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ENQUIRY TIPS · A GUIDE BY IVAN BODNAR · MELBOURNE
I’m Ivan Bodnar, an independent home renovation specialist working as a sole trader in Melbourne. A few clear lines about your property and the work help me give you a useful first reply. Without them I can usually only send back a list of questions.
A damaged wall like this is worth photographing for your message.
THE SHORT CHECKLIST
01 · Your suburb or postcode. I work across Melbourne and surrounding suburbs, and your location tells me how an inspection would fit around jobs I’m already on.
02 · The room and the work. Bathroom, kitchen, laundry or a smaller repair, plus a sentence or two on what you’d like done.
03 · What’s prompting it. Worn finishes, damage, a layout that doesn’t work, or a planned renovation.
04 · What you already know. Anything you’ve noticed, such as cracked tiles, loose grout or marks on a wall.
05 · Photos, if you have them. Mention them in your message. A few wide shots and one or two close-ups are plenty.
01
Most days I’m on site with a trowel or a sanding pole in my hand, so I can’t always answer a phone call properly. A written message lets me read the details when I stop, think about what you’ve described and reply with something useful instead of a rushed conversation.
It also gives us both a record. By the time I come to inspect the property, I already know which room we’re looking at and what’s bothering you about it.
02
It doesn’t need to be long or technical. Here’s an illustrative example of the kind of detail that helps:
“Hi Ivan, I’m in Murrumbeena, 3163. Our main bathroom is original. The wall tiles around the shower are cracking and the grout has gone dark. We’d like to redo the shower area and probably the floor. I have some photos if they’d help.”
You don’t need to know what the fix is. That’s my job at the inspection, where I can see the condition of the walls and floor and explain what I think is needed and why.
03
STEP 1
You’ll see an on-screen confirmation that your enquiry has been submitted.
STEP 2
I read it myself and aim to respond on the same day. If anything is unclear, I’ll ask.
STEP 3
If the work is within what I do, we arrange a time for me to inspect the property and talk through the job.
STEP 4
A quotation follows. It depends on the assessed scope, materials and existing conditions. Nothing is booked or paid online. See how assessment and quotation works.
04
If your job involves plumbing, electrical or other regulated work, mention it anyway. I don’t do that work myself. Appropriately licensed specialists carry it out, and I coordinate with them as part of the job. You can read more about working with licensed specialists.
I don’t offer a 24-hour emergency call-out, so an urgent leak or electrical fault needs a licensed tradesperson first. Once that’s been made safe, I can help with the repair and finishing work afterwards.
0413 142 055 · [email protected] · 9:00–18:00, Mon–Sun
Related reading: Why Preparation Matters · Bathroom Renovations · Questions Homeowners Ask
