Finding – and Keeping – Your Local Pro
Finding — and Keeping — Your Local Pro
You’ll know it the day you find one!
It’s not just that he speaks your language — although, sure, that helps. It’s that he actually gets it, on a different level.
Your local pro answers, even when he’s swamped. If he doesn’t have an immediate fix, he tells you what to do in the meantime. It’s the same feeling you get with a good doctor or a trustworthy mechanic — he’s genuinely invested, not just billing hours. And he won’t leave you hanging.
That’s what got us through the emergencies.
There’s nothing sentimental about it — it’s just a real relationship built on professional trust. If the plumber’s your guy, he’ll show up to clear a drain the moment he has a minute. If your boiler dies, he won’t let you freeze.
Who are « your » pros?
Their prices are fair.
They don’t send you underqualified staff telling you « it’s broken, you’ll need to replace it. »
If they’re running late, or need to reschedule, they call or text — and offer you a new time.
If they see there’s more to the job than expected, they explain the situation upfront and give you a plan.
At minimum, they do a proper walkthrough before starting. And they send you a quote within a few days.
When they leave, everything’s clean behind them.
And of course, the work itself is spotless.
How do you find these rare gems?
Most of the time, it starts with word of mouth.
👉 Networking
If you know one solid pro, you’re one phone call away from knowing several more: they know each other, and if they trust you, they’re happy to point you toward someone reliable. You won’t find a better source.
👉 You might find one on a job site!
After a bad storm hit the Portuguese coast, the condo building where we run a short-term rental flat needed some repair work. While the job was underway, we met a renovation pro who did remarkable work in every respect — and he speaks English! We kept his contact details, and guess who’s coming to redo a bathroom floor and ceiling for us???
If you meet one like this, in the middle of a job, at a friend’s or acquaintance’s place… ask for a business card and/or phone number!
👉 Fellow expats — who don’t live too far away
Chances are good that your friends or connections have had work done at their own place. If they were happy with the results, and don’t live too far from you, ask them to share their contacts.
👉 And right next door — your neighbors, or a local shopkeeper you get on well with
All the more reason to keep things friendly with the people around you (offer up some veggies from your garden when you have a surplus, help someone out if they’re stuck, or just say hello with a wave when you pass by!).
The people around you will tell you who they’d recommend — and, just as usefully, who to avoid, sparing you some unpleasant surprises.
How do you judge their work?
👉 For anything sizeable, you can ask to see examples of past projects — under the guise of « getting some ideas » — which lets you judge their work firsthand. They may have a portfolio, or at least photos of finished jobs, on a phone or tablet.
👉 Less commonly — or for bigger projects — you can ask if one of their past clients would let you visit a completed renovation (an older home restoration, finishing touches on new construction…).
👉 Listen to how they make suggestions — you’ll quickly sense whether they’re « in tune » with your taste and style, what they can do… or not. Remaining silent will often prompt them to give their opinion.
Listen to what they propose — is it current, or a bit outdated, « cheap » or well-made — let them walk you through the finishing details they’re suggesting (« solid work » versus « just good enough »).
Running behind schedule? It might be you.
Stay in touch during the work, and come and see the progress.
Not to pressure them, but to show you take interest in their work and confirm things are moving in the right direction.
If they’re waiting on you to pick a paint color or tile, don’t take a week to decide.
If your job stalls while they wait for your answer, they’ll go start another one elsewhere — and you won’t see them again until they’ve worked you back into their schedule…
A good relationship with your pro is worth its weight in gold
Take care of it.
Offer him coffee, or a quiet spot for lunch, or to warm up his food or keep his drink cool.
Most of the time, he’ll say « no, thanks! » It doesn’t matter — the gesture registers, and it’s appreciated.
And if he feels like talking a little about himself, let him! He might be happy to tell you why he speaks French or English, or share a bit about his life story and his own experience « abroad » — it’s genuinely interesting to know where he comes from and what his own journey looked like. Those little life stories are also what build the bond.
123 PROFESSIONS IN OUR DIRECTORY… IF YOURS ISN’T THERE, IT MUST BE A RARE BIRD.
FIND THE PRO YOU’RE LOOKING FOR – IT’S FREE!
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