Clear decisions, in a useful order.
Preparation begins before tools arrive. This is a conversation guide for agreeing the work, not a set of installation instructions.
Read the existing space.
Collect whole-room photographs and identify adjoining finishes, openings and objects that need to remain accessible. Describe the intended use and what prompted the project.
Separate observed conditions from assumptions. If a surface has not been inspected, say so; the survey can then answer the right question.
Resolve material relationships.
Discuss the actual tile reference, visible edges, layout direction and transitions together. Samples and a simple setting-out drawing can make choices easier to compare.
Ask which decisions require product documentation or a further inspection. Agree who will supply each item and when a choice must be finalised.
Record the working scope.
Keep preparation, inclusions, exclusions, waste arrangements and access in a written record. Clarify the order of work and how the room will be left between visits.
Any technical system, treatment or return-to-use timing must be confirmed for the actual materials and site. A useful sequence avoids turning a general example into an unsupported promise.
Collect your preparation questions