We want to get our bedrooms updated, which will involve stripping the wallpaper, removing picture rail and skirting boards (and maybe door architrave), re-plastering the walls and ceiling, and installing LED lights to replace the current pendant. We’d prefer to do as little as possible ourselves (preferably only painting) as the stress and time vs cost ratio just isn’t worth it (though I’m sure I’ll get told to do most of it myself 😀 ).

Has anyone got any experience of getting this done? Will I have to coordinate multiple people (plasterers, joiners, sparky, etc) or can I just get one person/company to do everything?

Also, is it reasonable to think we could go on holiday for a week and expect 3 bedrooms plus the hall to be complete when we get back? Or am I being optimistic 😆

Pretty sure there will be lots of handymen out there that could do it all but you would need to ensure any changes to the electrics get signed off if required.

I’d say people that specialise in lettings renovations would be your best bet.

And a week – that would be pushing it a bit – 2 days to strip down all rooms, a day to upgrade electrics, 2 days to overskim, a further 2 days waiting for it to dry then around a week for redecoration.

It could be done quicker I am sure but it’s your own house so you want it doing properly I assume.

I’m not so concerned with the time, I’d rather have a good job. Just trying to figure out how long we’ll be sleeping downstairs for!

Should have also asked if anyone can recommend anyone for the tasks above in the Manchester area?

Stripping out is easy, and electrics I’d probably do myself, but plastering is a real skill and one of the few things I’m more than happy to pay someone else to do. I’ll include coving in with the plastering if you’ve got wonky walls.

A week is pretty optimistic imo, especially if you’re on holiday and not there to breathe down necks. Someone will fail to turn up and delay everything.

We have an excellent plasterer, but we’re in Berkshire so not much help to you !

Also depends on what you mean by “installing LED lights to replace the current pendant”. If you mean an LED lit fitting on the roof roughly where the current pendant is, it’s an hour or two job per room, if you want a grid of spotlights of changing colours controlled via your phone, it’s not.

^ Trudat

I had assumed he meant grids of spots.

Would just be grids of spots, nothing flashy!

We had a builder in, who could plaster too. An electrician for the lights.

Really think about going away. It is far better to oversee everything.
When our house was being re-done, I worked from home and could keep an eye on progress.
Every evening i would ask the builder what he needed for the next day and then went out to get the stuff.
I also got them lunch everday (so they didn’t get in the van and disappear for hours on end.
It sort of ran smoothly.
Believe me there will always be a time when you need to be around to answer questions when/should anything go wrong.

Why do you want to get rid of the pendant? There are lots of very high power LED lamps available now we’ve used some 18w Philips LEDs which are dimmable