DH Painter & Decorator handles between-tenancy and end-of-tenancy decorating for landlords and letting agents with property in Pitsford, a village about 4.7 miles north of Northampton town centre. Dean matches the finish to the building, from breathable paints in old stone houses to washable emulsions on the estates.
What a rental looks like in a village of this size
Pitsford is small: the 2011 census counted 671 residents, and we have no reliable figures on how many of its homes are let. What the village’s buildings do tell us is which properties are most likely to come up between tenancies, and each type asks something different of a repaint. There are flats and apartments in large old houses that have been split up, family houses on the post-war and modern estates, and the odd stone cottage in the historic core. All three are covered from our Northampton base, and the general approach to rental work is on our main landlord and letting agent decorating page.
Flats inside Pitsford House and Middlesex House
Two of the village’s bigger houses are now subdivided into homes. Pitsford House is a high-status house in dressed Pendle stone with timber sashes and panelled doors, set in grounds with a large area under Tree Preservation Orders, and it is a candidate for the local heritage list. Middlesex House was built in 1910. A flat in a building like this is not a standard magnolia repaint.
- Original panelled doors, deep window reveals and old skirtings take longer to prepare than flat modern joinery, and they are worth repairing rather than replacing.
- Walls may be lime plaster on solid stone, which needs a breathable paint. A vinyl finish can trap moisture and lead to flaking that the next tenant reports.
- Shared stairs and halls are usually the responsibility of several owners or a managing agent, so communal decorating needs agreement before it is booked.
None of that stops a quick turnaround. It just means the quote should account for it from the start rather than surprising you halfway through the void period.
Estate houses on Drummond Close, Broadlands and Glebe Lane
The mid- and late-20th century houses here sit outside the conservation area’s historic core, with modern plaster, machined doors and standard skirtings. That makes them the most straightforward rental repaint in the village. We would normally suggest:
- One neutral wall colour across the property, recorded so future touch-ups match.
- A wipeable matt or eggshell in halls, kitchens and bathrooms, where tenants’ marks gather fastest.
- Satin rather than high gloss on woodwork, since it shows fewer scuffs and is easier to touch in.
- Fill, sand and spot-prime picture-hook holes and furniture dents before the main coats.
Outside: shade, trees and damp corners
Pitsford is heavily treed, with about fifty Tree Preservation Orders and TPO groups in and around the conservation area, and hedges often grow over the stone boundary walls. Shaded, north-facing woodwork and render pick up green algae and stay damp longer. On a let property that is worth catching early, because flaking sills and green-streaked fascias put off viewers. A fungicidal wash before repainting makes the new coat last. Remember too that works to trees over 75mm in diameter in the conservation area need six weeks’ notice to the council, so cutting back an overhanging tree to reach a fascia should be planned well ahead.
Keys, access and timing
Pitsford is 4.7 miles north of Northampton town centre, just off the A508 Harborough Road, so collecting keys from an agent and getting out to the property is simple to arrange. Lanes in the old core are narrow, and some cottages open straight onto the road, so we agree parking when we look at the job. For how quotes are put together, see the cost guide, and for more about the village itself, the Pitsford area page.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
