Stevenage housing
Stevenage was designated as Britain's first post-war New Town in 1946, so much of its housing dates from the 1950s, 60s and 70s. The town was planned in neighbourhoods such as Bedwell, Shephall, Broadwater, Chells, Pin Green and St Nicholas, each with its own mix of terraces, semis and flats. The Old Town, along the High Street, is much older and has period buildings and conservation-area streets.
Updating New Town houses
Many Stevenage houses are being modernised by new owners. Typical jobs are a full redecoration after moving in, painting over dated wallpaper, and freshening up woodwork. Houses of this era often have textured ceilings, and walls that have been papered and painted several times, so preparation matters: stripping, filling and lining where the plaster is tired.
Kitchens
Painting the kitchen cupboards is one of the most cost-effective changes in these houses. Many of the original or 1990s kitchens have solid doors that take paint very well once they're degreased, keyed and primed. See kitchen cupboard painting.
Outside
For exterior work, the common jobs are fascias, soffits, timber cladding panels and front doors. Timber panels under windows are a feature of a lot of New Town housing, and they need sanding and priming properly or the paint peels within a year or two. See exterior painting.
Getting a price
Send me a few photos of the rooms or the outside of the house on WhatsApp, with a line about what you want doing, and I'll get back to you.
Other areas I cover
Hertford, St Albans, Watford, Welwyn Garden City, Hitchin, and the rest of Hertfordshire.