Property-care plans and pricing

01

Start with the recurring work

First separate continuing care from occasional tasks. Scheduled visual visits, an agreed reporting format and a defined access arrangement may form the recurring part of a proposal. Arrival preparation or coordination of a particular maintenance appointment may be needed only at specific points in the year.

The starting price is an entry point for the discussion, not a promise that every property and task has the same cost. Ask for the included visit frequency, reporting, minimum term if any, payment terms and proposed start date to be confirmed in the written quotation before treating the plan as a booking.

02

Explain the property beyond its size

The property’s general location and access can affect whether a request is practical. Layout also matters: one apartment, a home with several levels and a property with separate outbuildings require different descriptions of the areas to be visited. Outdoor areas should be identified separately rather than assumed to be included.

Describe known concerns and any restrictions that could change the work. A room that is not accessible, an appointment requiring another person’s presence or an area that needs a specialist should be visible in the brief. An accurate scope is more useful than a low headline figure based on incomplete information.

• General area and property type, with approximate size if known.
• Expected periods of absence and requested visit pattern.
• Accessible rooms, exterior areas and known practical restrictions.
• Reporting needs and any separate appointments to coordinate.

03

Ask what is included, additional and excluded

A quotation should make the boundary of the work understandable. Check whether reports and photographs are part of the visit scope, what access coordination involves and which requests would need separate agreement. Avoid assuming that a broad phrase such as property management covers every task associated with ownership.

Ask how travel, extra visits, materials and third-party charges would be treated if relevant to the proposal. Confirm the tax treatment, payment and cancellation terms in the written quotation. The advertised starting price does not replace a description of the work: any final figure you rely on should identify what is included for your own request.

04

Keep third-party work visible

Coordinating a contractor appointment and paying for the contractor’s work are different items. If a repair is proposed, ask who will issue the quotation, who approves it and who is responsible for payment. Confirm whether KeyCare’s involvement is limited to access, communication or another specifically agreed task.

A useful approval identifies the work, the proposed provider, the cost and any relevant timing limitation. If the circumstances change, revisit that approval. A property-care visit does not itself authorise repairs or create an open-ended spending instruction.

05

Choose clarity before a larger package

You may be able to explain your immediate needs with a short initial scope and review it after the first agreed period. Alternatively, your travel pattern may make it useful to discuss visits, departure tasks and arrival preparation together. Either way, judge the proposal by its fit with your home and your decisions.

When comparing providers, compare the same visit scope, reporting expectations, exclusions and approval arrangements. A lower price with fewer checks is a different service, not necessarily the same service at a saving. Keep the written proposal so future requests can be compared with what was originally agreed.