Pre-arrival checks: your home ready when you land

What the pre-arrival check covers

Arriving to a house that has stood closed for a season is different from returning to a home occupied every day. Our pre-arrival check opens up the house, checks its visible condition and prepares it for your arrival. The existing service includes airing, cleaning, switching on water and power, and a dated photo report. Tell us your arrival date early enough to discuss anything that the inspection finds.

• Open and air the house.
• Switch on water and power and check for visible problems.
• Look for leaks, damp and storm damage.
• Clean the house and stock the basics you ask for.
• Send a dated photo report so you can see the condition before travelling.

What needs a separate decision

A check may reveal a problem that needs repair. The inspection and preparation are not permission to undertake an undefined renovation. We tell you what has been found, with photographs and a price to fix it, so you can decide. Where a problem needs further investigation, establish that scope before choosing a finish or replacement fitting.

Give us a list of the basics you want stocked rather than assuming a standard shopping package. Identify rooms that are out of use, appliances with special instructions, and anything you already know is faulty. A visible check cannot establish the condition of every concealed pipe, cable or roof detail. If a particular installation concerns you, describe that concern when arranging the visit.

How it works while you are abroad

Send the property location, arrival date and access arrangement with your enquiry. If the keys are already held locally, explain who can release them and which parts of the home are accessible. Our key-holding service can support entry when you are overseas. Keep contact details available so findings can reach you before you leave home.

The dated report is a record of the visit. Compare it with photographs from the last time the property was occupied and flag anything that looks different. If a leak or damp patch is present, the useful next step is to investigate its origin, not simply cover the mark before arrival. Our damp and leak repairs start with finding the cause.

Plan the next close-up as well

The arrival check is easier to interpret when there is a record from the end of your previous stay. End-of-season checks photograph the house when it is closed. If nobody will occupy it for several months, discuss the visiting schedule under a maintenance plan. The dates and tasks should fit your use of the property; this page does not prescribe a universal interval.

Permission and community checks

Where the agreed work involves building alterations, the route depends on its scope. TRLOTUP articles 232, 233 and 241 distinguish licence and responsible-declaration procedures and their conditions. A service name is not a permission category. In a community of owners, LPH article 7 limits alterations affecting the building or other owners and requires prior notice to the community representative for works within the provision. Check shared elements before authorising the work.

How we price the work

Start with a free estimate, then a fixed-price quote after a site visit. The scope, access and findings inform the quote. Review what is included and what needs a separate decision before accepting it. There are no standard rates on this page: the price follows the property and the agreed work, rather than a figure detached from the inspection.