The five questions that matter
- "Can I see the live preview link by Friday?" Anyone modern can ship something into a preview environment in a few days. If they are talking about months of "discovery" before code is written, walk away.
- "Will I own the code?" The answer should be a flat yes, with the repo in your GitHub on day one.
- "What happens if you go quiet for 3 months?" A good answer covers a code escrow, a transferable hosting account, and clear documentation.
- "What is the fixed price?" If they cannot give you one, the scope is unclear and you will get billed for the unclarity.
- "Are you using modern AI coding tools?" If the answer is "no, we do everything by hand", you are paying ten times for the same result.
Red flags
- Vague hourly billing with no cap.
- An "exclusive" relationship clause that stops you talking to other developers.
- Hosting in their account, "for convenience".
- No live preview, ever.
- Pitch decks heavier than the spec.
Green flags
- A fixed quote inside 24 hours of the first call.
- £0 upfront until you approve the result.
- Verified eBay listings or other buyer-protected purchase paths.
- References you can phone, not just logos on a slide.
- A maintenance plan with unlimited small updates and no lock-in.
Where we sit on this
Every one of the green flags above is how we work as standard. Our quote is fixed, our preview link goes live in week 1, our maintenance is £39 a month no-contract, and you can buy a build through our eBay shop if buyer protection matters to you.