Project guidance
Between bookings & tenancies
A gap in the calendar is useful only when the property is ready for work. Sussex Gardens guest rooms and Basin rental apartments share a need for a definite handover, but their access, contents and operational contacts are different.
Confirm the release of the actual space
A hotel should identify the rooms it can take out of service and any neighbouring rooms that remain occupied. A landlord or agent should confirm possession, key arrangements and what will remain in the apartment. Distinguish an available date from a confirmed instruction. The assessment and programme need to reflect the condition that is present when access is obtained.
Decide what a completed repaint means
Record walls, ceilings, doors and joinery separately, including surfaces that are staying as they are. A small repair, a full wall repaint and a new colour scheme are different scopes with different preparation needs. Confirm how staining or damaged areas will be assessed before they are covered. The handover should be judged against the agreed surfaces and finish, not an undefined expectation that everything will look new.
Put the other trades in the right order
Check whether repairs, flooring work or fittings need attention before painting. Arrange furniture movement and protection so the specified surfaces can actually be reached. In a hotel, agree the sequence with housekeeping; in a rental, coordinate with the agent's cleaners and inventory clerk. Leaving these appointments independent of one another creates avoidable pressure at the end of the work.
Allow for drying and return to use
The manufacturer's requirements for the chosen products should inform the programme, including ventilation and the time before surfaces can be handled or cleaned. Account for the conditions in the room and the proposed preparation. Do not promise a same-day or overnight return from the booking gap alone. If the complete scope cannot fit the available period, reconsider the instruction or the release date before booking the space back in.
Recognise the different access routes
A terrace hotel may carry materials through reception and an occupied stair. A managed apartment can require coordination with security, lifts or a service entrance. Confirm the relevant arrangement with the property contact, including the route for waste. Keep any contractor rules with the room schedule so arrival does not depend on a concierge or receptionist interpreting an incomplete brief.
Check hours before offering an evening slot
Westminster's published standard hours for construction and street works are 8am–6pm on weekdays and 8am–1pm on Saturdays. Sunday and bank-holiday work is outside those standard hours, and the council explains the applicable approval routes. Check how the rules apply to the proposed activity, particularly noisy preparation and access-equipment operations, before treating an evening booking gap as usable working time.
Sources: Westminster: standard hours and out-of-hours approvals
Inspect before dressing or marketing the room
Arrange a review while the decorated surfaces remain visible, with any outstanding items recorded against the instruction. Then coordinate protection removal, cleaning and the return of furniture. Retain the finish references with the property records. The hotel operator or landlord should make the final occupation decision with the agreed work and product requirements understood.
Tell us about your Paddington property
Let’s put your
repaint into focus.
Describe the rooms or frontage and what you would like to change. For a managed property, include the person giving instructions and the arrangements for making the space available.
Your decorating enquiry
Start with the address, the extent of the repaint and any practical details we should consider.