An estate agent’s photography date can quickly become the deadline for a long list of small jobs. A scuffed hallway, a loose cupboard door and an old ceiling stain may all appear on the same list, but they need different decisions before anyone books the work.
For a pre-sale refresh in South West London, start with a walk-through involving the owner, agent and contractor where practical. Agree which repairs need assessment, which finishes are being refreshed and who can approve changes. That makes the work easier to quote and coordinate around marketing.
Give each item a clear outcome
Write down the room, the item and the result you want. “Decorate the hall walls and make good the agreed fixing holes” gives the contractor more to assess than “freshen the entrance”. For a door or cupboard repair, identify what is catching, loose or damaged so the relevant fitting can be checked.
Include what stays. If existing flooring, switches, handles or kitchen fronts are to be retained, say so before quotations are prepared. Ask what preparation and finishing are included around each repair.
For example, an owner preparing a Streatham flat for sale might want the hall decorated while keeping the flooring and doors. The brief should cover access, protection and making good around the retained fittings, alongside the chosen wall finish.
Resolve the cause of a recurring stain
A stain deserves its own assessment before it enters the decorating list. Johnstone’s Trade advises rectifying the cause of a water stain before painting. Ask the contractor what investigation or repair is needed and when the surface can be assessed for decoration. Keep the repair and finishing stages visible in the programme. Read Johnstone’s Trade advice.
Record what has been investigated and what remains undecided. If the problem needs a separate specialist visit, allow that decision to reach the owner before the decorating date is treated as fixed. Keep the agent informed when an unresolved item affects the proposed marketing timetable.
Separate the viewing date from the work sequence
Share the intended photography and viewing dates when requesting the quotation. Ask the contractor to assess a workable sequence that includes preparation, drying or curing requirements, finishing and cleaning. The required interval depends on the actual materials and conditions.
Agree how the property will be accessed and who moves personal belongings. In an occupied flat, identify the rooms and facilities that need to remain usable. Include keys, parking arrangements and any building-management access requirements in the planning conversation.
Name the person who can approve extra work
A small repair can reveal another decision once it is opened up. Agree who receives the explanation, who approves the proposed change and how the effect on cost and timing will be recorded. If an agent is coordinating visits, confirm which decisions still need the owner’s approval.
Before the marketing visit, arrange a final check of the agreed scope. List any outstanding item and its next action. Decide who removes waste, returns keys and arranges the final clean so the agent knows when access is practical.
For landlords and estate agents, send OSPM the postcode, room list and intended marketing dates. Include privately shared photographs where permission allows and identify the decision-maker. If the scope extends into a full refurbishment, set out the wider works before fixing the finish date. Start your enquiry to discuss the assessment and quotation.
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