Old websites often come with surprises: outdated PHP, missing logins, unknown hosting, broken email, bad DNS, slow plugins, hacked files, no backups, or a site that was built around a workflow the business no longer uses.
That is why the first step is a practical review. If the job is simple, I will say so. If it needs careful scope, I will explain what changes the price before asking for a deposit or setting up Stripe payment. Extra repair work and larger update requests are quoted first or handled at an approved rate, typically $125/hour.