Reaching the door is already part of the job
In Vieux-Nice, the old town, the last part of the address is covered on foot. The tangle of lanes between the cours Saleya, the rue Droite and the place Rossetti is pedestrian, and the van stops at the edge of the quarter: the equipment is carried in by hand, then up steep, turning Genoese staircases. On the phone, give us the name on the entryphone, the actual floor, and where the door sits on the landing. In these tall, narrow buildings two doors face each other on a half-landing and the numbers vanished long ago.
On the hills the difficulty is reversed. In Cimiez, Fabron, Mont-Boron or around La Californie, the 1960s and 1970s residences are reached by hairpin roads, with a pedestrian entrance separate from the delivery gate and a block number rarely legible from the road. There is usually a gate to pass, then an entry-controlled lobby, before the flat door itself. Giving the name of the residence and the letter of the building saves a long tour of the grounds.
What is behind the doorbell, and what you will be asked for
Flat doors in Vieux-Nice and around the rue Victor Hugo are often original: solid timber, a rim lock or a lever mechanism, sometimes two leaves under a glazed transom, in dimensions that match no current standard. The frame, bedded straight into the masonry, holds very well but tolerates knocks poorly. Nothing is decided before the door has been examined: we look at it, explain what we find and the method we intend to use, then present a detailed quote before any work starts.
Proof of occupancy is asked for everywhere, from a student studio in Borriglione to a villa in Gairaut. An identity document showing the address, a rent receipt, an energy bill or a home insurance certificate will do. In the furnished lets in the lanes behind the cours Saleya, the occupant is often there for a few nights only: a rental agreement, a written message from the owner or a statement from the caretaker takes over. If everything is shut inside, say so when you call rather than on the landing. A detailed invoice is handed to you once the work is finished.
How does this service work?
Techniques, typical situations, standards and things to watch out for: it is all on our door opening page. This page focuses on what the service involves in Nice.