Painter walked off the job: what you can best do now

Take photos of everything as it is now, with the date. Gather the quote, order confirmation, messages and proofs of payment. That is the basis for everything that follows, whether you solve it neatly or not.

Then try once more to get in touch. People fall ill, businesses get stuck, and sometimes there is a solution that is faster than starting something new. If that does not work, send a message by email asking when the work will continue, and record a date. That way everyone knows where you stand, and you keep your options open.

However annoying it is, the biggest damage does not come from the delay but from the weather. Sanded wood without a primer coat takes up moisture, and a primer coat is not meant to stand for months in wind and rain. Open joints and removed sealant are leaks too.

So have bare patches protected as soon as possible. Often that can be done with a first primer coat on a dry day, or a temporary cover if the weather is bad. That does not necessarily mean the whole job is taken over. On sanding and priming you can read why that first coat matters so much.

If you want another party to finish the work and possibly recover the costs, first send a formal notice of default in writing: you state what still has to be done, and give a reasonable deadline. If the party does not respond, you have a stronger position to end the contract.

We are not lawyers. The Dutch Legal Aid Desk can get you started for free, and if you have legal expenses insurance, call them. Pay nothing more in advance at this stage. And do not let the first message be angry: a businesslike email does more for you than a long WhatsApp.

That is a common question. Scaffolding from a hire company sometimes stays up while the hire keeps running. So ask who owns it and make arrangements about it before anyone takes anything away. The same goes for paint and tools on your property: they are not automatically yours, so set them aside and record it.

With us that point is no hurdle. We work with our own scaffolding, with a fixed price for putting it up and taking it down. If the other party's is still there, we look at whether we may use it safely, or whether it is better to put up one of ours.

We start with the site visit on location. We look at what is sound and can therefore stay, what still needs to be redone and what still has to be done completely. A primer coat that has been on too long sometimes has to be sanded lightly, sometimes redone too. We leave good preparation in place, because you should not have to pay for that twice.

We cannot say anything about the previous party's guarantee. For what we do, the guarantee period is in the quote and terms. So we very deliberately take over one clear part of the work, so that no discussion arises about who stands for what.

• Photos of the current work, close up and from a distance
• The original quote or description of the work, if you have it
• What has already been paid, and for what
• Which paint has already been used, if you know
• How long the work has been at a standstill

You do not have to share what you have already paid if you would rather not, but it helps to understand what was agreed. On comparing quotes you can read what to look for when you consider a new offer.

Only what still has to be done gets a price. As a national market guide, exterior painting starts from €35 per m2, an exterior window frame from €50 each and the exterior hourly rate from €40. Those are not MJA prices. With us you get a fixed price for the remaining work after the site visit.

A site visit often saves you the most: you then know which parts are good and which have to be redone. Criticising the other party's work does not help with that, and we do not do it. We say what is needed. On what a painter costs you can see how those prices are built up.

Earlier a customer came to us who had been left in the lurch by another contractor. In a situation like that, what counts is what we always try to do: respond quickly, make clear agreements and finish the work as it was agreed. Our reviews show 4.8 on Google from 25 ratings.

We are members of OnderhoudNL, a recognised training company, and Mohamed is your permanent point of contact. In major maintenance in Grou and the window frames in Leeuwarden you can see how we handle bigger jobs from start to finish.

You do not have to have worked everything out first. Send what you have: a few photos and a short description of how it went. Then we look at what has to happen straight away to prevent worse, and what can wait until things are clear with the previous party.

Request a quote or send a WhatsApp to 06 3006 0558. If only a primer is needed to get through the winter, that is a perfectly good start too.