Clutch Dragging or gear box? - Focus mk2...

[Iroo]

Hello all. 

I am a new focus owner. I bought a 2007 1.6 petrol focus recently and have noticed occasionally when driving the gear stick will refuse (unless pulled with force) to go into 1st, 2nd or 3rd gears. - Once it's shifts into 4th it fine again for a while.. 

The linkage has been greased by the looks of it under the gaiter. The bite in the clutch is very high. Had a garage take a quick test drive / look at it earlier for me today and they said they didn't experience this whilst driving it. (He made a note that he does change gears slowly....) This is making me think that the clutch is dragging / not disengaging correctly? I am a quick shifter...

At no point during any of this does the gear box crunch when trying to shift. It just locks up. 

Garage said that my clutch is on it's last legs because of how high the bite is.. I've been quoted £450 for the replacement inc fitting and vat which i thought was a reasonable price??

Is there anything else I can check? (i'm know nothing about cars). I'm happy to get the clutch replaced but would be a bit bummed if i've gone through having it replaced and find the issue still remains. 

any thoughts / advise / ideas?

thanks.