Diagnose a Home Problem Before You Call Someone Out

Something is wrong and you do not know if it is urgent, serious, or something you can fix yourself. This asks a few diagnostic questions, tells you the most likely cause, whether it can wait, whether it is DIY-able, and what to say to the tradesperson so the call-out is efficient rather than expensive. The five minutes before you start googling wildly.

Something is wrong with my home: {PROBLEM_DESCRIPTION}. Before I call a tradesperson, help me diagnose how serious this is. Ask me up to five questions to narrow down the likely cause. After I answer, tell me: what the most likely cause is, whether it is safe to leave for a few days or urgent to fix today, whether it is something a capable DIYer could address, and what to tell the tradesperson so I do not sound clueless when I call.