Local Services

The services that make a house habitable: electricians, plumbers, carpenters, movers, cleaners, appliance repair and internet installation.

What to establish before work starts

• A price before the work, not after. This is the single most useful habit in this category.
• Whether materials are included, and who buys them.
• What happens if it fails. Ask about a guarantee, and expect an informal one.
• A recommendation from a neighbour or your landlord, which in Nepal is worth more than any advertisement.
• Who is responsible. For a rented property, many repairs are the landlord's. Check the lease before paying for something you need not have.

For a water tank, a tanker delivery or anything to do with the supply, ask your landlord or building first - these arrangements are usually already in place and local. Living and housing covers utilities and what rent includes, and telecom and internet covers installation and providers.

Timing, and paying

Expect same-week rather than same-day for anything non-urgent, and expect a tradesperson to arrive later than agreed. Build that in rather than resenting it.

Payment is usually cash on completion, and agreeing the figure beforehand is what prevents the conversation at the end. For a larger job, pay in stages against work actually done rather than in advance.

Get listed

Tradespeople and service businesses can submit details through partner registration. In this category the most valuable fields are the service area and the languages spoken, because those are what people filter on.

Who is responsible, you or the landlord

Worth checking before you pay for anything in a rented property.

Structural repairs, the water tank and pump, the electrical supply and anything that was broken when you moved in are usually the owner's responsibility, and many tenants pay for them simply because it is faster than asking. Read the lease, photograph the problem, and raise it before you fix it.

What is reasonably yours: consumables, anything you broke, and improvements you wanted. Housing covers leases and deposits.