Stage one
Before you book
Twenty minutes here saves an afternoon later, and it is the part most people skip.
- Write down the symptom, not the diagnosis. What you noticed, when it started and how often it happens is more useful than a guess at the cause — and it is harder to misunderstand over the phone.
- Take photographs in daylight. One wide shot showing where it is, one close up. Most quotes get sharper the moment somebody can see the thing.
- Check access and parking. Gates, stairs, a locked side passage, a permit bay — anything that slows a van down is worth saying before the day, not on it.
- Ask for the scope in writing. What is included, what is not, and whether clearing up and taking the old one away are part of the price.
- Agree who is home. Some visits need somebody present the whole time, others only at the start. Settling it avoids a wasted trip for both sides.
