What would you pay for a painter who can give your lounge a couple of coats of emulsion and make the room look fab?... Now what would you pay for an expert in colour\ application of paint products, has years worth of knowledge, has worked on high end properties and retail, has major experience of work and product knowledge and can transform a room far more professionally and with an eye to detail that even the most competent DIYer wouldn't see let alone be able to do, all whilst adding value to your biggest asset and being the first impression anybody entering your home or office will see?....
Well...what if both of those situations were the same person?..
We can sometimes take a job title or that of a project at face value...and how many times do decorators hear the words " anyone can paint"..especially if its a tidy up contract or a straight forward room redecoration, well yes, anyone can paint, and i'm sure given the right opportunities anyone can sing and dance, but we aren't all Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. so surely there are exceptions, for someone experienced in their field, one that has taken years to perfect their trade and can offer over and above the norm, one who excels in quality finishes time and again and is constantly recommended they can ask a little bit more of a premium and know their worth..after all, you are paying somebody to work on your home and to impact it the way an extension or new bathroom suite would do, its a selling point eventually and keeping your home healthy always helps long term..there is also the chance that those good at their skill set are in high demand, this may cost a little too, surely that is no different to most careers?
You are asking decorators to work in your home\office for a reason, cant wallpaper?, don't have time? the hallway looks too daunting with all that woodwork?... if we have taken 30 years to be able to do the work in 2 weeks then we value that, and charge accordingly.
As an example i recently completed a project to the clients complete amazement and adulation, only to then be questioned about the cost which had been agreed prior to commencement...they expected the work to take longer and questioned my profit, they put me in comparison with other trades and their costs... i have to say it made me question the pricing issue, but ultimately we sat down and i explained how i had issued an estimate and detailed it according to the work that was carried out to a high standard as agreed by both parties, my cost was made up of rising materials prices, my experience and product knowledge as i'd helped choose colours and the finishes ( at no extra cost i add), i'd worked weekends and some evenings to get the work completed due to carpets having been arranged prior to me turning up, and i had corrected some previous building work in order to complete mine ( again no cost).. couple all of that against the fact that i have no idea of the other trades and their circumstances in life and work diary so am not privvy to those charges and worth, and i would say they finally understood that they had got a fantastic job at a fair price and both parties were happy.... trying to educate the masses that a person who is fantastic at their craft, no matter what career you are in, shouldn't have to conform to the one size fits all approach, especially when you are running a business, ultimately if the diary dries up then you are doing something wrong..
Decorators are a finishing trade for a reason, we can turn that designers vision into a reality, that Carpenters newly made unit look like its meant to be, give that old dresser some new love and life and turn that developers block of flats in to an impressive investment for the next buyer all whilst adding a few pennies on to the price due to the finish...
So hopefully the next time you have a decorator estimate for the work it may not be unreasonable to ask why some of them are so cheap? as opposed to the quality decorators that know what they are worth and can bring to the paste table!...
And just maybe the next time you hear or are about to say.. " yes, but anyone can...." stop and think!, actually can i sing and dance better than the next person?..
I thought not..