Communal halls & stairs

Define the common parts precisely

Start at the outside threshold and follow the route to the highest landing included in the work. Identify wall areas, ceilings, strings, spindles, skirtings and door frames separately. Flat entrance doors, service cupboards and the underside of stairs should have an explicit place in the schedule. This prevents the term 'hall and stairs' from meaning something different to each household.

Use light to set the scheme

A bright entrance and an enclosed upper landing may need different handling even within one continuous colour scheme. Look at samples with the lighting normally used in the building, especially at turns in the stair. Consider how the wall finish relates to retained flooring, handrails and door furniture. These fixed elements are a more useful starting point than a colour selected away from the property.

Give residents a workable sequence

Agree how each household will reach its door during preparation and while finishes are drying. Mark the proposed work areas and storage location, and arrange how residents will receive changes to the schedule. Move-in dates, deliveries and mobility needs should be discussed with the building contact. Any temporary access arrangement must respect the building's existing fire and escape requirements.

Keep repairs visible in the instruction

Old filling, stair-wall cracking and marks around services can have different causes. Record defects before protection goes down and distinguish cosmetic preparation from matters that need another trade or a survey. Where the house is listed, a stair or original door can be protected even if the entrance looks extensively altered; obtain advice on the intended method when its effect is uncertain.

Sources: Westminster: listed buildings and proposed works

A record for the next maintenance cycle

Ask the residents' representative to retain the accepted specification, colour references and agreed exceptions. Inspect the completed areas from the same landings and viewpoints used to approve the samples. The useful handover is a shared record of what was decorated and with which finish, so future repairs do not gradually fragment the scheme.