Moving into a home in Cyprus? Plan your first property jobs before hiring a tradesperson

Getting the keys to a home in Cyprus is exciting. Then the practical jobs begin. An air conditioning unit may need servicing, a bathroom may need attention, or you may want to change a kitchen before settling in.

When several jobs need doing at once, it is tempting to ask one person for a price and tell them to start. A little preparation makes it much easier to choose the right people, compare their quotations and keep the work manageable.

Start with a walk around the property

Before arranging repairs, make one list of everything you have noticed. Include the location of each issue and take clear photographs. You do not need to diagnose the cause. A description such as “water appears below the bathroom basin when the tap runs” is more useful than guessing which pipe needs replacing.

Separate the list into three groups:

• Urgent: Something that may cause damage or makes part of the home unsafe to use.

• Soon: A repair that needs attention but can be planned.

• Later: Improvements you would like to make once you understand the property better.

If you have just bought the property, keep any inspection reports, plans and information supplied by the seller together with your photographs. If you rent, tell the landlord or property manager about a problem before arranging work yourself, so everyone is clear about who will organise and pay for it.

Decide which jobs belong together

A list of ten small tasks does not necessarily call for ten separate visits. Some can sensibly be grouped, while others need a specialist. For example, fitting shelves and adjusting a door may suit one visit. Electrical work, air conditioning and a substantial building alteration each need someone with the relevant experience and, where applicable, the appropriate authorisation.

Ask prospective tradespeople exactly which parts of the job they would carry out themselves and which they would pass to another business. If more than one trade is involved, establish who will coordinate the sequence. New wall finishes, for instance, are best planned around any plumbing or electrical work that must happen first.

For substantial changes to a property, establish whether drawings, professional input or permissions are required before anyone begins. Do not rely on an informal promise to deal with paperwork afterwards.

Send the same brief to everyone quoting

Prices are difficult to compare when each business has been asked a different question. Write a short brief and send the same version to every suitable person on your shortlist.

Include the property’s area, the work you want done, photographs, access arrangements and any deadline that genuinely matters. Say whether materials are already chosen and whether you expect the tradesperson to supply them. If you are not yet in Cyprus, explain who can provide access and how decisions will be approved while you are away.

For a larger project, ask for a site visit. Photographs help with an initial conversation, but they may not reveal what is behind a wall, beneath a floor or above a ceiling. A tradesperson should be able to explain which parts of a price depend on seeing the property.

Check the business behind the quotation

A recommendation from a neighbour or a Facebook group can be a good starting point. It is still worth checking who will actually do the work.

Ask for the business name that will appear on the quotation and invoice. Look at examples of recent work that resemble your project, rather than relying on attractive photographs of unrelated jobs. For significant work, ask to speak with a recent customer about communication, changes to the price and how any problems were handled.

Discuss insurance relevant to the proposed work and ask for current evidence where appropriate. If the job calls for a particular registration, licence or qualified professional, check that requirement for the specific work. A general claim to be “fully qualified” tells you less than the name of the qualification or registration and who will be responsible for the job.

You can use a directory to build a shortlist. Trusted Trades Cyprus lets you browse businesses by service and area and see the information recorded on their profiles. A directory profile helps you decide whom to contact; you should still confirm availability, current documents and suitability for your own project.

Compare what each price includes

A low total may be attractive until you discover that materials, disposal or making good are excluded. Ask for a written quotation that makes those details clear.

Depending on the job, it should explain:

• The work included and the expected result

• Materials and any choices still to be made

• What is excluded

• Whether preparation, protection and cleaning are included

• Who removes waste

• The proposed start date and likely duration

• How VAT is treated

• When payments are due

• How additional work will be priced and approved

If one quotation includes new fittings and another covers labour only, they are not prices for the same job. Ask both businesses to clarify the scope before deciding.

You can also use TTC’s free quote comparison tool to place the written details side by side. It helps expose unanswered questions without requiring you to upload your quotations.

Agree how changes will be handled

Unexpected conditions can be discovered once work starts, particularly in an older property. The important question is what happens next.

Agree that the tradesperson will explain any proposed change, its cost and its effect on the timetable before carrying it out, except where immediate action is needed to prevent harm or damage. Keep those decisions in writing, even if you first discuss them by phone.

For a larger job, identify who will be your main contact and when you can expect updates. This matters especially if you are arranging work before moving to Cyprus or managing a property from abroad. Photographs can show progress, but they should accompany a clear account of what has been completed and what remains.

Check the work at handover

Before treating a job as finished, walk through it with the person responsible. Test what can reasonably be tested, note anything incomplete and agree when it will be put right.

Ask for the documents relevant to the work, which may include product instructions, warranties, test results or certificates. Keep the final quotation, approved changes, invoices and handover documents together. They will be useful if you need follow up work later or eventually sell or rent the property.

Moving home creates enough decisions without having to reconstruct what was agreed on a repair. A clear brief, a few sensible checks and comparable written quotations give you a much better starting point. You can then choose a tradesperson for the work you actually need, rather than choosing on a headline price alone.

About the author: Luke Barry founded Trusted Trades Cyprus, a directory that helps homeowners browse local tradespeople and review the information recorded about their services, coverage and verification stage.