The things people actually ask.

A walk round the garden in daylight and, ideally, a second visit after dark. We look at levels, at what you see from inside the house, and at what's genuinely worth lighting. That becomes a plan — fitting positions, beam angles, zones and circuits — which is what we then install to.

As a working rule we'd suggest allocating around 6–10% of the overall build budget to the garden lighting. It sounds like a lot until you remember it's the part of the garden you actually experience for half the year.

Most decorative garden schemes run at 12V from a transformer in a protected enclosure, which is exactly why we design them that way — it's far safer to dig near and much easier to extend later.

Very little. It's all LED, and a whole garden lit for an evening uses roughly what a kettle uses in a few minutes. The running cost is almost never the deciding factor.

If the right fittings are specified, yes. We choose for IP rating and material, bury and protect the cable properly, and use real weatherproof connectors. Most failures we're called out to fix are cheap fittings in the wrong place, not the weather itself.

That's one of the advantages of a zoned low-voltage system — extending it as planting matures or as you build a new terrace is straightforward, provided the original design left headroom for it. We size the transformer with that in mind.

Completely fine. PIR floodlights, porch lights, driveway and side-return lighting are everyday work for us, with no design fee and no attempt to talk you into a scheme you didn't ask for.

Every five years for rented accommodation, and roughly every ten years for a general domestic property. You'd also want one when buying a house, or after any work by someone whose paperwork has gone missing.

C1 is danger present, C2 is potentially dangerous, C3 is improvement recommended, and FI means something needs further investigation. C1, C2 and FI make a report unsatisfactory; C3 on its own does not. There's a full explanation on the certificates page.

No. We price remedials separately from the inspection precisely so you can compare, and we'd rather give you an honest report you can take anywhere than a report designed to sell you a rewire.

Sometimes it genuinely doesn't and we'll say so. Where it does, our standard installation is a full RCBO board with a surge protection device as standard — so a fault on one circuit trips one circuit rather than half the house.

Depending on the job, an Electrical Installation Certificate, a Minor Works Certificate, or a full written EICR. Keep them with the house paperwork — solicitors and letting agents ask for them.

Our contractors are NICEIC approved and trained to the latest 18th Edition regulations. If you'd like to know exactly who's carrying out your job and what they hold, ask us at the quote stage — we'd rather tell you directly than hang badges in a footer.

Yes — on its own correctly protected circuit back to the consumer unit. We'll check what the existing supply and board can sensibly carry before recommending anything, and tell you if the board needs sorting first.

Yes. A hot tub gets a dedicated, correctly rated outdoor supply with RCD protection and an accessible isolator. It's much easier if we get the supply in before the tub arrives, so tell us early.

We can fit a smart thermostat to most modern boilers and central heating systems. Send us the make and model when you enquire and we'll tell you before we come out.

Yes — app control, schedules, and occupancy sensors so hallways, lofts and utility rooms light themselves. Because we're local, adding another zone or scene later is a short visit rather than a new project.

We come out, assess it, then work through a sequence of tests to isolate exactly where the fault is rather than swapping parts and hoping. Most are resolved on the first visit; if it's something larger you'll get the honest version and a price.

Honestly, it's messy — but it's manageable if it's sequenced properly. We work room by room where we can, agree socket and switch positions with you in advance, and keep the dust contained. It's easiest alongside a kitchen, an extension or before you move in.