Ask them at the paint store, they will tell you all you need to know.

Yep... Definately get each estimate "broken-down" into specific steps. Put yourself into a Painters' shoes though... * They have overhead costs too: Gasoline, Insurances, etc. * It's fairly physical/tedious work- sanding, patching, washing, caulking, etc.... * Setting-up & tearing-down all kinds of equipment, * Overall...the best painters often don't have to advertise!!...and therefore are rarely the cheapest... If the walls haven't had any paint for a decade or more, you'd better be cleaning/priming those walls. Sounds like the trim will need at least SOME sanding. Faron

You could contact local plasterers and get an estimate. We had on in our house recently and they charged not as much as we expected.

Sorry that's probably not the best example, that ones from my bathroom and it's definitely some kind of 'easy clean' paint, done by the previous owner as i havent touched that room with new paint at all. That one has actually pulled clean off the wall whereas in other rooms it's definitely paper and when I've pulled small bits off to test it it's pulled some of the soft plaster with it. I don't know why I didn't think of this before but the previous owner had out up a sort of partition wall to create a built in tv cabinet and when my brother pulled it down it had the same paper covering and soft plaster inside. I remember because I used my foot to break up the plaster and had to tear the paper too. I'll maybe have to just bite the bullet and ask my dad! I know for a fact he'll know what to do but I thought I'd ask first in case in was a big job, that's all he needs! Thanks very much everyone.