or a touch up..

Its hard to look at some of these jobs and not cringe when you see the final product that's out of your hands..

[Bodger]

I've run into this many times. Not just on paint. The clients think they can get a good job by doing it themselves or wih lowballers that they hire.

My favorite was the hardwood flooring that a client hired some unlicensed hack to do at the last minute instead of my guy. The flooring cupped and looked like crap about three months later.
The client's father calls me and says "What are you going to about the flooring in my daughter's house?"

I was smart enough to have the daughter sign off on a declaration that absolved me from all responsibility for the flooring.

[Blue]

I should have taken pics of the sorority house I just did the bathroom gut on. The girls did all the painting (except my bathroom). They cut in at the popcorn ceiling with a 4 inch brush. The walls were dark orange. I'm sure you get the picture so to speak.

[Bender]

I should have taken pics of the sorority house I just did the bathroom gut on. The girls did all the painting (except my bathroom). They cut in at the popcorn ceiling with a 4 inch brush. The walls were dark orange. I'm sure you get the picture so to speak.

PICS! For the love of Christ!
:grin:

[framer55]

PICS! For the love of Christ!
:grin:

Yes of the girls not your lousy painting!!!:grin:

[Bodger]

Sorority girls and four inch paint brushes. Possibilities are endless. :grin:

[Eieio]

You guys will destroy a post in a NY minute, it is almost like a talent for some of you;; :laugh3::laugh3:

[Blue]

Yes of the girls not your lousy painting!!!:grin:
A fifty year old contractor snapping off pics of 20 year old giggling idiot girls? OK, no problem. Whose got my bail money:laugh3:

[WarnerConstInc.]

A fifty year old contractor snapping off pics of 20 year old giggling idiot girls? OK, no problem. Whose got my bail money:laugh3:

If they are 20, what are you worried about?

[RCP]

Yep, anyone can paint!
I target owner/builders on New Construction as soon as I see them pull a permit. I have a DVD I send that stresses the prep work involved, here is the first rough cut I made, the DVD was a little more polished.
You start talking about how much work there is before you even open a paint can and it opens some eyes! I also have pictures in a folder of the lines of a DIY and the lines of a pro.

<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rD4tvCKsRR4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rD4tvCKsRR4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

[Mike(VA)]

BOT. I always try to dissuade my clients from painting. I can see it now (showing off the completed work to friends):

"How do you like our new bathroom?"
"Great, who did the work?"
"Homestead Renovations!"
"Oh, looks good but they aren't too good at painting, are they?"

Dead silence. Do you think they will admit to doing it themselves at that point?

I have done painting at cost just to ensure that the above conversation doesn't end that way.

[ModernStyle]

Even if they hire a painter to do something it is not because they lack the skill, they just dont have time.
I once told a HO in front of his wife who was debating painting his own new home that he would have forever to make the place look like crap, wouldnt you rather have it look great to begin with. His wife agreed and I painted the place.
I did a few new residentials where the HO only wanted the trim or the trim and ceilings painted. The last one I did like this had me come back to paint a door that was replaced, the place looked like hell. He had paint all over my trim and ceilings and had tried to use one of those rollers they sell on TV with the little shield that cuts in for you. He asked if I thought it looked good, and I said honestly you have managed to decrease your homes value quicker then anyone I have ever seen before. He wasnt happy with that answer, but I wouldnt have gotten any work from him anyways, he thinks he paints just fine. I dont worry about him telling his friends not to hire me, because if they have seen his house then they know he knows nothing of what a quality paint job should look like

[nEighter]

There IS skill to painting. Like it or not. And yes a gallon is only $XX.XX but the knowledge, patience, and know-how.. not to mention the right tools are what separates us from the H/O'ers. Don't hear that in the Home Creepo ads now do you?

[Allrounder]

I'm to the point where I don't even promote painting anymore. Every bid that I send out, I hear that I'm more than double the cost of the next bidder. I had a stairway that I bid at $2100 a while back, and they hired a guy who did it for $250. There are a lot of painters in my market that are determined to drive themselves out of business by not charging enough.

[nEighter]

Yep. Had a stairway, 2 story living room and some other weird high areas. I said $700.00 being nice and they were providing material. Got it done for $200.00 by a lady painter. :censored:

[ParamountPaint]

"My brother-in-law/daughter/uncle/neighbor's step-son's cousin is a painter!!!"

That gets bandied about quite frequently. Of course, they live in another state and are too busy to do the job, but they could do it for half the price. Yep.

[Bodger]

There IS skill to painting. Like it or not. And yes a gallon is only $XX.XX but the knowledge, patience, and know-how.. not to mention the right tools are what separates us from the H/O'ers. Don't hear that in the Home Creepo ads now do you?



RCP's video makes that point very well.

[leelee]

Good painting projects usually require professional help. If you've gone to the trouble of renovating and remodeling, why not take the extra step of making your house look great? Contractors like RSU in Tennessee focus on interior and exterior painting as part of their home improvement services:
rsucontractors.com

[RCP]

Welcome to the forum Leelee, do you have many customers that want to do it themselves? Do you have a professional painter on staff?

[Allrounder]

Yep, anyone can paint!
I target owner/builders on New Construction as soon as I see them pull a permit. I have a DVD I send that stresses the prep work involved, here is the first rough cut I made, the DVD was a little more polished.
You start talking about how much work there is before you even open a paint can and it opens some eyes! I also have pictures in a folder of the lines of a DIY and the lines of a pro.

<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rD4tvCKsRR4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rD4tvCKsRR4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

How has this marketing method worked for you?

[RCP]

It has worked very well. Some of the GC's I work for use it as well.

[orson]

It's enough to make you want to cry sometimes when homeowners do there own painting.

On occasion I've paid out of pocket to paint a room instead of the clients painting it just to have portfolio worthy pics.

[ChrisVanities]

Most people don't have a clue about preparation before painting and will only find out later that it will cost them more to fix their mistakes than to pay a professional painter or contractor to paint. Painting is only fun for the first few hours.

Chris