About Painters
- Auckland House Washing article
- Choosing paint colours
- Comparing Auckland house painters
- Preparation by house painters in Auckland
- Things to look for in an Auckland Master Painter
Comparing Auckland house painters
Over 25 years in the industry the words Auckland painters engender a variety of images in my mind they come with both fond and disturbing memories.
Anything is possible from a solitary painter in a beat up station wagon to, organizations with several levels of management and quality control. The important thing to discern is how each of the Auckland painters operate.
Are they neat and tidy trades people who are careful about correct application techniques and following specifications backed by Auckland MasterPainters? or are they the kind of house painters who are astute when operating inside or around beautiful homes or are they slightly troublesome individuals who lack basic disciplines that are required to get quality work done or dealing with people who are discerning about their homes and about getting what they have paid for.
If you are like most homeowners you already have something in mind with regards to the service, finish quality and longevity or guarantee. You will also know instinctively the types of people you are prepared to have around your home and family for several weeks or even months. Your task is to ensure first you know what your own priorities are and secondly that the painting contractor you select is willing and capable of delivering what you need.
Determine your priorities
Before you select prospective Auckland painters to visit your home start by determining your objectives. These may include the following;
- What kind of people you’d be happy to have around or in your house
- The area you’d like to be painted and perhaps any optional areas
- Any additional maintenance work you require
- How long you expect the finish to last
- When you need the painters to start or finish
- If you have a budget or you simply would like the best at any cost, the cheapest at any cost or best but value for money.
Determine which painters
Meet with the Auckland house painters that appear to fit the priorities have set. Ask the probing questions and beware that the painting contractor you are talking to has done this dance many times. Ask the painter to show you other homes they have done if possible also ask about their guarantee and who they work with as the will also be in your home. Be explicit by telling the painters representative what you need in terms of area, timeframes and materials. Keeping the options to a minimum at the initial stages will allow you to compare quotes from various Auckland house painters. It will also reduce the scope for misunderstanding when just a couple of options are on the table.
Here is a quick checklist to see how a painting company stacks up.
1. Are they a member of Auckland Masterpainters? or other professional organisations such as New Zealand Masterbuilders or the Auckland Painting contractors association.
2. Are they a company with a significant profile to protect or an individual with nothing to loose.
3. Are they well known, do they have media coverage have they won any awards?
4. Have you spoken with any of their current clients this would be prudent and is a great way to confirm that they deliver what they promise
5. What do the paint manufacturers say about them they are also experts and know what is going on in the industry
Guarantee
Paint manufacturers provide guarantees of between 5 and 15 years on their paint systems. Surprisingly only a handful of Auckland house painters provide any guarantee over 5 years, in fact most Auckland painters offer no guarantee at all.
A guarantee provides you with a good indicator of the house painters commitment to putting in the correct preparation and following paint specifications. The ideal is a good length guarantee with a system for checking and confirming compliance with specifications.
Determine the value of each house painters proposal
Consider the value in light of the lifetime of the paint finish. When an established painting company offers a guarantee you can consider painting as an annualized cost. A good way to determine the real value of the proposed house painting is to divide the cost of the work divided by the guaranteed lifetime of the work.
Annual cost of finish = Cost as quoted
Lifetime of paintwork
Annual cost quote A = Quoted at $10,000
5 year guarantee =$ 2,000 per year
Annual cost quote B = Quoted at 12,000
10 year guarantee =$ 1,200 per year
How secure is an Auckland house painters Guarantee?
Guarantees offered by Auckland house painting companies are generally more secure than individual house painters. A large painting contractor has much more to lose from damage to their brand. On top of this many smaller Auckland house painters don’t have same the financial capacity to return and fix a job if necessary even if they would like to this becomes a strain on the resources. Larger house painting contractor firms have the labour capacity the financial ability and also the motivation to keep their brand value intact.
This piece was written by Arjen Bloem from Paint and Plasterboard Finishing (PBF). PBF are Auckland house painters specialising in painting Auckland’s top homes.
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