Planning the work
Planning a communal repaint
Common-parts decoration works best when approval, access and the surface schedule are settled together. This guide helps the building's representative turn a general request to refresh the entrance into a commission that residents can understand.
Name the person who can give the instruction
Establish who approves the specification, accepts the quotation and makes decisions about variations. A residents' association may need an internal discussion before those decisions are delegated. Record the agreed process, including any required property-management or professional advice, before asking residents to prepare for work.
Walk and mark the entire route
List the entrance hall, stairs, each landing and any corridors included. Note ceilings, walls, handrails and joinery, together with retained materials. Resolve flat-door boundaries and exclusions in writing. This makes it possible to compare the proposed work with the actual building rather than relying on a broad description such as all common areas.
Select samples where people will see them
Choose positions that show the finish in the entrance light and farther up the building. Keep the accepted samples and references with the schedule. Where several people are involved in the decision, agree a review date and a single record of approval so the preparation and material order have a definite basis.
Make the daily arrangement clear
Resident notices should explain the current phase, access arrangements and whom to contact. Include delivery handling, protection, storage and the end-of-day condition of the route. Noisy construction work audible beyond the site boundary is normally limited by RBKC to 08:00–18:00 Monday to Friday; weekends and public or bank holidays need prior written permission for such work.
Sources: RBKC: noisy construction work hours
Review the finish against the instruction
At completion, use the surface schedule to identify what has been delivered and any item still requiring attention. Record product and colour references for the building file. If a repair or operational fitting was outside the decoration contract, keep its separate action visible rather than allowing the repaint to obscure an unresolved responsibility.
Arrange an Earl's Court repaint
A room, a staircase,
a whole elevation.
Start with the part of the property you want to change. Add who occupies it, when it can be released and whether a managing agent or freeholder needs to approve the work.
Tell us what you have in mind
Please include the SW5 address, the rooms or exterior elements and your proposed timing.