This is more a question of budgeting than DIY, but this seems the best
place to ask. Painting the outside of our house is more DIY than I
feel like doing. But when it comes to household finances, I'm a
frustrated accountant, I like to make proper allowance for the actual
cost of maintaining the place on a monthly basis.

So to know what to set aside for keeping the outside in good nick I
need to know how much it will cost to paint and how often it needs
doing. It's a terrace house with two bay windows and nine flat sash
windows (all white gloss), with rendered plinths front and back that
need masonry paint, along with stone around windows. So far I've been
purely guessing, but I reckon ten days work at £150 a day (this is
London) plus materials, say £1,800, what do you reckon? I'm assuming
all this can be done off a ladder. And I would say it will need doing
every five years,
or am I being too pessimistic?

£30 a month, worth every penny.

Cheers!

Martin