Practical
Tips
What to sort out before you book, what to keep an eye on between visits, and when to stop and call somebody. None of it is an instruction to do the work yourself.
Practical
What to sort out before you book, what to keep an eye on between visits, and when to stop and call somebody. None of it is an instruction to do the work yourself.
Three stages
Everything useful a customer can do sits in one of these three, and none of it involves picking up a tool.
Before you book
Write down what is actually wrong, photograph it, and find out whether anyone has worked on it before. A clear description is worth more than a long one.
Between visits
Keep every quote, invoice and message in one place, and note the date anything was done. Most warranty arguments are really arguments about paperwork.
When to call
Sooner than feels necessary. Small faults get cheaper the earlier they are looked at, and the list further down is the one that should never wait.
Timing, not tasks
Every trade has a busy stretch, and no two have the same one. These are about when to ask rather than what to do — the specifics belong to whoever you are hiring.
The quiet end of most diaries. A good moment to get quotes for work you know is coming, while there is time to compare them properly.
Demand climbs for most outdoor and seasonal trades. If the work has a season, this is usually the edge of it — ask early rather than at the peak.
The busiest months for a lot of businesses. Build the wait into your plans and confirm dates in writing rather than assuming them.
Close out anything outstanding, file the year's invoices and warranties, and note what wants attention next year while you still remember it.
One rule above the rest
Nothing on this page is an instruction to attempt work yourself, and this band is the reason.
The risk in service work is almost never in the part that looks difficult. It is in the part that looks easy and is not.
If you are reading this because something is happening right now, make the area safe and call — here is every way to reach us.
Describe what you are seeing and we will tell you whether it can wait — straight answer, no charge.
Free quote • no pressure • no obligation.