Frequently Asked Questions

Nothing. We come to the property, look at the job and send a written quote, broken down by stage and by material. We only book the work once you have approved it.

Because a price given over the phone is a guess, and a guess nearly always ends in an argument halfway through the job. Two bathrooms of the same size can cost very different amounts depending on whether the pipework moves. We would rather come and look — the visit costs nothing and the quote comes back firm.

Three things above all: the area involved, the condition of the substrate and how difficult the access is. A façade with degraded render takes days of preparation that a sound façade does not. A roof where no platform can be set up needs scaffolding, and that weighs on the quote.

Loulé, Almancil, Vilamoura, Faro, Boliqueime, São Brás de Alportel and Santa Bárbara de Nexe, including Vale do Lobo and Quinta do Lago. We set out from Loulé and do not charge travel within this area.

Yes, with VAT, always. We are a registered company, with public liability insurance and staff properly employed and contributing.

On small jobs, at the end. On larger jobs, in stages: a share at the start for materials and the rest against completion of each agreed stage. We do not ask for the full amount up front.

Yes. A good share of our clients are foreign and we communicate in English by email and WhatsApp without difficulty.

It depends on the time of year and the type of work. Cleaning and small repairs normally come in the same week or the next. Building work and roofing in summer, which is the busy season for those trades, need booking further ahead — anyone calling in October with a leaking roof is already joining a waiting list.

Yes. If a defect in workmanship appears, we come back and put it right at no cost. What we do not cover is normal wear, or the consequences of causes we flagged and the client chose not to deal with — and in those cases we put that in writing in the quote, so there are no misunderstandings later.

We can, and it usually pays. Using scaffolding already up for the roof to paint the façade at the same time works out considerably cheaper than doing the two at different times.

Yes, it is a significant part of our work, particularly in Vilamoura and Almancil. We are used to guest changeover schedules and to deadlines that cannot slip.

We stop, show you what has appeared — normally with a photograph — and only continue once you have approved the additional cost. Nothing appears on the final invoice that was not agreed beforehand.

No. Most of our clients leave us a key or an access code. We work with identified staff and always the same team, precisely so that this can work without you having to worry about it.

Yes, we bring everything — products, vacuum, mops and cloths. If you would rather we used specific products because of allergies, pets or delicate materials, we will happily use yours.

We do. Spring cleans, cleans before guests arrive, or a clean after the house has been shut up for a few months are all frequent requests.

It depends a great deal on the area and the condition. A two-bedroom flat on a maintenance clean takes around three hours with two people; a large villa on a deep clean can take a full day.

Yes. We hold public liability insurance and our staff are properly registered, with social security contributions up to date.

It depends on the area, the condition and the frequency — a house on a weekly maintenance clean takes far less time than the same house once a quarter. We come and look and give you a firm price per visit, with no charge for the visit.

We collect it and put it in the bins, yes. If the house is empty between visits, we leave the containers washed so they do not start to smell.

We do. Let us know beforehand so we bring brushes suited to pet hair and can agree what to do with the animal during the clean.

We hold public liability insurance. If it happens, we tell you straight away — you will not find out later — and we put it right.

After the last trade has left and the touch-ups are done. If we come in before the painter finishes, the work has to be repeated — and nobody wants to pay twice.

Because plaster dust stays suspended in the air and in the ducts for days. It is normal, and it is why we always include a second pass.

Yes, with diluted acidic product and neutralisation afterwards. What you cannot do is apply acid to limestone or marble — there we use a mechanical method, slower but safe.

We do, and it works out cheaper than hiring separately. When we carry out the refurbishment, the final clean is already in the quote.

A two-bedroom flat after a refurbishment normally takes one to two days with a team of two. A large villa can take a week. Always add the second pass, a few days later, for the residual dust.

Building debris is the responsibility of whoever did the work. We deal with the fine residue: packaging, protective coverings, leftover material and dust. If you need proper skip removal, we will tell you who to speak to.

It will, with a blade and the right technique. The risk is scratching the glass, and scratched glass does not recover — which is why this job should not go to somebody who has never done it.

We do, usually outside opening hours so the premises can open the next day.

With proper preparation and good-grade paint, eight to ten years on a normal façade. On a south-facing façade or near the sea, expect less — five to seven years.

We can, and it is the most common situation. We work room by room so part of the house is always usable, and we use water-based paints, which are practically odourless.

If they are shrinkage cracks and they are opened, taped and filled with a flexible filler, they will not. If they are structural cracks, they will reopen — and in that case we tell you the problem is not one of painting.

On traditional walls we use mineral or lime-based paints, which let the wall breathe. Sealing an old wall with plastic paint traps the moisture and blows the render off before long.

It includes everything: labour, materials, protection and cleaning afterwards. There are no extras appearing halfway through.

It varies a lot with the condition of the walls. A house with sound walls is mostly labour and paint; a house with cracks, damp or flaking paint takes days of preparation before any painting, and that is where the quote goes up or down.

Two finishing coats, plus the primer suited to the substrate, with the drying time respected between them. On strong colour changes — dark to light, or a red like the one we applied to a house in São Brás — one more may be needed.

Up to the moment we buy the paint, yes. We put a sample on the actual wall when there is doubt: the colour in the chart and the colour on the wall, in the light of the house, are rarely the same thing.

Yes. On metal the job is different: rust removal, anti-corrosion primer and enamel. Near the sea this is not optional — without anti-corrosion treatment the rust comes back through the paint before long.

With water-based paints, the same day. The smell is minimal and the paint continues to cure over the following weeks without bothering anybody.

Between two and four weeks, depending on whether the pipework changes. Most of that time is drying: tanking and tile adhesives have curing times that cannot be shortened without compromising the work.

For interior work with no structural alteration no permit is needed, only notification in some cases. Where a design or council licensing is required, we advise you and work with professionals who handle it.

For localised work, yes. For a refurbishment of the only bathroom in the house it is possible but uncomfortable — we usually say frankly when we think it is worth moving out for a few weeks.

Only if something appears that was not visible — rotten pipework inside a wall, for example. In that case we stop, show you what has appeared and only continue once you have approved the additional cost.

What changes the figure most is whether the pipework and the position of the sanitaryware move. Keeping the existing layout is substantially cheaper than moving the WC and the waste. We give an itemised quote so you can see the weight of each choice.

Yes, with trade specialists who have worked with us for years. You still have one person accountable and one quote.

For interior refurbishment with no structural change, normally not. If there is structural alteration, an extension or council licensing, a design is required, and we work with professionals who handle that.

We will. Not everybody wants to refurbish everything at once, and phasing it room by room is a perfectly sensible way to spread the cost over time.

It is included when we do the work. It is what avoids the very common situation of the job finishing and the house staying uninhabitable for another week waiting for someone to clean it.

We strongly advise against it. High pressure cracks old tiles, strips the ridge mortar and forces water under the tiles — it fixes the appearance and creates the leak. We use low pressure with a proper product.

Between May and October, in dry weather. Waiting for the first rain to call means risking weeks on a waiting list while the water keeps coming in.

Every four or five years on an exposed house, less often if it gets little shade. Houses surrounded by trees grow moss far more quickly.

If the timber structure is sound and it is a matter of tiles and junctions, repair. Once the timber has given way in several places, patching costs more in the long run — and we say so when that is the case.

It depends mainly on the area, the pitch and the access. A roof you can work on safely from a platform costs less than one that needs scaffolding. The inspection and the quote are free.

You do not, from below — and that is the problem. Signs inside appear late. The way to know is to go up and look: cracked or slipped tiles, crumbling ridge mortar, accumulated moss and blocked gutters. We do that inspection with photographs and with no obligation.

We do, including replacing the structure where the timber has gone. In those cases we say clearly when patching has stopped being worthwhile — patching a roof at the end of its life costs more over time.

Yes, with a safety line and proper equipment, or scaffolding where the job requires it. We do not improvise work at height, whatever the hurry.

Several years, but it is not permanent and it depends a great deal on exposure. A roof in shade and surrounded by trees grows moss back considerably faster than one in full sun.

Almost always for want of drainage. Rainwater builds up behind the wall and the pressure pushes it outwards. Rebuilding with a drain and gravel solves it; filling the crack with cement only delays the collapse.

It is not compulsory, but a colourless water repellent greatly reduces the white efflorescence and the green growth on faces that get little sun. It is repeated after a few years.

Veneer is a thin sheet bonded to the substrate, cheaper and quicker, but with little thickness at corners and junctions. Natural stone laid with real thickness gives genuine depth to the joints and the corners — you notice it most at the arrises.

We do; it is the traditional technique of the barrocal and the most suitable for terracing. It takes longer to build because every stone has to fit against its neighbours, and that is reflected in the quote.

It is priced by square metre of visible face, and what changes it most is the type of stone, the height of the wall and whether it is a retaining or a boundary wall. A retaining wall needs a foundation and drainage that a boundary wall does not.

Stonework is slow by nature, because every piece is laid by hand and chosen for its place. A boundary wall of a few metres takes days; a retaining wall of any height takes weeks, counting the foundation and the curing time.

We work with suppliers in the region. We show samples and, wherever possible, work already done — stone in a catalogue photograph is never stone on a wall at real scale and in real light.

It can, provided the substrate is sound and will take the weight. We check that first: stone laid over render that is already coming away ends up on the ground, and the cost of redoing it is far higher than treating the substrate at the outset.

In most cases because the grout lost its seal and water got in behind. It also happens when the adhesive used was not rated for permanent immersion, or when the pool was left empty in the sun for a long time.

In a pool, yes. Cement grout is porous: it absorbs treated water, darkens and degrades with chlorine and pH swings. Epoxy does not. It costs more and is more demanding to apply, but it lasts far longer.

A full regrout takes around one to two weeks, including the cure before filling. A new finish from scratch takes longer, three to four weeks depending on size.

Often yes, if it is a reference still in production. Where it is not, we propose close alternatives or a deliberate contrast — a different band at the waterline works better than a patch that shows.

It depends on the size and, above all, on the condition of the old grout: the more degraded it is, the longer the removal takes, and that is the longest stage of the job. Epoxy costs more than cement grout, and it is worth the difference.

No. The substrate has to be completely dry for the epoxy to bond. Grouting over moisture guarantees the joint will fail before long.

Not always. It can be the grout, but it can also be pipework, the skimmer, an underwater light or the main drain itself. A simple level test tells you whether the loss is structural or in the circulation before anything is touched.

Outside the swimming season, between October and April. Besides not losing the use of it in summer, mild temperatures are better for curing the products than the August heat.

Under normal circumstances, collection one day and delivery the next. For same-day guest changeovers we agree fixed collection and delivery times in advance — and in those cases the safest arrangement is to keep spare sets in rotation.

By item or by complete bed set, whichever suits you. For anyone with several properties or regular volume, we work to a price by weight. A single sheet and a double duvet cover are not the same price, so the quote follows knowing what you have.

The count at collection exists precisely for that. If an item is lost through us, we replace it. If a fabric will not survive the wash indicated on its label, we tell you before washing it.

The service is designed for bed linen and towelling, which is what comes in volume. Personal laundry we handle within the house cleaning or property management service, when agreed.

We collect and deliver at the property, within our working area, with no additional travel charge.

We use a neutral detergent as standard. Many guests are sensitive to fragrance and heavily scented bed linen generates as many complaints as poorly washed linen. If you prefer a perfumed softener, we will use one.

White bed linen and towelling at 60 degrees, which is the temperature that deals with dust mites and most bacteria. Colours and delicate fabrics at 30 or 40. The label decides, and where the label and the desired result are incompatible, we say so before washing.

Both: pressed and folded, ready to put on. In a holiday let that is what saves time on the changeover — receiving it unpressed would hand the whole job straight back to you.

Three is the number we recommend for anyone letting: one on the bed, one clean in the cupboard and one at the laundry. With two sets, any delay puts the next changeover at risk.

We do, it is a standalone service. Some clients have their cleaning done by somebody else and give us only the linen.

Fortnightly is the best balance for an unoccupied house. Weekly if there is a working pool or a demanding garden. Monthly is the minimum we would advise — below that, a problem has time to grow.

Yes. A good share of our management clients are foreign and we communicate in English by email and WhatsApp without difficulty.

From the photographic report of each visit, dated. That is the service itself: without evidence, it would not be worth what you are paying.

In urgent situations — a burst pipe, water coming in, a security problem — yes, we act and inform you as soon as the situation is under control.

It is charged per visit, and the figure depends on the frequency and what each visit covers. A fortnightly check is very different from a full preparation before an arrival, with cleaning, shopping and bed linen.

Keys are held securely and labelled without any address attached. Only our identified staff enter the property, and any third-party access — a tradesperson, a delivery — happens with your prior authorisation.

Water ingress and signs of damp, working order of appliances and plumbing, the state of the pool and the outdoor areas, accumulated post and signs of intrusion. The photographic report shows you what was seen, not merely that the visit happened.

We can. We take deliveries, oversee tradespeople and callouts and stay present during third-party work, which saves you managing all of that from another country.

It is, and it is a common request. But it is worth knowing that many of the problems we find on those one-off visits — established damp, an unbalanced pool, an old leak — would have cost far less had they been caught in time.