We decorate let properties in Paulerspury, NN12, for landlords and letting agents, mostly repaints between tenancies. Dean covers the village from our Northampton base about 9.8 miles north, and chooses finishes that suit its old stone houses as well as rental wear.
A small, rural lettings picture
Paulerspury is a dispersed commuter village rather than a rental hotspot, and we have not found published figures on how many homes here are let. What we can say is what a let home in the village is likely to be built from. Much of the older housing is limestone cottages and farmhouses from the 18th century, some thatched, plus a smaller number of larger early 19th-century houses and later extensions. If you let one of these, the decorating brief is different from a modern rental flat in town.
The standard landlord approach of a single magnolia vinyl emulsion over everything is quick to touch up, but on solid stone walls it can cause trouble. Old limestone walls on the parish’s limestone and Boulder Clay ground often carry some moisture near the base. A non-breathable paint traps it, and the result is blistering, flaking and the kind of marks a tenant will call damp at the next inspection.
Finishes that last a tenancy on old walls
What we suggest for a let stone cottage is a balance between breathability and durability.
| Surface | Typical choice in a let older home | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ground-floor walls on solid stone | Breathable or mineral emulsion | Lets the wall dry out, so less flaking between tenancies |
| Upper walls and ceilings on sound plaster | Durable matt that can be wiped | Easier touch-ups at the next changeover |
| Kitchen and bathroom | Moisture-resistant finish | Small casement windows mean slower drying of steam |
| Doors, skirtings, frames | Hard-wearing satin | Takes knocks from furniture moves |
Keeping to one colour per surface type across the property and recording the exact product makes touch-ups at the next changeover quicker. We note what was used on each job so you or your agent have it to hand.
Listed lets and consent
The parish has 23 listed entries, including several 18th-century cottages and converted farmhouses. If a let property is listed, ordinary redecoration is usually fine, but external colour changes or replacing original joinery may need listed building consent from West Northamptonshire Council. That matters for landlords because a tenant-friendly tweak, such as swapping an old boarded door for a modern one, can turn into a consent issue. We stick to like-for-like work unless you confirm the position.
Arranging access when you are not local
If you or your agent are not based in the village, access needs some planning, because Paulerspury’s ends are spread out along minor lanes. We arrange key collection and access times with you or the agent, and agree the scope from photos and a site visit before starting. At the end we send photos of the finished rooms so you can check them before the next tenant moves in. We work within your agreed brief and flag anything outside it, such as rotten skirtings or damp patches that need more than paint, rather than quietly adding to the job.
Thatched lets need one more note. Thatched cottages in the village, as the listings for The Thatches and 34 Careys Road show, have low eaves and eyebrow dormers, and any decorating near the thatch is done without heat guns or naked flames. Inside, low ceilings and small casement windows mean rooms take longer to dry after painting, so we leave ventilation advice with the agent for the gap between our finish and the new tenant’s arrival.
Our landlord and letting agent decorating page describes the general turnaround process, and the painter and decorator cost guide explains what affects the price of a changeover. For more about the village, see the Paulerspury page.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
