Painting Estimates for Melbourne Real Estate Agents: A Pre-Sale Brief

Start with the vendor's decision, then the painting scope

Establish whether the owner needs a budget comparison, a proposal ready for acceptance or a programme that fits a confirmed campaign. Those are different stages. Walk through the visible priorities with the vendor and separate essential repairs from optional colour changes. A short, agreed brief helps the painter assess the actual work and helps the owner decide what to approve.

• Identify the owner and the person authorised to approve work.
• List priority rooms and the surfaces within them.
• Record access arrangements and known defects.
• Distinguish the preferred budget from a confirmed quotation.

Use a brief that the owner, agent and painter can share

Use the same version of the brief for every contractor. Mark unknown details for assessment. For example, ‘entry and living-room walls, ceilings excluded’ is more useful than ‘freshen the interior’. The following fields can be copied into your project notes.

Compare a focused refresh with a wider repaint

Ask for clearly separated options when the owner is choosing between selected walls and complete rooms. Include the effect on adjoining finishes: a newly painted entry may make an older connected hallway more noticeable. Treat exterior presentation as its own scope because preparation and access differ. Ask the selling agent which areas matter to the campaign, without treating a repaint as a guaranteed increase in sale price.

Allow for handover before styling and photography

Give the painter the photography date and work backwards through cleaning, furniture reinstatement, coating requirements, application and preparation. Ask for the proposed sequence and any dependencies in writing. A vacant property can offer easier access, but keys, utilities and other suppliers still need coordination. For an occupied or tenanted home, have the person responsible for access arrange it before confirming the programme.

• Keep the requested completion date separate from the confirmed booking.
• Confirm when each painted area can return to use.
• Nominate one contact for timing changes and additional findings.

Turn the initial estimate into a written proposal

For eligible interiors, the calculator gives a preliminary figure from the selected rooms and surfaces. Photographs, a floor plan and repair notes can help the follow-up review. Colourway confirms whether that information is sufficient or a site visit is needed. Before acceptance, reconcile the quotation with the owner's approved brief, including GST, exclusions and changes. Consumer Affairs Victoria recommends comparing quotations for the same specifications.

Keep approvals and project records together

A useful handover file contains the accepted scope, approved changes, colour schedule, completion notes and any outstanding items. Share the vendor's contact details only with their permission and make the intended follow-up clear. If a new repair is discovered, ask the painter to describe its location, proposed work and effect on price and timing for the authorised person to approve. An agent's suggestion should not become an unapproved instruction.

Planning your Colourway project

For residential interiors, our online tool gives you an initial estimate from the rooms and surfaces selected. Exterior, commercial and strata work is assessed on site so access, preparation and the correct coating system can be confirmed before fixed pricing.