Wishing all our friends, clients and visitors to the propertydecorating.co.uk, website and this our blog, Seasons Greetings and A Happy New Year, may 2011 be a good one for us all.
Best wishes, Adrian and Hazel.

VAT Increase coming in January 2011

How does it effect you?

With the new increase of the current VAT rate from 17.5% to 20% in January 2011 I was wondering how this will effect painters and decorators like myself. I was wondering if the increase would put people off having any decorating done because they think the increase will make the decorating job cost too much.

I hope people don’t think like this and actually think about what little difference it will make, especially by using a local independent tradesman who isn’t VAT registered. If a job costs £500 including the materials now (£400 labour and £100 materials) the same job in the new year will only cost an extra £2.50 as the materials are the only thing effected by the VAT. So, instead of paying £500 now you would pay £502.50 in January.

Still think the VAT increase will make that decorating job cost too much?

If your based in the Southend on Sea area and would like an estimate for some decorating in the New Year why not contact us or fill in our decorating estimate form to arrange an onsite visit.

A quick tip for when your painting skirting boards, when decorating a room and you are having a new carpet fitted, but not for a few days after you have decorated, a quick tip is to cut the carpet around the room about three inches away from the skirting boards, removing the carpet, but leaving the gripper rods (mind your fingers on these) and the underlay. This will allow you to paint the skirting boards all the way to the bottom and not get bits of fluff or carpet on the new paintwork.

Also, by removing only a few inches of carpet from around the edge of the room you won’t be walking on cold concrete or floorboards whilst you wait for the new carpet to be fitted. Another advantage of removing the carpet and painting all the skirting to the floor is if the new carpet if a different thickness you wont end up with that horrible yellowish line where you haven’t painted.