Whole rooms
Bedroom makeover cost calculator
A bedroom makeover is the friendliest way to start DIY. There is no plumbing or gas, and everything is decorative: prepping, painting, flooring and a few fittings. Do it yourself and the only real cost is materials and a few weekends.
- Full DIY
- £590
- Smart Hybrid
- £590
- Full Trade
- £990
Typical mid-range job, Midlands rates. Yours updates below.
Updated November 2026. Estimates based on typical UK prices.
Cost calculator
Price this job three ways
Answer a few questions and watch the numbers move. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
Smart Hybrid saves £400 against a full trade job.
Smart Hybrid
You take on what you can, a trade handles the rest.
£590
- Materials
- £406
- Labour
- £120
- Extras
- £60
- Carpet fitting£120
- You take on: decorating.
- Everything else stays with a trade.
Turn this into a plan
Get the order of work, who to book and a budget tracker, all editable.
Order of work for this job
A typical order. Always confirm timing with whoever you book, since some steps can overlap.
- 1
Flooring
- Carpet fittingBook a carpet fitter
- 2
Decorating
- DecoratingYou · ~1.59 days
How we worked out the materials›
- Wall paint£2828.88 m² of wall × 2 coats ÷ 12 m² per litre = 4.81 L needed → 1 × 5L = 5 L for £28
- Ceiling paint£1610.8 m² of ceiling × 2 coats ÷ 12 m² per litre = 1.8 L needed → 1 × 2.5L = 2.5 L for £16
- Carpet£26410.8 m² of floor + 8% wastage = 11.66 m²
- Underlay£8810.8 m² of floor, no wastage allowance needed
- Threshold strip£101 × £10 = £10
Estimates only, based on regional averages. Always get 2 to 3 written quotes from local trades.
The price
What affects the cost?
- 1
Room size
Paint, flooring and skirting all scale with floor and wall area.
- 2
Wall condition
Sound walls just need a clean and paint. Cracks, holes or flaking need filling, and bad plaster needs re-skimming.
- 3
Flooring choice
Carpet, laminate and engineered wood vary a lot in price, and a good underlay matters as much as the top layer.
- 4
Paint quality
Better paint covers in fewer coats, which saves time as well as money.
- 5
Skirting and lighting
New skirting and a new ceiling light add cost. Electrical work stays with a qualified person.
Be honest with yourself
Can you do this yourself?
You can do
- Clear, clean, fill and sand
- Paint ceiling, walls and woodwork
- Fit laminate flooring and skirting
- Hang curtain poles and shelves
Leave to a pro
- Re-skimming badly damaged walls
- Carpet stretching and fitting
- New circuits, sockets or lighting runs
The rules
Replacing a like-for-like light fitting is usually fine for a competent DIYer. New circuits are notifiable. See the electrical guide.
DIY guide
How to redecorate a bedroom, step by step
Tools you'll need
- Roller, tray and brushes
- Filler knife and sanding block
- Dust sheets and masking tape
- Step ladder
- Spirit level
- Stanley knife
Materials
- Emulsion for walls and ceiling
- Primer or undercoat
- Filler and sandpaper
- Gloss or satin for woodwork
- Flooring and underlay
- Skirting and fixings
- 1
Empty and protect the room
~0.5 daysMove furniture out or into the middle, cover it with dust sheets, and lay a drop cloth on the floor. Take down curtains, pictures and light shades.
- 2
Repair and prepare the walls
~1 dayWash greasy marks, fill holes and cracks, let the filler dry, then sand it flush. Scrape any flaking paint and sand glossy woodwork so new paint will key.
Homes built before the 1960s may have lead paint. Do not dry-sand old paint. Wet-sand and clean up carefully.
- 3
Prime where needed
~0.5 daysApply a mist coat or primer on fresh plaster, filled patches and stained areas. It seals the surface so the finish colour goes on evenly.
- 4
Paint the ceiling first
~0.5 daysCut in round the edges with a brush, then roll in strips from the window into the room. Two thin coats beat one thick one.
Tip: Keep a wet edge. Work in sections and do not let the paint dry between strokes.
- 5
Paint the walls
~1 dayCut in at corners and ceiling lines, then roll. Apply a second coat once the first is touch-dry. Remove masking tape while the paint is still slightly wet for a clean line.
- 6
Lay the flooring
~1 dayFor laminate, leave the boards in the room for 48 hours, fit underlay, and click boards together with a 10mm gap at the walls. For carpet, have it fitted.
- 7
Skirting and woodwork
~1 dayFit new skirting or repaint the old, caulk the top edge to the wall, and finish the woodwork in satin or gloss.
- 8
Put the room back together
~0.5 daysHang curtains and pictures, replace the light shade, and fit any shelves. Leave windows open for a day for paint smells to clear.
Learn from others
Common mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the prep. Paint on dusty or greasy walls peels
- Painting walls before the ceiling and getting drips on fresh paint
- Using one coat over a dark colour
- Laying laminate tight to the walls with no expansion gap
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to decorate a bedroom?
For a typical double bedroom with walls and ceiling painted and new carpet, expect from around £590 doing it all yourself to £990 fully trade-done. Decorating is the cheapest room in the house to DIY — there’s no notifiable work involved at all.
How much does carpet cost per m²?
Mid-range carpet costs around £22 per m², plus underlay and fitting. Carpet fitting itself is usually left to a trade — stretching it properly needs a knee kicker and some practice to avoid visible seams.
Can I decorate a bedroom myself?
Yes, almost entirely. Painting, laying laminate flooring and fitting skirting are all straightforward DIY jobs with no legal restrictions. The only thing that stays with a trade by default is a full plaster skim coat, if your walls need one.
Do I need a plasterer for a bedroom?
Only if your walls need a full skim coat — a bad skim shows through every coat of paint after, so it’s worth leaving to a trade. Minor filling before painting is a normal DIY job.
Ready to plan it?
Add this job to your renovation plan to get the order of work, who to book and a budget you can track.