Choose the rooms and the finish

Interior painting

We paint walls, ceilings, doors, frames, skirting and staircases, in one room or the whole house. Most of the work is preparation: filling cracks, sanding, spot-priming stains and repairing loose plaster before any paint goes on. Tell us about recent plastering, damp patches or old wallpaper so the quotation covers the right preparation.

If you are living in the house during the work, we agree the order of rooms with you before the start date, along with which furniture stays in each room and how floors are protected. Tell us which rooms you need each evening and we plan around them.

Exterior painting and wallpaper

Outside, we paint masonry, render, window frames, sills, fascias and front doors. Rotten timber and loose render are repaired first, as paint will not hold on either. On taller houses and blocks we arrange the scaffold and, if it stands on the pavement, the council licence.

We hang lining paper and wallpaper, including pattern-matched papers. Tell us the paper, how many rolls you have and whether the walls have been lined before. Specialist papers such as grasscloth are hung to the supplier's instructions.

Planning decorating in a London home

Most London boroughs have controlled parking zones, so we check trade permits and permitted bays for your street before the start date. Tell us the floor level, whether there is a lift and how close the van can get. In a flat, check the lease and the managing agent's rules on working hours and communal areas before you book.

Much of London's housing is Victorian or Edwardian, with lime plaster, cornicing, picture rails and painted sash windows. These need different preparation from modern plasterboard, and old paint layers may contain lead, which must not be dry-sanded. If you live in a conservation area and want to change the outside colour, check with your council first. Interior decorating does not need consent.

Typical painting and decorating prices in London

These are typical ranges for London, not fixed prices. Your quotation depends on the size of the rooms, the condition of the surfaces, the preparation needed and who supplies the materials.

Work	Typical price
Day rate	A painter and decorator in London typically charges £250 to £400 a day. Paint and materials are usually extra.
One room	Walls and ceiling of an average bedroom or living room typically £450 to £700. With doors, frames and skirting included, typically £600 to £1,000.
Outside of a house	Repainting the outside of a London terrace or semi typically £1,500 to £4,000, depending on its size and the repairs. Scaffolding, if needed, typically adds £500 to £1,200.
Wallpaper hanging	Labour for hanging wallpaper in London is typically £30 to £60 a roll. Pattern-matched and specialist papers cost more to hang, and the paper itself is extra.

Prices usually exclude VAT. We look at the rooms or your photographs before we price, and the written quotation lists the surfaces, preparation and products agreed.

See the South Croydon exterior painting job

Questions before you enquire

Can you decorate just one room?

Yes. Send photographs of the room, rough measurements and the surfaces you want painted. If a hallway, stairs or landing joins on to it, say so, as they are often done at the same time for an even finish.

Can I choose and supply the paint?

Yes. Tell us the brand, colour, finish and quantities before you order. If you would rather we supply it, the quotation names the products. Either way, the paint has to suit the surface, and the quotation says who provides primers and fillers.

Do you work in my part of London?

We work across London. Our recent decorating includes a block of flats in South Croydon in October 2026, and in 2022 our director managed the full refurbishment of a house on Durnsford Avenue, Wimbledon Park, before Vayton was set up. Send your postcode and we will confirm.

What to send for a useful quotation

Send your postcode, photographs of each room or of the outside, rough sizes and a list of the walls, ceilings and woodwork. Add your colour ideas, any cracks, stains or damp, who supplies the paint, whether you will be living there during the work and when you would like it done.

If the work needs a site visit before we price it, our engineer's visit is free, with no obligation.

Related services and advice

Painters and decorators in Wimbledon

Commercial painting and decorating

Plaster repairs before decorating

Painters and decorators in London

Tell us which rooms need painting.