Boards feel spongy underfoot, edges crumble or fixings have rust streaks. Coastal decks fail from underneath, so the surface often looks better than the structure.
Likely causes
Moisture trapped at board ends, post bases and joists
Corroded fixings letting boards move and hold water
Algae and debris keeping timber permanently damp
When to call a professional: Any bounce, movement in handrails or softness at post bases — these are safety failures, not cosmetic wear.
Photos to send: The affected boards, post bases at ground level and underneath the deck if you can reach safely.
A stiff, gritty or failed lock, a dropped handle, or a key safe that will not open. Salt air corrodes mechanisms faster on the coast, and access failures always happen at the worst moment.
Likely causes
Salt corrosion inside the mechanism
Door or frame movement putting the latch out of line
Worn or failing multipoint gearbox
When to call a professional: Immediately for any external door that no longer secures, or before changeover day if guests rely on the key safe.
Photos to send: Both sides of the door, the lock edge, the handle and any model markings on the hardware.
A drip that will not stop, staining under the sink or a fitting that weeps. Small water leaks damage the cabinet, floor and wall long before they look serious.
Likely causes
Worn washers, cartridges or seals
Loosened compression fittings after years of use
Failed sealant letting splash water track behind fittings
When to call a professional: The moment there is water anywhere it shouldn't be — and turn the isolation valve or stopcock off first if it is flowing.
Photos to send: The fitting itself, under the sink or bath, and any staining, swelling or damp below.
Dropped doors, sticking drawers, chipped or swollen worktops. Holiday-let kitchens can take years of wear in one summer, and most damage is repairable without a new kitchen.
Likely causes
Worn hinges and drawer runners from heavy use
Water swelling at worktop joints and sink cut-outs
Impact damage to doors, plinths and end panels
When to call a professional: When water is involved (swelling spreads), or before guest changeover if the kitchen looks tired in photos.
Photos to send: The damaged unit close up, the wider kitchen run and any maker's marks inside the cabinet.
Holes from fixings or furniture, dents, blown patches or cracked corners. Small wall damage is very visible in bright coastal light and listing photos.
Likely causes
Impact damage and removed fittings
Old plaster losing its key on solid walls
Movement cracks at corners and above openings
When to call a professional: When the patch needs to disappear — matching texture and paint is the hard part — or if cracks keep returning.
Photos to send: Close-up of the damage and the whole wall so finish, texture and light can be judged.
Skirting pulling off the wall, gaps opening at mitres, loose door surrounds or beading. Usually cosmetic — but sometimes the first sign of moisture movement behind.
Likely causes
Timber shrinkage and seasonal movement
Failed adhesive or fixings into soft plaster
Damp behind the board in older solid walls
When to call a professional: If the board is damp, stained or soft rather than just loose — that points at a moisture problem worth diagnosing.
Photos to send: The loose section, the junction with floor and wall, and any staining behind if visible.
A door that scrapes, binds or needs a shoulder. In Cornwall this is often seasonal timber swelling — but worsening or year-round sticking is mechanical.
Likely causes
Winter moisture swelling the door or frame
Dropped hinges and worn screw holes
Building movement putting the frame out of square
When to call a professional: When an external door is affected (access and security), or when several doors change at once alongside new cracks.
Photos to send: The whole door, the frame, hinges and the exact point where it catches.
Windows that will not open, rattle in wind or let draughts through. Coastal sills and frames weather fastest on the seaward side.
Likely causes
Swollen timber after damp winters
Failed seals, beads and putty lines
Early rot in sills and lower frame sections
When to call a professional: If the sill feels soft under thumb pressure, or a bedroom window will not open (that can be an escape-route safety issue).
Photos to send: The whole window, the sill close up and the opening edge that sticks.
Lifted fittings, damaged fences, slipped slates or water getting in after a named storm. Assess from the ground — post-storm ladder accidents outnumber storm injuries.
Likely causes
Wind working on already-loose fittings and fixings
Wind-driven rain finding failed seals
Debris impact on fences, glazing and outdoor structures
When to call a professional: Straight away for anything hanging, structural or letting water in — make-safe work comes before perfect repairs.
Photos to send: Each affected area from a safe position, plus a wide shot of the elevation.
Flaking exterior paint, scuffed hallways, tired guest bedrooms. On the coast, failed exterior paint is a maintenance problem, not just a cosmetic one — bare timber drinks water.
Likely causes
Salt and UV breaking down coatings on weather elevations
Poor preparation under the previous coat
High-traffic wear in halls, stairs and rentals
When to call a professional: Exterior: at the first cracking or bare patches, ideally before winter. Interior: whenever it affects guests, tenants or your patience.
Photos to send: The affected surfaces in daylight and a wider shot of the room or elevation.
Water pouring over the edge in rain, green streaks on walls or moss lines under joints. The cheapest problem on this list to fix and the most expensive to ignore.
Likely causes
Moss, leaves and wind-blown debris
Sagging runs holding standing water
Failed unions and corroded fixings
When to call a professional: Before winter as routine; urgently if a wall below stays wet or damp appears inside high on the wall.
Photos to send: The gutter run from ground level during or after rain, plus any staining on the wall below.
Tripping circuits, dead sockets, flickering lights. Electrical faults are diagnosed and repaired by certified electrical support — never as DIY or general handywork.
Likely causes
Failed accessories or fittings
Moisture reaching outdoor or bathroom circuits
Ageing installations in older cottages
When to call a professional: Describe symptoms without touching anything exposed. For burning smells, sparking or live cables, use the emergency services or your supplier first.
Photos to send: The affected fitting or consumer unit from a safe distance — never open anything up.
Some straightforward repairs can be scoped from clear photos. Other work needs an inspection to confirm access, hidden damage, materials or safety requirements.
When should I call instead of using the form?
Call or WhatsApp first for urgent leaks, access failures, guest deadlines, storm damage or any concern involving immediate safety.
What if several issues need looking at?
Send a numbered snag list with one wide and one close photo per issue so the work can be grouped sensibly into one visit.
Can regulated work be included?
Qualified electrical, Gas Safe or other specialist support is coordinated where required; it is not carried out as unregulated general maintenance.
Do you work with remote owners?
Yes. Access notes, photos, reports and clear follow-up are especially useful for landlords, holiday lets and second homes.
How quickly do you respond to a problem report?
Photo-led enquiries usually get an initial response the same working day, with urgent safety and guest-deadline issues triaged first.