Try Us on One Block: How a No-Charge Trial De-Risks Your Next Exterior Maintenance Partner

It’s 8:41am in Teddington.

Louise, a 45-year-old property manager, is halfway through her third coffee.

She looks after 9 blocks – about 260 homes in total – from 1960s low-rise to newer riverside apartments. Her residents range from:

• 20-something renters in shared flats
  
  
• 30–40-something first-time buyers
  
  
• 60–80-something leaseholders who’ve lived there for decades
  
  

Her inbox is full of familiar messages:

• “Path by Block F is slippery again.”
  
  
• “Gutter still overflowing at the back – photos attached.”
  
  
• “Can we change contractor? They never reply.”
  
  

The board has finally agreed: time to test a new exterior maintenance provider.

But everyone’s nervous.

• The chair, in his late 60s, worries about costs and disruption.
  
  
• Younger leaseholders in their 30s worry about value for money and service charges.
  
  
• Louise worries about reputation – if the new contractor is a flop, it reflects on her.
  
  

Then she sees a line that changes the conversation:

“No-charge trial available on one block – full visual report included.”

Suddenly, the risk feels manageable.

Instead of committing 9 blocks at once, she can test 1 block over a few weeks and show everyone what the difference looks like – in photos, emails and numbers.

Why “Try Before You Commit” Makes Sense in Property

In most parts of life, we’re used to trials:

• 30-day streaming service trials
  
  
• Free versions of software
  
  
• Introductory offers from gyms and services
  
  

But in property, it’s historically been different:

• Long-term contracts
  
  
• Big commitments
  
  
• Difficult exits if things don’t work out
  
  

At the same time:

• Landlords, encouraged by groups like the NRLA, are being urged to invest in good maintenance and good communication to avoid complaints and disputes.
  
  
• Professional guidance from bodies like RICS and CIBSE emphasises planned maintenance, clear records and competent contractors for building fabric and safety.
  
  

In reality, you can’t see any of that until you actually watch a contractor work on your building.

A no-charge trial on one block changes the risk maths:

• You’re not gambling your whole portfolio.
  
  
• You’re running a controlled experiment on, say, 20–30 homes.
  
  
• You get real-world proof of response times, crew behaviour, reporting quality and resident reaction.
  
  

What Our No-Charge Trial on One Block Involves

We keep it simple and transparent.

Step 1 – Choose a “Typical” Block

We’ll help you pick a block that:

• Represents your average building (not the easiest, not the worst)
  
  
• Has a mixed resident profile – maybe 30-something professionals, 50-something owners, and 70+ leaseholders
  
  
• Has some visible exterior issues – mossy paths, tired gutters, maybe mild roof moss
  
  

Think:

• 1 of your 6 standard blocks in Kingston
  
  
• 1 sheltered block in Richmond
  
  
• 1 typical block in a small housing association estate in Epsom
  
  

Step 2 – Define the Scope

For the trial, we might agree something like:

• Gutter clean and inspection
  
  
• Pressure wash main entrance paths / ramps
  
  
• Roof & gutter health check
  
  
• Simple window clean to lift the overall feel
  
  

We’ll confirm:

• Exactly what’s included
  
  
• Exactly what it would normally cost
  
  
• How long we expect to be on site
  
  

For the trial block, you don’t pay for that agreed scope.

Step 3 – Book the Visit and Communicate Clearly

We’ll:

• Work with you on timing (e.g. avoiding bin days, deliveries, key events)
  
  
• Provide a template message you can send to residents
  
  
• Turn up with clean, branded vans, uniformed staff, PPE and safety signage
  
  

You get to see how we behave on site – how we speak to a resident in their 80s, a rushed parent in their 30s, or a contractor delivering parcels.

Step 4 – Deliver Full Visual Report

After the visit, you’ll receive a photo-based report, including:

• Before and after shots of key areas
  
  
• Notes in plain English – no jargon
  
  
• Any risks or future issues spotted (e.g. tired pointing, problem gutters)
  
  
• Recommendations and pricing for a standard programme (no obligation)
  
  

This report is yours to use in board packs, emails and internal discussions.

Feature: No-Charge Trial – What, How, Why, Who

What It Is

A one-block, fully scoped exterior maintenance visit that:

• You don’t pay for
  
  
• Comes with the same level of service and reporting as a paid job
  
  
• Is designed to show how we work, not just “clean a bit and go”
  
  

How It Works in Practice

Time

• Initial call: ~15–30 minutes
  
  
• Trial block visit: usually half a day to a full day, depending on scope
  
  
• Visual report: typically delivered within a few working days
  
  

For a busy property manager in their 30s–50s juggling 200–500 units, that’s a very small time investment compared with the potential gain in the long term.

Money

• The direct cost of the visit: £0 for you on the trial block
  
  
• The indirect value:
  
  
  • You get a priced proposal you can compare to your current contractor
    
    
  • You gain a benchmark for what “good” looks like in terms of response, on-site conduct and reporting
    
    

Risk

• Limited to one block
  
  
• No long-term commitment
  
  
• Clear exit: if you don’t feel the difference, you don’t have to go further
  
  

Why We Offer It

Because from your side of the desk:

• Anyone can say they’re responsive, careful, courteous and professional.
  
  
• You only know if it’s true when they’ve worked on your building with your residents.
  
  

From our side:

• We’re confident enough in our response times, set pricing, visual reports and on-site attitude to let you watch us work before we ever send you an invoice.
  
  

Who It’s Ideal For

• Housing associations testing a new partner on 1 of 20+ blocks
  
  
• Charities and trusts with older residents where contractor behaviour really matters
  
  
• Managing agents wanting to try a new contractor without risking multiple client relationships at once
  
  
• Portfolio landlords who want to pilot one building before rolling out across 5–10
  
  

Value by the Numbers: What One Trial Block Can Show You

Let’s say your trial block has:

• 24 flats
  
  
• Residents aged from mid-20s to late 80s
  
  
• A mix of owner-occupiers and renters
  
  

You currently:

• Use a contractor who is slow to reply and light on documentation
  
  
• Get 3–5 complaints a month about exterior appearance and safety across the estate
  
  
• Spend hours every quarter prepping for meetings, patching together photos and explanations
  
  

After a no-charge trial block, you’ll have real data:

1. Response Time
   
   
   • How quickly we acknowledged your enquiry
     
     
   • How quickly we scheduled the visit
     
     
2. On-Site Behaviour
   
   
   • Feedback from at least 2–3 residents across age groups (younger, middle, older)
     
     
   • Your own observations of how the crew interacted with people and the site
     
     
3. Visual Impact
   
   
   • Before/after images showing paths, gutters, entrances and possibly roof edges
     
     
4. Admin Impact
   
   
   • A ready-made report you can plug into your next email to the board or landlord
     
     

If that trial block reduces your complaints by even 1–2 per month and cuts your prep time for one quarterly meeting by 1–2 hours, the long-term savings across all blocks – in time, stress and risk – become obvious.

How Different Generations Experience the Trial

Residents in Their 70s and 80s

• See clear safety signage and courteous staff
  
  
• Notice that paths, ramps and entrances feel less slippery
  
  
• Feel reassured that management is doing something visible
  
  

Residents in Their 30s and 40s

• See quick communication and good results
  
  
• Recognise a professional, branded team (and are more likely to comment positively)
  
  
• Feel that service charges are going towards real, tangible improvements
  
  

Younger Residents in Their 20s

• Notice before/after differences immediately
  
  
• Appreciate visual updates and clear, concise messages
  
  
• Are less likely to take frustrations to social media when they can see action
  
  

For you, all of that adds up to:

• Fewer angry emails
  
  
• More supportive voices when budgets and plans are discussed
  
  
• A better NPS/tenant satisfaction story if you track it
  
  

Why a Trial is Easier to Sell Internally

If you’re pitching a new contractor to:

• A landlord in their 60s with 10 properties
  
  
• A housing association board with trustees in their 50s–70s
  
  
• A senior leadership team balancing budgets across regions
  
  

…it’s much easier to say:

“We ran a no-charge trial on Block A, here are the photos, and here’s the resident feedback.”

than:

“They seemed good on the phone, shall we sign a 2-year contract?”

A trial gives you:

• Evidence, not just opinions
  
  
• A low-cost, low-risk decision-making process
  
  
• A chance to negotiate wider terms from a position of experience, not guesswork
  
  

How to Get the Best from a One-Block Trial

1. Pick the Right Block
   
   
   • Not the quietest, not the worst – something “representative”
     
     
2. Tell Residents Clearly
   
   
   • Explain it’s a trial of a new contractor
     
     
   • Invite informal feedback from a few residents of different ages
     
     
3. Note the Before
   
   
   • Take a quick walk-round
     
     
   • Capture 5–10 quick photos yourself (even on your phone)
     
     
4. Review the Report
   
   
   • Compare our photos with yours
     
     
   • Check how easy it is to understand and drop into a board pack
     
     
5. Decide with Confidence
   
   
   • If the trial proves the value, plan roll-out to other blocks
     
     
   • If it doesn’t, you’ve lost very little time and no money on that block
     
     

How Surrey Maintenance Makes the Trial Work Smoothly

For your trial block, you’ll experience the same things our long-term clients get:

• Under-24-hour response to your enquiry
  
  
• Set pricing for standard services (shared in the report, even though the trial is free)
  
  
• Clean, courteous, insured crews on site (with £5M public liability)
  
  
• Biocide-certified, City & Guilds-assured soft-wash methods where relevant
  
  
• A Health & Safety Officer backing safe methods and risk assessments
  
  
• Full photo/video job report for you to keep
  
  

Our goal is simple: after one block, you and your colleagues should have enough real-world proof to decide whether we’re the right fit for your portfolio.

If you’d like to see how a different kind of exterior maintenance partner works – without risking your whole estate – our no-charge trial on one block is the easiest way to find out.

Whether you manage housing association stock, charity-owned schemes, private blocks or mixed portfolios across Surrey and Southwest London, we can agree a sensible, scoped trial that shows you exactly what we do.

If you’re interested in a hassle-free, no-charge trial on one block – with full visual reports and no long-term commitment – get in touch and we’ll happily set it up and provide a no-obligation follow-up quote within 24 hours.