10 questions to ask a pro before the work starts — a client checklist

Materials and consumables

• 1. What does the quoted price cover — labour only, or materials too?
• 2. What should I buy myself before you arrive?
• 3. Will you bring the consumables (PTFE tape, washers, wall plugs)?

Timing and payment

• 4. How long will the job take — exactly, or roughly?
• 5. If it turns out to be "more work", do we recalculate or agree first?
• 6. Payment up front or on completion? Cash or transfer?

Warranty and risk

• 7. What warranty do you give on the work, and for how long?
• 8. What counts as a warranty case, and what does not?
• 9. Who is responsible if something gets damaged along the way — tiles, furniture, the neighbours below?

The final question

10. "Anything else I should know?" This is the most useful question of all. A good pro will volunteer the details: which valve shuts off the water, how noisy it will get, whether you need to move furniture. If the answer is just "no, all fine", keep asking specifics yourself.

The one habit that matters

Ask these questions BEFORE the pro is standing in your flat. In the xFix chat everything is written down — if a dispute comes up later, there is something to point to. Agreeing over the phone is how you end up with "I never promised that".