Clear the room completely
Plastering creates significant mess. Remove all furniture, curtains, pictures, and sockets covers. If large items cannot be removed, push them to the centre of the room and cover with dust sheets. Protect floors with dust sheets and tape down the edges — plaster drips are very hard to remove once dried.
Turn off power to the room
Before the plasterer starts, turn off the circuit for that room and remove socket and switch faceplates so they can plaster flush to the box. The plasterer will plaster around the back boxes. Replace faceplates after the plaster has dried — typically 24 hours later.
What to do about door frames and coving
Let your plasterer know about any features you want to keep (coving, picture rails). If the room is being fully replastered, some items may need to be removed first. If having new coving fitted, this typically happens after skimming.
After plastering: drying and painting
Fresh plaster turns from a dark brown to a uniform pale pink as it dries — this takes 2–6 weeks depending on temperature and ventilation. Do not apply standard emulsion paint until the plaster is fully dry. Apply a mist coat first (3 parts water to 1 part emulsion) to seal the surface, then wait before top coats.