Decorator / Bathrooms / Refurb - Gary Skinner - 07572 588222

Having read all the recommendations on this thread we contacted Gary to help fix some damage caused my some leaks. He came round to give a quote and was able to start the work really soon. He and his team are all really friendly and got the job done. The comms with him has always been great and reliable unlike some other tradespeople we’ve used in the past. He’s now also coming back going to fix some issues with our roof which we hope will stop any more leaks in the future. I definitely recommend contacting him if you need something done! 

Gary and his team have been doing work for us now for a few years, and he has just been back again to clean up and refresh our loft space.  

As every time they have been, Gary and team have done a great job, they are knowledgeable, care about the detail and finish, our loft is looking great.  Thoroughly recommended!!

Gary's number is 07572588222

Edited November 10, 2023 by Andy_C

I've had a number of jobs completed by Gary, from damp investigation and wall repair to tiling and painting/decorating. They've all been completed in a timely fashion and to a very high standard.

Gary has a serious eye to detail and bundles of experience which comes in handy as he explain things the work he will be doing and advises on solutions he think will benefit you and your house most.

He's also incredibly reliable and very plugged into the building world which enables him to source high quality materials at good rates.

Can't recommend him enough and happy to answer any questions people may have.

Gary's number is 07572588222

Gary & his team refurbished the timber windows in our apartment (the windows dated back to the 1950s) some of which were in poor condition. Gary was always prompt to reply, he made recommendations & he listened to our feedback. There was a marked difference after the works were complete & we were very happy with the result!

Over the summer, Gary and his team did a complete refurb of our bathroom. It was a complicated, and fiddly job, with architects drawings to follow, and the inevitable surprises thrown up when you rip out a room in a Victorian house! He worked through the challenges with us as they happened, and we’re really pleased with the finished result. He has some really good guys working for him, and the quality of tiling etc has been great. 

I am writing to recommend Gary of First Choice Decorating (+44 7572 588222) and his team. This is the second bathroom refurbishment he has carried out for us and once again we are very pleased with the job.

- He gave the most competitive quote.

- His technical knowledge is excellent and provided insights other builders didn't. 

- He project manages the job at no extra cost.

- He provides substantial communication during the job so you never feel in the dark.

I've attached a few photos of the completed work for context.

Tim & Kate - Forest Hill

Great job of our bathroom refurb and interior painting. Fast regular communication from Gary and what I really appreciated was that everything got completed. Sometimes with staged payments builders don’t finish the last part. But Gary did and he went out of his way to make sure everything was done as it should be. The team kindly collected every delivery we had to the flat and worked hard to get the job done. Thank you Gary! 

Another recommendation for Gary. He was quick, efficient and reliable in helping us understand costs and best way to redo the bathrooms. He also helped us on other areas such as draining and fans that we’re above and beyond the job. Thanks Gary. 

Really glad I finally opted for Gary and his team to sort out the exterior of my house. Cliff and Ashley have just finished a month’s  job, painstakingly renovating all my windows and rescuing the painted masonry. It was all in a truly terrible state, having been neglected far too long , but is now looking great. Crucially also, I have the peace of mind in knowing that the job has been done right.  

Initially I been tempted to go with a much cheaper quote, but found out when I booked this builder for a much smaller job earlier in the year, that he didn’t really believe in prep!  So the important lesson for me was, make sure you are comparing like for like when it comes to quotes.

So, yes, I would definitely recommend Gary. He certainly knows his stuff, with years and years of experience in the trade. He has a big and blustery manner lol, which I sometimes found a little overwhelming by text ( - quickfire barrages of messages), but I quickly learnt that he is much more amenable in person and was actually always really reasonable about any issues raised.

Gary said he would look after me on this job, and he really did. (And that’s after pretty shite recent experiences with builders - not only Mr no prep, but another guy who had done loads of bits for me, but then let me down two years running with promises of doing the outside work).

So, I intend to return to Gary for a whole wall pointing job that really needs doing - as soon as my bank balance restores itself  : )

Gary and his team were excellent from start to finish. We had a tricky piece of renovation work which involved demolishing a wall, opening up under stair space to create a walk in cupboard and a media wall with niche shelving. Gary gave us a clear sense of the cost and timeline which he kept to as promised. We were impressed by Gary and his teams diligence, care, reliability, skill levels and with great consultation throughout. Invariably there were a few unforeseen elements and necessary considerations as we got into the job. He worked with us on these to review options, advise on solutions and achieve the best outcome within our budget. Gary went out of his way to source some bespoke items and quality materials to ensure the job met our expectations in terms of finish and design and again within the budget we were working to. We're left feeling really pleased with what he has delivered and thoroughly enjoyed working with him and his team - highly recommended!    

Some photos attached to show the construction - ready to paint. 

We thoroughly recommend Gary and his team - great quality result, polite, honest and very tidy!

He painted the outside of our house 15 years ago and did such a good job we haven’t needed to ask him back - at least for that job! 

The team have been back several times for different decorating works and last week just finished rescuing a room with severe leak damage. Good as new!
 

 

Edited July 3, 2023 by edygirl
I saved too early and didn’t make clear my messages

Another recommendation for Gary’s team. I’m really happy with my new bathroom. It’s great quality and was a reasonable price. Gary gave me valuable advice when I was deciding what I needed to order. He recommended a vanity unit that was made to fit the space, giving me the contact details so I could order direct. His team is great and sensitive to being in a home. Flexible when asked, kept mess to a minimum, and noise too. I’m really happy with the outcome. The rest of the house looks shabby in comparison!!

Gary did a really great job on the windows, roof and facade of my Victorian terrace house. I would happily recommend him. It was a big job. The sash & bay windows needed a full over haul. They were rotten, broken, paint peeling, missing weights - a real mess. The bay window roof was leaking. It all needed repainting. Gary was thorough, professional and communicative. Him & his team did amazing work. He transformed the property and I can’t thank him enough. It’s unrecognisable. If you have a period property Gary is your guy. Thanks Gary!

I found Gary's details via the ED forum. 

He and his team did a complete renovation of my bathroom - a big job as the underflooring was all buckled due to a leak several years ago. They also painted my entire two-bedroom flat in the SE5 area. 

This was the first time I got any work done in my property. I made clear that I did not have the option of moving out and that the toilet needed to be available every night during the renovation (I do not have a second bathroom) I also had to work from home several days during the job.

While this wasn't a consideration when I was booking the job, I realised during the renovation that when you have workmen in and out of your home over several weeks, it really matters whether you like them or not! Gary and his team are all very decent and do their job with good humour. 

I decided a couple weeks into the job that I wanted to get cork flooring rather than lino and Gary accommodated this - luckily one of his team had experience of laying cork. 

My sink went missing and it took several weeks to get another and Gary accommodated this delay, sending his plumber to install it once it arrived. 

As with any renovation/paint jobs there will be some snags - I just did a snag list and the team went through it carefully.

Am delighted with my bathroom and the flat is now looking much smarter after the paint job.

Very happy to recommend Gary and team to anyone looking to renovate or redecorate their place. 

 

 

We had a leak from our shower into the kitchen and were let down by a plumber late in the day so Gary came over the next morning and stopped the leak so we can now use the rest of the bathroom - he charged us a minimal fee and now he’ll come back and do the bathroom! He’s clear and honest about what he can achieve in what timeframe, very recommended!

Gary did an incredible job at my place. He fixed an old wall and managed to install a huge shelve that fell down because the walls were not in good condition. He tried different options until he solve the problem. :)

Very easy communication and excellent job. 100% recommended!!

Gary and his team have just finished putting in a new bathroom for us. We're delighted with the end result. It was a bit of a journey, but these projects always are. It might have taken longer than expected and cost us a bit more, but no corners were cut during the process, and the finished job is great.

Gary and his colleague did a great job repairing a water leak on our flat extension roof.

They responded and were able to visit quickly, completed the work in a timely manner, and were friendly to deal with.

I'd certainly recommend Gary to others.

Gary has been round fixing a damp wall in my bathroom and repainting bedroom walls with anti damp paint.

Gary was quickly able to identify the cause of the damp and made sure to fix it asap as he was concerned with mould developing in our bedroom.

As with the last time Gary did work in our house he is a pleasure to have round, happy to help out with other jobs (most notably fixing our brand new washing machine and avoiding a flood!) and all their work is finished to an incredibly high standard in good time and at a very competitive rate for London prices! It also helps that he's great to chat with and loves a bit of banter.

Can't recommend him enough and I'll be having Garry round to renovate our bathroom soon!

You can call Gary on +44 7572 588222

Gary’s team have just done work in my tenanted flat. It was meant to be just some decorating but then I needed some bathroom improvements such as retiling so unfortunately ended costing more than I intended. Needs must! Gary’s tiler and painter were excellent.

Hi all, thank you so much for all of the positive reviews!

Unfortunately, it seems we can't keep everyone happy. We are not sure who "TUL" is or even what the job was as I haven't been on holiday since the summer.

Getting paid at end of a job is always important and we don't do 14/30 day invoice terms.

I'm sure alarm bells must have been ringing wondering if we were going to be paid on time but I am very sorry to hear that they were unhappy with the service. This is not normal as you can tell when you read all of our other reviews, we have 13 years worth on here now.

This forum is my only source of work, I haven't advertised in over 10 years.

I can't see why anyone would post a negative review so many months later and not give us the chance to rectify it.

We do take a deposit regardless of the size of the job, I started this in January 2022 after being let down on a 10k job 1 week before it was due to start. We are not a big company so this hit us hard.

99% of our clients have had no issue with paying a deposit as they're committed to having the works done.

Thanks again to everyone who has posted and I hope to see more of you EDF clients in the future.

Gary and team (07572588222) recently completed a big job for us refurbishing/ decorating 16 external windows on a 5-storey victorian house converted into flats. The windows were in a pretty dreadful state and they were stripped right back to the wood, repaired, filled and then painted - they are completely transformed and look good as new now. It was a tricky job as it involved discussions with 3 flat owners and 13 tenants and access was only possible via the ground floor occupied flat. Extra jobs came up which weren't visible until the scaffold was up (eg cracked/ leaking downpipes causing damp), and the cost of the extras was made clear so we could decide what to do. It did take a longer than we hoped at 3 months but as Gary pointed out at the beginning it was more work than we realised, and with the extra jobs plus rain, snow, wind and Christmas there were a few challenges. Comms were good via WhatsApp including pics/ videos (sometimes too many messages but that is better than too few!). Expect to pay a deposit in advance and then staged payments, last payment only after all works completed and all scaffolding and materials cleared from site. I'd recommend Gary and have already asked him to quote for other things.

Gary did some work for me and I wouldn’t use him again. He asked me to pay upfront as he’d been on holiday and needed the money. Obviously I wouldn’t do that. Then I had far too many messages from him about me having to pay him the minute the job was completed as he’s got bills to pay. It was very annoying and unprofessional. The work they did for me was ok but not brilliant.

Another recommendation! Gary and team have just finished a pretty extensive refurb and repair on outside of house involving full scaffolding, sorting some pretty big cracks in parapet wall, surrounding brickwork and around window area to tackle leaks and damp. He also advised and repaired other external issues that only became visible once the scaffold was up, including repointing whole other part of the wall and a damaged area above the main door. Really thorough knowledge, great communication keeping us updated at all times. He made helpful suggestions and outlined costs at each step - providing photos and videos showing the detail (via WApp). Really good job.