What to bring
- A torch. Light skimmed along a wall shows waves in the plaster better than any instrument.
- A spirit level of half a metre or more. A short one lies on a long wall.
- A phone charger, to test every socket.
- A coin or a key, to tap the tiles and find hollows.
- A tape and a sheet of paper, so you write it down rather than remember it.
Floor, walls, ceiling
- Tiles. Tap them: a hollow sound means a void underneath, and that tile cracks first.
- Laminate. Walk the whole floor barefoot: squeaks and soft spots only show that way.
- Skirting. Run a finger along the joint with the wall: a gap over a millimetre will stand out later.
- Walls. Hold the torch flat against the wall and shine along it; the shadows show every wave.
- Corners. Check plumb with the level in two or three places, especially where a wardrobe will stand.
Doors and windows
- A door should stay wherever you let go of it. If it swings on its own, the hinges are off.
- The gap around it should be even on all sides, visible by eye from floor to top.
- The lock should close without pressing on the leaf. If you have to push, the door will drop within a month.
- Windows: the handle turns without force and the sash does not catch the frame at the bottom.
Electrics and water
- Every socket gets tested with a charger, not by eye. You also see whether it moves in its box.
- Every switch clicks and kills what it should, not the neighbouring circuit.
- It is dry under the sink and behind the washing machine, with no staining at the joints.
- The tap does not rock, and nothing drips from the spout a minute after it is closed.
- The extract pulls: hold a sheet of paper to it and it should stick.
What to do with the list
Hand the list over in writing and with photos rather than saying it out loud. Small items like adjusting a door, changing a lock or fixing a skirting close in a single visit. Here are live ranges from the price list:
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Door adjustment | 30–60 zł |
| Lock replacement | 180–350 zł |
| Baseboard repair | 30–60 zł/mb |
| Leak sensor installation | 120–220 zł |
| Motion sensor installation | 120–220 zł |
Ranges for a typical scope. Fixings included, materials separate. Minimum order 300 zł.
The ranges cover a typical scope. The exact amount comes after an inspection. The minimum order is 300 zł, fixings are included in the work, materials are paid separately.
A case from practice
Ursynów, a flat done up for letting. The owner signed off in the evening under the ceiling light and everything looked flat. A week later the tenant sent a photo: a wave on the living room wall, visible in the morning when the sun runs along it.
Redoing that one wall cost more than a hand-over with a torch would have. Skimmed light is the only way to see this before anyone moves in.
Common questions
How long does a proper hand-over take?
About an hour for a two-room flat if you work through a list and write things down. It goes faster only when half the points get skipped.
Can it be done in the evening?
It can, but walls are better seen in daylight from the side. Waves in plaster show in the morning or late afternoon, when the sun runs along the wall rather than straight at it.
What if the crew has already left?
Record the faults with dated photos and send them in writing. Small corrections are then closed by a separate tradesperson, usually in one visit.
Is it worth bringing someone to the hand-over?
If you did not do the work yourself and the scope is large, a fresh eye with a level pays for itself. The list above already covers a lot on your own.
How this works here
Handyman24 puts you in touch with a tradesperson who works for themselves. Send the list of faults with photos; they will say what closes in one visit and name the amount before starting. They answer for the quality of their own work and put their own mistakes right. For a renovation done before them by another crew, they do not.
