Painting & Decorating
 

Any one thinking of coming over and starting up in business as a painter and decorator?? If you need any information just let me know, be glad to help out anyway I can, been here 5 years running a painting business so know some of the pitfalls.

Re: Painting & Decorating
 

We are moving to Melbourne in April 2004. Husband has decorating business for 20 years in UK. Glad of any help.
How difficult to get started? Did you need your C&G certificates?
What's prices like, compared to Uk? How easy to get supplies?

My partner has been a painter and decorator here for 20 years ( self employed) We will be living in Perth. not sure how the selfemployed works there.
any advice greatly received

Re: Painting & Decorating
 

Dont know about melbourne as we are perth, not difficult to get started, took me about a year to get established though, and business now is pretty good, I mainly do commercial work as there is more money in it,but still do domestic as well. you have passed the application process so unless you apply for work with a company as an emplyee you wont need the c&g certificates

As far as prices are concerned you dont earn as much, but then the cost of living is not so bad, depends on how you set up, I am selfemployed and the past couple of years earning of 50/60,000 after deductions and I have a lot of deuctions:) or you can subcontract the money not so good your looking at $20 per hr mind you this perth might be a bit more in melbourne . supplies are no problem I have accounts with three different paint manufactories including dulux, mind you you only get 10 lt cans here in the ukthe main cans were 5lt

One good thing you dont have to register with the painters registration Board, perth is the only state that insists on it, not a bad thing I suppose, helps to stop just anyone setting up and taking work from the pros in theory any way.

self empolyment is very simalar, you still need to pay tax on what you earn every 3 months any over payment you get back the end of the year, and gst of course if you need to register which you probably will if you earn more than 40,000 year,I pay gst monthly tax collecting I call it:)

You will have to apply to the painters registration board as all painters earning over $200 per job need to be registered, no one told me that when I arrived, you have to waste a day doing 3 or 4 well exams to show you can do the job, just another way for them to make some money cost me 300 and then 160 per year.

dont think you will have much trouble getting work, always loads of ads in the west australian, you can probaly get a copy from the London Australia house if not try on line www.westaustralian.com.au think thats the address.

if you want to know any more you can pm me I'll get right back to you.

Re: Painting & Decorating
 

Just registered and can't believe how much info we can find. Best of all another fellow painter and decorator who's a miserable bastard. We're in NSW at the moment and arrived here from the UK in August. We're hoping to move to the Perth area in the next few months. We're coming over for a few days at the end of the month to have a look round and also pop into the PRB to enquire about registration. Could you give us some idea of what's involved? I've been working in Merimbula (NSW) since arriving but understand different rules apply in WA. I've checked out their website but that just confused me more so any help would be welcome. On another note, what's the fishing like there?

Re: Painting & Decorating
 

Good to hear from another fellow miserable bastard:) I can tell you what I had to do, it cost about 300 bucks to sit the tests,and it took about a day to complete, 3 papers over the course of a day, covering materials, tools, estimating, basically showing them you know what your talking about , then it costs you $160 year to keep the registration.

If you want to get to work straight away then selfemployment is the way to go, I assume you already are, there are not many full time painting positions going, and the ones that are dont pay very much, you will need to be registered for GST if you earn over 40,000 a year, you would be looking at about 20 bucks an hour for someone qualified. Although you have probaly already looked into that. The process above may have changed a bit by now but thats what I had to do.

I live in Mandurah which is about 45 mins from perth, and if you like fishing Mandurah is place to be, as well as crabbing and prawning. You should check out some different areas while your here Rockingham is another popular place. Unless you really want to live in perth, housing is a bit more expensive in perth.

If you have any other question just let me know here or pm me

Painting and Decorating
 

Thanks for all the info. We hope to get to Mandurah to meet up with our nextdoor neighbour's brother's wife. Funny how you get contacts. So do you get most of your work locally or do you sometimes travel to Perth? Do you have kids at secondary school? Just wondered what the schools were like in the Mandurah area. We've got 3 boys, 1 at high school who we're more worried getting settled quickly. The other two are 5 and nearly 3 and aren't too worried where they go so long as they see a familiar face. Got the wife's parents coming over for a month or so from tomorrow so that's why we're getting away for a week without the kids.

Re: Painting and Decorating
 

I do travel to perth, for some work on hotels etc, I also get a lot of work in Mandurah,if you go through Mandurah your see the silver sands time share resort took mee 7 months to do the repaint outside on that:), I mainly do commercial work,I try and steer clear of new houses, some of the margins are just to tight,and you can end up working on top of everyone else,I am sure you know what I mean.

I have 3 kids eldest daughter will be staring Tafe very soon, my other daughter is 15 and in Mandurah senior high school and my son is 9 and in Mandurah primary, they all seem to be doing very well. They do have a few private schools as well which are popular and not as expensive as the uk private schools, we thought we would try the local school first and if we did not like the progress we were going to tranfer to a private, but we have been happy with the waythings have gone. I would avoid areas like greenfields, and coodunup if you were thinking of places to buy, check out secert harbour,Meadow springs, silversands, Falcon, hallshead all offer an amazing choice of property.

If I can be of any other help just let me know, I reckon your love Mandurah but thats just me:)

Just bringing this thread back to the top,
I wasnt aware that painters and decorators had to be registered to work in Perth.

Afraid so its the only state where you have to be registered if you earn more than $200 per job, unless your an employee not many of them jobs about, and if you can find one they dont pay much.

Question
 

Hi folks.

Not that I am too serious about it but here goes:

Suppose I want to give up my accountancy and financial systems specialist career (well paid in UK) for something in Oz where I am my own boss...............say a decorator.

I am bloody brilliant at wallpaper hanging - wife and friends words not mine. I do a better job than I have seen in show homes (not hard I know).

Anyway, suppose I wanted to be a one man band doing decorating - would I need a suite of certificates and demonstrate experience or could I just set up and go for it on my own without need of sitting exams?

If the punters didn't like my work I'd soon go broke - but if I was good then word of mouth means everything........

Is there much business for this ?......always fancied doing this as my own boss..........

cheers.......PS.....why are painters miserable ?

Re: Question
 

Well if you really wanted to do that, I suppose you could get over here using your account qualifications.To get here as a decorator you will need 4 year apprenticship and paperwork to prove it.

once here you can set up as a painter but you will still have to sit the 1 day exam at the Painters Registration Board and pass to be able to set up the business, genarally no one asks to see C&G certificates unless your looking for a job as an employee.

Although you do get wallpapering out here its not as common as the uk, in fact not hung wallpaper my self for a few years now, and I used to hang 10/15 rolls a day. its mainly painting here and borders.

bear in mind working on a few jobs of your own in your own home is far different than doing that same work for someone else,but I agree if you do a good job word of mouth does work,I know a few decorators in the uk who are not qualified and are doing ok, you might find the reality a lot harder than you might think though.

Its not that painters are miserable,its just me whos the miserable bastard:)) comes from working by yourself all day:))

ps dont think I would want to give up the career you have

Re: Question
 

Understood!
Best I have done is 5 rolls in a day (my lounge) but thats with 3 ankle biters running around and endless interruptions......being a perfectionist may not suit this trade !

thanks for your note anyhow - maybe a fall back position if I don't succeed in what I have spent 17 years doing..........

Re: Question
 

You have to be a perfectionist to be any good at this kind of work,the papering and painting part is the easy bit, its the preparation that makes the job, if the job was not done properly you just would not get paid.

You will know the good painters, because when you try to book them to do some work they are always booked up months in advance:)

Must admit I would be surprised if you dont get in with the qualifications you already have, you might not earn as much as the uk but it would be more than a painter I'm sure:))