R D S wrote:
I don't often decorate. We live in an old house, the plaster is ****
poor, the skirtings and architraves are battered and worn with layer
upon layer of drippy paint on them. Where I *have* bothered to
decorate I have paid for skimming and replaced woodwork.

I currently have someone in doing some decorating and he is quite
happy to paper over lousy walls and slap gloss almost straight on top
of the crappy woodwork without batting an eyelid.

It's all looking cleaner and brighter but it's like polishing turd to
me and a waste of paint and labour time.

Is this normal? Do people usually put more effort in?

I can't decide if my disappointment is valid or if i'm being a bit
fancy.

I don't do much decorating, but in that scenario I would always ask what
standard the customer wanted before pricing the job. In other words; do you
want the woodwork taken back to dead smooth or just painted over?

Same with the walls..

Some people want quality above price, some want price above quality. I'm a
handyman, not a decorator

If someone wants a top quality finish I turn down the job & suggest a
decorator. If it's "slap a coat of emulsion on, its going to be rented"
I'll do it.

What did you specify?