House Painters in Summerhill

A residential suburb with a name story

Wikipedia describes Summerhill as a residential locality about 6 kilometres south of Launceston, mostly in the City of Launceston area with a small part in Meander Valley, and says the 2016 census recorded 3,135 people. It says the suburb is primarily residential and home to Summerdale Primary School. It also says the area was officially gazetted as Summerdale in 1957, probably by mistake, because it had been known as Summerhill for up to a century beforehand, and that it was regazetted as Summerhill in 1963. The article has no information on the houses.

Inside a typical home

For an interior repaint, Yakka Labour gives a three-bedroom single-storey house at $6,000 to $12,000, a four-bedroom house at $8,000 to $15,000 and a two-bedroom unit or townhouse at $3,500 to $6,500, including GST. It gives Hobart at $6,000 to $11,500. The Quote Yard estimates $4,500 to $9,000 for Tasmania. We have no source for typical Summerhill house sizes, so choose the row that matches your home and treat it as a guide, not a quote.

Where the money goes

Yakka Labour says paint and materials are roughly 15 to 25 per cent of a typical price and labour the rest, so preparation time is what separates quotes. It gives walls at $14 to $25 per square metre, ceilings at $12 to $22, doors and frames at $120 to $250 and skirting at $8 to $15 per metre. Ask each painter to show the quantities behind the price so you can compare them.

Furniture, colour and sheen

Yakka Labour says many painters charge 10 to 20 per cent more for a furnished home, and that a big colour change can add 15 to 30 per cent. It says low sheen is the standard for living areas and bedrooms, and semi-gloss suits kitchens, bathrooms and laundries. Ask each painter to name the sheen for each surface and say who moves the furniture and protects the floors.

Older ceilings and paint

Yakka Labour says some textured ceilings in homes built before 1990 may contain asbestos, and that sanding or scraping it is not. It also says homes built before about 1970 may have lead-based paint, especially on trims, windows and doors. We give no handling instructions and cannot say which applies to your house. Ask what the painter does before sanding, and whether any testing is in the price.

The outside of the house

For the outside, Yakka Labour gives $3,500 to $8,000 for a single-storey brick veneer and $8,000 to $16,000 for weatherboard, and The Quote Yard estimates $5,000 to $12,000 for a single-storey exterior in Tasmania. Yakka says a single-storey exterior takes one to three weeks depending on material and weather. Ask the painter which surfaces are in the price and how upper walls will be reached.

Weather and the season

The Bureau of Meteorology's Launceston Airport statistics show about 82 rain days a year and a wettest month of August at about 73 millimetres. Yakka Labour says late autumn and winter are quieter for interiors in the southern states and that exterior painters are busiest in spring and summer, so an interior job may be easier to book in winter. We cannot say how busy any painter is, so ask for dates in writing.

Rivers, roads and getting to the job

A busy road can leave grime on front fences and walls, though we have no source that says so here. Ask each painter whether washing is included, whether fences and gates are in the price, and how the front door and letterbox will be protected. Yakka Labour lists a front door and frame at $120 to $250.

Electrical or plumbing alongside the job

If the job involves a new light fitting, a switch or a tap, needatradie's Tasmanian guide says electrical and plumbing work need a licence whatever the job is worth. Ask who does that part, and look them up on the occupational licensing register. The former CBOS advised checking relevant experience for painting itself, which generally needs no licence.

Why is the suburb named Summerhill?

Wikipedia says it was gazetted as Summerdale in 1957, probably by mistake, because it had been known as Summerhill for up to a century earlier. It was regazetted as Summerhill in 1963.

Which council covers Summerhill?

Wikipedia says 96 per cent of the locality is in the City of Launceston and 4 per cent is in the Meander Valley area. Ask which applies to your address.

What does a three-bedroom interior repaint cost?

Yakka Labour gives $6,000 to $12,000 nationally and The Quote Yard estimates $4,500 to $9,000 for Tasmania. Both are guides, not Summerhill quotes.

Does Summerhill have a primary school?

Wikipedia says Summerdale Primary School is in the suburb. It does not say anything about the houses nearby, so ask each painter about working hours.