The 7 Worst Mistakes That You Should Avoid When Hiring HDB Painters

The HDB unit is the most common type of housing in Singapore and if you happen to live in one of them then at some point you might get the urge to give your home a facelift. One of the best ways to do this is through a paint job. Painting is one of the best solutions to give your HDB a new look but to make sure that you get the best out of this project it is important to choose the right HDB painter. Many companies and individuals offer HDB home painting services, and it is easy to find one but to get the best you should avoid the following seven mistakes that most people make when hiring HDB painters.

1. Hiring an unlicensed painter
For any contractor to get licensed to practice their trade in Singapore, they have to demonstrate that they have the necessary qualifications and capacity to do the job. The same also applies to painters, and so a license is the best indication that the painter is qualified and has the necessary skills to paint your HDB unit. When choosing a painter only choose one that is legally licensed to be a painter in Singapore and ask for proof of the same. Hiring a licensed painter will not only ensure that you get top notch painting services but will also free you from any legal complications that may come up when they are working for you or in the event of an accident on the job.

2. Trusting word of mouth without further research
Many painters have all sorts of licenses and claim to have many years of experience painting HDB’s in Singapore, but this does not necessarily guarantee you that they can offer the quality service that you are looking for. Whereas some may be as good as they claim a majority of them only make these claims to entice you to hire them. To make sure that you choose the best painter you should not trust the word of mouth alone but you should instead do some additional research. Also check customer reviews and ask for references so that you can know the opinion of the people that the painter has worked for. Taking this simple precaution will help prevent disappointments that can be brought about by a painter doing a shoddy paint job on your HDB.

3. Failure to ask for an onsite quotation
When looking for an HDB painter it’s common for people to use the dimensions of their home to get a quotation. Most painters will try as much as possible to give you an accurate quotation based on the dimensions but in most cases this is not a good idea. Instead of doing this you should ask the painter to do a physical evaluation of the job at your HDB before giving you a quotation as this will be more accurate. Good painters will only give you a quotation after inspecting your house and so you will be able to know the entire cost of the work to avoid unforeseen cost inflation’s when the job is already underway. On-site quotations also make it easy for you to negotiate with the painter so as to get the best price for the job.


4. Not checking the painters’ relevant experience
Failure to check the relevant experience of the painter is the most common mistake that most people make when choosing HDB painting services. Painting an HDB is quite different from painting any other type of house. The fact that a painter has the skills and experience to paint a traditional house does not necessarily mean that they can paint your HDB correctly. You should always look for a painter that has experience in painting HDB as this is the only way to ensure that you get quality painting services.

5. Failing to compare different painters
Most people will often settle for the painter that they think is the best for the job, and hence they will not compare different painter, but this is a huge mistake. To make sure that you get the best there is you should take the time to compare different painters. Once you have shortlisted some painters, you should compare them using parameters like cost, quality of their work, experience and speed of completion. From the many painters that you have shortlisted choose the one that will offer you the most benefits. In case you are torn in between a couple of painters who charge the same for their services and have the same quality of work then you should choose the most experienced painter or the one with the most positive customers reviews.

6. Not asking important questions
When hiring a contractor for any job you should ask all the relevant questions about the job that you have in mind. Mos of the times people are afraid to ask questions or are not willing to ask them because of different reasons. However, to get the best HDB painter you have to ask as many questions as possible. By asking the painter questions, you will not only know everything you need to know about their services but also weigh their capabilities. The answers that you get and how the painter answers your questions will help you determine their credibility and if the answers are satisfactory then you should hire the painter to painter your HDB.

7. Not talking about the cleaning work
Painting your HDB can be very messy and so it is important to talk about the cleaning work with your painter. If the painter will not do the clean up after the job or arrange for someone to do it, then you will have to do it yourself or hire someone else to do it for you. Good painters understand how stressful cleaning after a paint job can be and the extra cost you might be forced to incur and so they will include cleaning as part of the package. To make sure that you do not go through the stress of cleaning the house you should only hire a painter that will clean after the job or arrange for someone to clean for you.