How to Prepare Your Home for a Handyman Visit in London and Get the Best Results

Most of the time lost on a handyman visit isn't lost on the work. It's lost looking for a parking space, waiting for a lift key, moving a sofa, popping out for the right screws or deciding, on the spot, how high the shelves should go.

Whoever you book, those minutes are paid for. This guide covers what to do before, during and after a handyman visit in London, so the time goes on the jobs, the price you were quoted is the price you pay, and the result is what you had in mind.

Why preparation saves you money

At Handy 4 London every job gets a fixed price before we start, worked out from £70 for the first hour and £60 for each hour after. That price is only as accurate as what we know. The better the information beforehand, the more exact the quote, and the more of your list fits into one visit. See common handyman jobs and what they cost for typical times.

Before you book: the list and the photos

Walk round your home and write down everything, even the small things you've been ignoring: the cupboard door that's dropped, the bathroom sealant that's gone black, the picture still leaning on the wall. Five jobs in one visit is far better value than five visits.

Then send photos. For each job:

• One close-up of the problem, and one from further back so we can see the wall, the room and what's around it.
• Measurements where they matter: window widths for blinds, alcove widths for shelves, the size of the TV and the bracket.
• What you want, not just what's wrong. "Three shelves, books, in this alcove" gets a better quote than "shelves".
• Anything unusual: a tiled wall, a listed building, a very old door, or a job someone else has already tried.

WhatsApp is the easiest way to send all of this. Our number is 07303 172140, or use the quote form.

Materials: who buys what

We can supply materials, charged separately, or you can buy them yourself. Either is fine. If you're buying, a few things save time on the day:

• Send us a link or photo of what you've bought before the visit, so we can check it fits and bring the right fixings.
• Keep the boxes and instructions, and check nothing is missing from flat-pack furniture.
• For paint, have the colour and finish decided, and enough for two coats.

Parking, permits and getting in

In London, getting to the door can take longer than the job. Tell us in advance about:

• Parking. If you're in a controlled parking zone, many councils ask tradespeople to use a visitor permit, which residents buy. Having one ready saves time and a ticket.
• Flats and mansion blocks. Which floor, whether there's a lift, whether it needs booking or protecting, and any building rules on working hours. Some blocks need the managing agent to know who is coming.
• Keys. If we're collecting keys from an agent or a neighbour, tell us who and where.

The day before: clear the space

• Clear the area around each job: the shelf above the bath for resealing, the cupboards under the sink for a tap, the floor under a window for blinds.
• Put away anything valuable or fragile in the rooms we'll be working in.
• Only move what's safe to move. If furniture is heavy, leave it where it is and tell us, so we can plan for it.
• Know where your water stopcock and fuse box are. You don't need to touch them, but if we need them, finding them shouldn't take twenty minutes.
• Pets in another room, and small children kept away from the work area.

On the day

Spend the first ten minutes with us. Walk round the list together, confirm the order, and make the decisions that only you can make:

• Heights and positions. Mark where the TV, shelves or pictures should go with masking tape, or stand where you'll be sitting. Moving a TV bracket after it's fixed costs time and leaves holes.
• What comes next. If a carpet fitter or decorator is coming after us, tell us, so we leave the work ready for them.
• Priorities. If the list is longer than the time, tell us which jobs matter most.

If you're a landlord or letting agent

If the property is let, arrange access with your tenant in good time. The law gives a landlord a right to enter to view the condition of the property at reasonable times on 24 hours' notice in writing, and that's a sensible minimum for repair visits too. (Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, s.11) Tell us whether the tenant will be in, and who has authority to approve anything extra we find. For void periods, our landlord checklist between tenants covers what to get done.

After the visit

• Check the work before we leave. Open the doors, run the taps, try the handles. It's much easier to adjust something while we're still there.
• Ask about aftercare. New silicone needs time before the shower is used; paint needs time before furniture goes back.
• Keep the invoice. It's your record of what was done, and our 12-month workmanship guarantee runs from the day it was completed.

The one-page checklist

Booking with Handy 4 London

Send us your list and photos and you'll get a fixed price back, free, worked out from our published rates. We work Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm, across Harrow, Stanmore, Ruislip, Uxbridge and the rest of North West, West & Central London. You can pay by card through a secure payment link, by bank transfer or in cash, and you'll always get an invoice.