Home visits across Pinner, Harrow & Ruislip
Friendly, expert computer help for older adults.
For fourteen years I've designed and secured the networks behind six London NHS trusts, borough councils, a university, central government and multinational companies. Evenings and weekends, I bring that expertise to your front door in person — patiently, without jargon, and explained until it makes sense.
- Enhanced DBS checked
- 14 years in IT
- Based in Pinner
At a glance
- Home visit
- £80, including the first full hour
- One-to-one training
- £60 per hour, or £55 in blocks of four
- Qualifications
- Microsoft MCSE · Cisco CCNP & CCDP · Palo Alto PCNSE · CompTIA Security+
- Vetting
- Enhanced DBS checked, kept current
- Availability
- Weekends and weekday evenings
How it works
Three steps, and the first one is just a phone call.
You ring me
Describe the problem however you like — you don't need the right words for it. I'll tell you honestly whether a visit is needed, or whether it's something we can sort out on the phone at no charge.
We agree a time
Usually a weekend morning or a weekday evening. You're welcome to have a relative, friend or neighbour there. I'll confirm the appointment and show photographic identification at the door.
I fix it, then explain it
The fault gets resolved and then I show you what happened and how to handle it next time, writing the steps down before I leave. An invoice follows by email — never a payment on the doorstep.
Two ways to get help
Most people start with a single visit. If it's understanding rather than repair you're after, the lessons are better value.
Home visit
£80 including the first full hour
- Any device — computer, laptop, tablet or phone
- The full hour is yours, even if the fix takes ten minutes
- Written notes left with you
- Nothing to pay if I can't resolve it
- £30 per additional half hour, only with your agreement
One-to-one lessons
£55–60 per hour, on your own equipment
- £60 for a single hour, £55 an hour for four
- Entirely at your own pace, repeated as often as you like
- Email, video calls, photographs, banking, scam awareness
- Also available for trainee network engineers
- A written summary after every session
What about remote help? I can do it, and for existing clients it's often the quickest way to sort out something small. But I don't offer it to begin with. Letting a stranger connect to your computer over the internet is exactly what the fraudsters ask for, and you have no way of knowing I'm any different until we've met. So the first visit is always in person, at your home, with identification at the door. After that, if you'd like a quick problem dealt with over the phone instead, we can — because by then you know who I am.
What people get out of it
The repair is rarely the point. These are the things clients actually tell me have changed.
Confidence that you won't be caught out
You learn to tell a genuine message from a fraudulent one, so the phone call claiming to be from your bank stops being frightening and becomes something you simply put down.
Not having to ask the family
Small problems get resolved by someone whose job it is, rather than saved up for a son or daughter's next visit. A great many clients say this is the part that matters most.
Understanding it, not just having it fixed
I explain what went wrong and leave written notes, so the same problem doesn't need a second visit. The aim is that you need me less over time, not more.
Arranging it for yourself, or for a relative
Either way the process and the price are identical.
For yourself
Something has stopped working, or you've never been shown properly and would rather not keep asking the family. I'll fix the immediate problem and then explain it at whatever pace suits you. No question here is a silly one.
Ring 07432 493 554 and describe it in your own words.
For a parent or relative
You live too far away to keep popping round, or the technology questions have quietly become a standing item on the weekly phone call. I'll arrange the appointment directly with them, or speak to you first if you'd prefer.
After every visit I email the family a short written summary: what I found, what I did, and anything worth keeping an eye on.
Common reasons people call
If yours isn't listed, it will almost certainly still be something I've dealt with before.
- A tablet or laptop that was a gift and never got set up properly
- A caller claiming to be from Microsoft, your bank or your broadband provider
- A computer that has become slow, or takes several minutes to start
- Video calls with family that won't connect, or have no sound
- Photographs on a phone you can't find, move or print
- Wi-fi that drops out upstairs, in the conservatory or in the garden
- An email account you've been locked out of, or a forgotten password
- Online banking, shopping or the NHS App you'd rather not attempt alone
- A new phone or computer with everything still on the old one
- Printers and scanners that have stopped being recognised
- An inbox full of junk with no clear way to tell what's safe to open
- Not being sure whether a device is properly protected
Services
The same discipline I apply to hospital networks. The difference is scale, and that I take the time to explain it.
Diagnosis and repair
- Computers, laptops, tablets and phones
- Windows faults, updates and error messages
- Slow performance and storage problems
- Printers, scanners and peripherals
- Email accounts and password recovery
- New device setup with full data transfer
- Backups for photographs and documents
- Impartial advice on repair versus replacement
Networks and connectivity
- Diagnosing intermittent or slow wi-fi
- Extending coverage upstairs and outdoors
- Router installation and provider changes
- Smart televisions, streaming and internet radio
- Video doorbells and home cameras
- Smart speakers and connected devices
- Bluetooth hearing aids and accessories
Security and fraud prevention
- Recognising fraudulent calls, texts and emails
- What to do if you think you've been targeted
- Antivirus configured correctly and explained
- Practical password management
- Safer online banking and shopping
- Reviewing privacy and account settings
- A written reference sheet left with you
Prices
Published in full, with no call-out surcharge and nothing sold that you don't need. If I can't resolve the problem, there's no charge.
- Home visitIncludes the first full hour. If the fault takes ten minutes, the rest of the hour is yours for anything else you'd like looked at or explained.£80
- Additional timePer half hour beyond the first hour, and only with your agreement. You'll always be told before any additional time begins.£30
- Outside the standard coverage areaAdded to the visit fee for addresses beyond the areas listed below. I'll confirm on the telephone whether it applies to you.+£20
- One-to-one lesson, single sessionOne hour of structured teaching on your own equipment, rather than a repair.£60
- One-to-one lessons, block of fourPer session when four are booked together — £220 in total.£55
No payment is taken at the property. An invoice is issued after the visit and settled by bank transfer or cheque, whichever suits you.
One-to-one training
Teaching is the part of this work I value most, and it's what I did before I ever charged for a repair. Two distinct groups come to me for it.
Older learners
One hour on your own equipment, in your own home, at your own pace. We repeat anything as often as you like, and I write the steps down before I leave so you're not relying on memory.
- Starting from the beginning with a computer or tablet
- Email, video calls and messaging family
- Photographs: taking, organising, sharing and printing
- Shopping, banking and the NHS App, done safely
- Identifying a fraud attempt before it succeeds
£60 per hour, or £55 per hour for a block of four.
Trainee network engineers
If you're working towards CCNA or CCNP, or moving into networking and security from a service desk role, I teach from fourteen years of doing the job — central government, six London NHS trusts, borough councils, a university and multinational enterprises.
- Routing and switching: OSPF, BGP, EIGRP, HSRP, STP
- Firewalls: Palo Alto, Fortinet, Checkpoint, Cisco
- Wireless design and site surveys
- Azure and AWS networking, SD-WAN, data centre
- Interview preparation and candid career advice
Same rates. In person locally, or online.
About me
My name is Sagar Timilsina. I live in the Pinner area and I've worked in IT for over fourteen years, most of it as a lead network engineer and network architect. I've been responsible for the infrastructure behind UK central government departments, six NHS trusts across London, London borough councils, a university, and multinational companies.
Well before any of that, I taught older people how to use computers. It remains the most rewarding work I've done, and Samraat IT Limited is how I've come back to it alongside my engineering career.
In practical terms that background means three things. I've encountered virtually every fault a domestic computer can develop, so I'm unlikely to be defeated by yours. I hold current security qualifications from Microsoft, Cisco, Palo Alto and CompTIA, so when I tell you an email is fraudulent I'm not guessing. And because this isn't my primary income, I have no commercial reason to sell you anything you don't need.
I don't rush, I don't take over the keyboard, and I don't use terminology you haven't asked to learn. If something needs explaining three times, that's simply part of the job.
How I work, so you can hold me to it
Older people are frequently targeted by criminals posing as computer engineers. These are my standing commitments.
- I will never telephone you unsolicited. Contact is always started by you or your family.
- I will never ask for bank details, card numbers or payment over the telephone.
- No payment is taken at your home. An invoice follows the visit.
- Photographic identification is shown at the door, and you're welcome to examine it.
- You may have a friend, neighbour or relative present throughout.
- Nothing is installed or altered without an explanation first.
- Written notes are left for anything you'll want to repeat yourself.
- If the problem can't be resolved, I'll say so plainly and there's no charge.
Questions people ask first
How soon can you come out?
I work full time as an engineer during the week, so visits are weekends and weekday evenings. In practice that usually means within a few days, and Saturday mornings are the most popular slot. If it's urgent, ring me and I'll tell you honestly what I can manage.
What happens if you can't fix it?
There's nothing to pay. I'll explain what the problem is, whether it's economical to repair elsewhere, and what I'd do in your position. If a specialist repair is needed, I'll point you towards someone reputable rather than leaving you to guess.
How do I pay, and do I pay on the day?
Never on the day. I send an invoice by email or post after the visit, and you settle it by bank transfer or cheque. I will never ask for card details, and I'll never ask for payment over the telephone.
Can a relative be there, or arrange it for me?
Both, gladly. You're welcome to have a friend, neighbour or family member present for the whole visit. If a son or daughter is arranging it on your behalf, I'll confirm the appointment with whoever you prefer and send them a written summary afterwards.
Are you checked and insured?
I hold an enhanced DBS check, maintained on the DBS Update Service so it stays current rather than going stale. I'm happy to show you the certificate at the door alongside photographic identification, and I carry insurance for work in clients' homes.
Do you work with Apple as well as Windows?
Yes — iPhones, iPads and Macs as well as Windows computers, Android phones and tablets. I'm Microsoft MCSE qualified, so Windows is where I'm strongest, but Apple devices are a routine part of the work.
I don't want a repair, I want to be taught. Is that different?
It's the lessons rather than the visit, and it's better value if learning is the point. An hour is £60, or £55 an hour if you book four together. We work on your own equipment, at your pace, and repeat things as often as you like.
Do you offer remote support over the internet?
For existing clients, yes, and it's often the quickest way to deal with something small. I don't offer it to new clients, though. Asking to connect to your computer remotely is exactly what the fraudsters do, and you have no way of knowing I'm any different until we've met. So the first appointment is always in person, at your home, with identification at the door.
Do you help small businesses too?
Yes. Wi-fi, networking, firewalls and security for small offices, shops and practices in the area are all within my day-job specialism. Ring me and describe the setup and I'll tell you whether I'm the right person for it.
Where I come out to
Based in Pinner. No additional charge for visits within these areas:
- Pinner
- Pinner Green
- Hatch End
- Rayners Lane
- North Harrow
- Harrow
- Harrow on the Hill
- Harrow Weald
- West Harrow
- Wealdstone
- Eastcote
- Ruislip
- Ruislip Manor
- South Ruislip
- Northwood Hills
- Northwood
- Stanmore
- Kenton
Addresses beyond these areas are still covered, with £20 added to the visit fee. Ring me and I'll advise honestly whether it's worthwhile, or recommend someone closer to you.
Arrange a visit
A telephone call is always quickest. If I'm at work I'll return your call the same evening.
Email hello@samraatit.com
Appointments: weekends and weekday evenings. I work full time as an engineer during the week; most clients find a Saturday morning suits best.
Arranging it for a relative? Send me their name, address and a brief description of the problem. I'll contact them directly to agree a time, or speak with you first if you'd rather. A written summary follows by email afterwards, so you're not reconstructing it from a telephone conversation.
Or send me a message
Including if you're arranging this for a parent or relative. I'll reply the same evening.