What happens next?

Once you have sourced two or three suitable plasterers, you need to book a time for them to come and see the house. Give them an idea of what you want done on the phone and ask them to provide you with an estimate afterwards – be sure to get a full written breakdown on the estimate. You might want to ask the plasterers when they can do the job and how long they anticipate it will take to finish.

Once you have chosen a plasterer, ring them up and tell them that you would like them to start. Check that there are no hidden fees and that the price should not vary too much from the written estimate.

Arrange a time for the plasterer to start the job and take their mobile phone number so you can reach them in case of an emergency.

If you are going to be away when they arrive, you will need to arrange a way to let them in to the house, if the work is to be done indoors. You can drop a key off for them or have a neighbour let them in.

Whilst the work is being done, you will probably not be able to use the room: it will probably become very damp and you will need to use a de-humidifier to extract some of the moisture. It may be worth bearing this in mind so that you don't schedule plastering work for a period when you are throwing a party, for example.

After the work has been completed, be sure to get a written invoice so that – if anything should go wrong – you can go back to the plasterer and complain.

Questions to ask your plasterer?

• How long have you been practising?
• Does that price include everything (materials, labour rate)?
• How long will the job take to complete?
• Can you please give me a written quote with a full cost breakdown?
• Do you have full insurance, covering any damage that might occur?