find a trusty tradesman

Hiya

Can anyone help with my quest to find a way of locating a good tradesman in my local area?
I am currently having bits and bobs done in my house, (need a kitchen fitted and other stuff, which involves a skilled tradesman).

Are there any websites or forums that have local people recommending work that has been carried out.

Also don't suppose anyone knows of a site that helps you estimate the cost of work to check you are not being ripped off.


Thanks

Bye
:D

[Travelqueen]

Try this site to check quotes for work done on your home:

http://www.quotecheckers.co.uk/

Hello

Thanks for the site. You have to pay for the quote and one of the things I need a quote for is only costing me £100, so its difficult to know if its worth it.

Thanks for your help though.

Bye.

Me again.

I have been searching the net and just to let you all know I found
www.house.co.uk.
It's a British Gas site but they have a list of tradesman, British Gas are trying to flog you their insurance for the work being carried out.

It seems okay. I am going to ring up a kitchen man tomorrow.

I am in southampton if anyone does know a good kitchen fitter.

Thanks :)

[Travelqueen]

Found this article randomly today which is a bit related:

http://www.uktvstyle.co.uk/HomesAndProperty/Index.cfm?ccs=531&cs=860

Good luck!
TQ

[Danjo]

Alison,

Not sure whether this is the same for all councils but my neighbour had some work done on his garage. I asked him where he got the tradesmen to do it, he told me that he phoned the council, who provided him with a list of local tradesmen in the area who had passed the councils criteria, basically an approved suppliers list. Suggest you do the same with your local council.

Regards
Danjo

Hiya

Thanks for those.
That article was interesting. The chippie was basically saying get a friend to recommend one.
I think it would be an excellent idea for there to be a word of mouth website for customers to recommend tradesman, but you would worry about dodgy builders reviewing themselves.
I am sorry all you tradesman out there but for me it is a mine field.

My final decision is to go with a big company and hope if they do bad job, the fact that are well known company will give me more of a chance with their complaints department.

How mistrusting do I sound? I am thinking about my complaint before they even start.

I am really mistrusting of our local council as we asked to have a quote to get our kerb lowered and they want £700. Only they can do it, so we can't get a more competitive quote.

Thanks

Bye
;D

[leosayer39]

Hi all,

alison ross,

Whatever you decide to do, try and make sure that you can pay by credit card, NOT debit card.

Paying by credit card can give you an extra layer of protection if things go pear shaped.

Non Scrolling Leo !:) !:)

That is great advice. I hadn't really thought about it to be honest. Thankyou.

We are going in on Saturday, I am very excited. ::)

If anyone has MFI horror stories let me know.

Alison

p.s. I have tried to be a member but I am not getting an email with my password. Will keep trying.

HI

I have my own property maintenance business and have a contract with age concern. They have vetted me and carried out police checks before giving me work in old folks houses.

I like to get work from word of mouth but do advertise also. I live and work in the birmingham area.

I can do almost anything that is required. I dont do plastering or artexing. I will fit kitchens and Bathrooms, woodwork, tiling, painting & decorating. You name it !!!

Drop me an e-mail. I will not rip you off and give you a full garrentee. I can also provide you with satisfide customers

Bye

[scomsw]

Tyr this site - it was web site of the day on the Steve Wright show on Radio 2: http://www.askyourneighbour.co.uk/start.php

Hi.
As a Plumber who has been working in the trade for 30 years and run my own company for 24 years.
Here is my advice. It's not new, get 3 Quotes and always ask tradesmen that someone you know they have done good work for.
It's all about trust.
Ask to view work they have done, a Cowboy will run when asked that.
I hope that helps.

Hi, I do plumbing an electrics, was a sole trader for over 10 years before incorporating. I am in the process of joining the Guild of Master Craftsmen, to try and get some separation between my company and some of the local rogue outfits. I carry public liability insurance, which many local traders do not, and I am only too happy for any potential customer to contact existing customers. So I would say contact the Guild in the first instance and then get references.

[Sarahsaver]

I found an excellent roofer by asking a builder who was working on the house next door. Ask neighbours or ask builders if you see them working locally and you like the look of what they are doing. I hate having to call for any sort of service without knowing their reputation. If you have been personally reccommended they have something to live up to.

[plumb1]

word of mouth,is the best recomendation,Ive been in the plumbing buisness for 29 yrs,and never spent a penny on advertisement,local is best.
As for thinking a large company is safer ;D you just dont get the service,and yes always ask to see work that has been carried out,genuine trademen will be quite happy to show you or supply you with phone contacts.
Hope this helps fron a nothwest plumber.

[amazon]

In London area despite great neighbours on an estate full of tradesman NO-ONE will recommend any tradesman - it is too much of a minefield. I had builders do a reasonably cheap and quick job with terrace, patio etc (although cracks show it wasn't expensive and I got what I paid for!) they kept every promise for me despite cheap work and I recommended them to friends and they totally messed them about, messed up the job and vanished totally, despite written quotes, using my site to advertise, phone numbers on printed paper etc etc. Embarrassing or what! Only larger companies may take credit card - everyone always wants cash cash and more cash.
Another tip - sounds obvious but never pay out upfront - no more than a deposit and pay for work in progress - if money is left owing then the work tends to get finished. It is a bit of a nightmare but if people are very good they are very busy and they get pulled off jobs half way or even worse 99.5% of the way through.
However local area website has a discussion board for tradesmen - am sure they can vote for themselves, but critics go on there too so it is well worth looking at. Maybe lots of areas in London have email forums? - I know Hammersmith and Putney do.

I'm still looking for a good chippie - but basically if they are good round here they are too expensive so unlikely to follow up.

MFI - have heard loads of horror stories I'm afraid - you must check every single piece of everything sent to you when you order kitchen/ furniture etc. Not just MFI but like Ikea there is always something scratched, missing or damaged. At least stuff like that is on credit card?!

[lojo]

I am a carpenter/builder, I am honest, reliable and am told my works good quality by my customers - I have work only on recommendation & have not advertised for over 6 years. If you need a good tradesman then ask around friends/work etc. I think recommendation for anything is always the best way

[nixie]

Alison, you could always find the tradesman working in your MFI (easier if there's one currently setting up a display kitchen) and ask him to do the job personally, rather than through MFI. This has worked for us in the past, and is much cheaper ;).

Wow. I didn't think so many people would reply.
It is a complete mind field for us non-diy ers.
Thankyou all.
I seem to pick a bad bunch. I am sure I paid to much for a fire wall I have just had done.
I stayed in today to wait for a plumber and he didn't turn up - for the second time. Yikes. :-/
And we had a blokey round to give us a quote for the kitchen. we got a plan all drawn up and picked alll the bits and he has vanished.
I am a nurse at the moment but if I get bored I know what I would do instead - it seems a good tradesman is worth their weight in gold.

I am off to check out that website.

Bye
:o

That website is really good. The ask your neighbour one.
Thanks
xxx

The answer to the tradesman search is to take advice from "zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance"....do it yourself!
Only you will ultimately care how good it looks and be prepared to finish it to the best of your abilities. Yes it will take longer, yes you will need to get some tools, Band Q 'performance power 'are great value. yes you will get frustrated and skin your knuckles. However when you are finished you will feel that you know your kitchen! future work is a doddle and no expensive call out! sad? maybe?....money saving? definitely.

Hi,

Iam a plastering contractor.

My work comes to me on recommendation from those I have previously worked for.

To anyone out there trying to find a good tradesman, firstly always go on recommendations from friends/family/word of mouth. Secondly, if you can't find anyone to give a good recommendation, go through the Yellow Pages or Thomsons (or local papers) and trust your FIRST instincts. Remember, cheapest isn't always the best! Always ask lots of questions and ask for references for previous work.

Hi yes there are a few sites:

This http://www.qualitymark.org.uk/ is a new national service which provides a list of tradesmen/builders in all areas. It's a new campaign to get buildings and repairs traders to join up and give owners £2,500-plus home improvements or building work a six year guarantee against loss of deposit, poor workmanship and major defects.

There are 500 firms so far with another 700 in the pipeline. They are aiming to sign up at least one-third of building firms during the autumn with a big advertising campaign aimed at 'keeping the cowboys at bay'


These sites might be worth a visit as well
http://www.fmb.org.uk/ federation of master builders website, you can email for a list of tradesmen in your area.

http://www.buildingadvice.co.uk general advice etc.

Hope this helps

Hi Alison, I read with great interest your article about finding a trusty tradesman - We have been trying to find a plumber for nearly 6months now to give us a quote to put in a radiator - guess what they come out, say yes they can do the job and will send us a quote - guess what, we never hear from them again!!! we were beginning to get a complex, but when talking to others it seems that we are not alone - thank goodness for that - or is it?
Hope you find your tradesman and good luck!!!

Hello diane

Yeah I really think this a big can of worms.
It's amazing the nightmare it is to get a good tradesman.

I rang British Gas today after waiting for a plumber to turn up (which he didn't) and as I have their central heating cover they are sending a man out tomorrow morning - RESULT!! If the work we need isn't covered they will give us a quote from one of their contractors. Now that is service.
Ha I sound like I work for them. Honest I don't. Fingers crossed. (whilst I was on the phone they flogged me their electric cover too).

Still not sure what to do about the kitchen.

Some the sites people have said to go to are really good. I have been on the ask your neighbour one for the last half an hour.

Bye
xxx

[Haggis_n_Neeps]

I am a Building Standards Inspector for a Council in Scotland (un-named). I inspect lots & lots of private sector work; domestic, commercial & industrial (from internal house walls to new shopping malls) & I deal with one-man builders to multi-national companies.

FWIW in the domestic market, I would not trust any builder unless I had been recommended them. Always go see their previous work and speak with the property owner/occupier (or the person who got the work done). Do not just ask for a list of addresses of previous jobs and then do a drive-by visit (the builder may not have worked on the job and/or there may have been many problems on it). It is also worth noting that most projects have problems of some sort - what matters is how the builder sorts it out & how much to fix.

Like other posters have advised do not give any money up-front. If asked for money, ask the builder why he/she needs any money up front? Remember if they are reputable, they will have traders accounts with local merchants who give the builder interest free periods after invoice to pay up. So they money cannot be for materials. If the builder says that the money is for materials, they are unlikely to be credit worthy to a Builders Merchant, or they may be having problems paying their accounts there - knowing this you should ask yourself if you still want to give any money up front and take the risk. If they (the merchants) don't want to lend to the builder why should you take the risk and lend to him?

Best advice I can give to you is to ask others who have had work done for recommendations.
Unfortunately, us 'Money Savers' like to save, but sometimes it costs more ££'s in the long run to to be sure of getting things completed in a reasonable time, and less stressful. Also don't pay any more than 75 % of agreed price until you are happy with the work. Tell the builder that this is what you will be doing, right at the start when he is quoting for the job. If you pay it all just as work is finishing, it is commion not to see the builder again as he has no incentive to come back and finish the job. Depending of the scale of the work, a formal contract may be of use - various trade bodies will be able to provide further advice re this.


Anyway enough from me, I am away to see if I can become a consumer advisor now (best not let the Director know or he'll have me in the Trading Standards Section as well ;D ;D, on the same salary as just now :()

Just to add another one to the list, my other half 'n I run a garden maintenance business and we advertise in 'The Trade Register'. It is a company that vet businesses keep recommendations on them and monitor the work etc etc.... They also work with the local Trading Standards offices.

They cover different areas in sections and I know they are in Hampshire. Give them a call 01243 601234 or try the website - www.vetted.co.uk
They also send out cards through people's doors and you might see them on counters in Tesco's, Libraries, Post Offices etc....

I am amazed at the naivety of many of the people who have posted on here!
British Gas and similar will rip your heart out!! Who do you think pays for the massive infrastructure? A recent quote for a boiler swap, for a relative, was £3200, one of their contractors did same job for £1500 and earned very well out of the job.
Get a personal recommendation, 3 quotes, copious quantities of tea/coffee and most importantly pay promptly.
The new government list, which is being set up, is a waste of time! The cost, after the first year, is prohibitive and for we tradesmen, who have plenty of work, it offers no benefits, so it will end up with larger companies being the only ones to register and you customers will once again pay through the nose for a poor quality service.
Why not get your offspring to become tradespeople instead of going to the University of Nowhere and graduating with a 2.3 in Media Studies(going to the pictures)?
Look after your tradesmen and they will look after you, the customers who treat me with respect and pay promptly get a top quality service!

[trafalgar]

Being polite will get you more customers ;D

[aussielle]

I would be very wary unless I had recommendations from family/friends etc
If you want a plumber/electrician but only know a joiner/tiler, give them a call. They all work together at some point and may be able to recommend someone to do the job you want.

I always go for personal recommendation and it's never let me down yet. We've recently had our bathroom revamped making a downstairs showerroom redundant. We decided to turn this into a toilet . A local medium sized company (the same one that revamped our bathroom at a cost of just under £10k) quoted us £2,900. I spoke to a neighbour who'd just had work done and he recommended a plumber. I went with this man and despite unforeseen problems(neighbours tree roots totally blocking the sewer) which meant extra digging and laying a new sewer pipe, the whole job including a small amount of wall and floor tiling cost £550. It looks fine and works well. Similarly with an electrician. I'm now building up a list of local good, reliable and reasonably charging tradesmen.You can sometime negotiate a discount if you tell them you'll pay cash in hand. Good luck Alison, but I'd be careful with MFI - known as Made for Idiots in this area.

[blibblob]

and why would cash get a discount ?

that may be the route to a cheaper job but not necessarily to a trusty tradesman. what comeback might you have with a cash payment ? and how trustworthy is the tradesman who will avoid paying tax or VAT be ?

previous tips about 3 quotes and recommendations are spot on. local papers will also have adverts for various trades - if they have been listed over several months then that would be a good place to start.

as a rule of thumb, labour should never be more than £250 per day (exc VAT) for a plumber or an electrician, and less than that most other trades. think about materials and get quotes from builder's merchants and remember that trade discounts can be anywhere from 10% to 60%. if you can understand the 'cost' of the work, you'll know if any profit you are then paying is reasonable.

[blibblob]

Why not get your offspring to become tradespeople instead of going to the University of Nowhere and graduating with a 2.3 in Media Studies(going to the pictures)?


that is a great money earning tip ! construction is short of tradespeople (and technical / professionals) and offers great opportunities to young people. it is hard work, involves getting out of bed early but can be very rewarding !

I am a quantity surveyor for a main contractor, 29, got my degree paid for by my employer (on day release over five years) and pay a good chunk of 40% tax. I work with a variety of people, from very professional architects to scaffolders and no two days are ever the same. Schools won't push construction as a career but is well worth consideration, be it the professions (architects, surveyors, structural engineers, services engineers), for contractors (site managers, surveyors, setting-out engineers, buyers) or in the various trades.

the Chartered Institute of Building (01344 630700) or the Construction Industry Training Board (01485 577577) can offer more advice

ref :tradesmen.

golden rules :-
1 - always try to use someone that comes recommended from someone you know. Recommendation is the highest form of quality guarantee and most good tradesmen do not need to advertise often
2 - cheapest is not always best. Always try to level the playing field and make sure the quotes you have are comparable
3 - if it is fairly major work try to enter into a domestic contract agreement. These are becoming more readily available (I think that local planning offices have them and I have found them previously on the internet). This can tie down penalties for late completion etc and give both sides a peace of mind
4 - dont pay huge amounts up front. A decent tradesman will have accounts for materials in merchants and will have some time credit on paying for the goods used on your job. If they say that they need the money to get the goods this can sometimes be an indicator that they are not good payers. Not always the case but a good warning sign.
5 - keep on eye on what they are doing. If you feel they are not advancing as quick as they should, talk to them about it and assess how much they have completed from a financial basis - try not to pay for more work than they have completed.

Hope this helps

This is fascinating. I mean really why is it so diffilcult to find someone.
I have asked around and some people are not happy to recommend work they have had and others used big companies. Or some people are lucky enough to have a handy PERSON in the family.
Once I have a name and number of some good people I will keep them safe thats for sure.
We are still going to try MFI and see what quotes they come up with. They do have a years garauntee for their work so hopefully that will count for something. I don't feel we have much choice really. Being fairly new to the area and having no family around it is a bit of a difficult one.
Bye

ALISON
xxx
8)

Hi There, I live near Reading in Berkshire, this may help people in that area.
I bought a kitchen from MFI last year,( good product and deal but very average service ) and the fitter who came to install it was brilliant. He turned up on time every day, gave a good deal on extra work that we wanted, cleaned up, and did a first class installation.
his name is Steve McCormack his 'phone number is 0118 9694211.
Well worth a call.
Rick

Hi Alison, interested to hear of your trouble in getting a kitchen fitter. I am an expert kitchen/bathroom fitter. Been in the trade for over 20 years & can provide excellent referances . Live in Bournemouth & may be able to help you out if you can wait about 6 weeks. Booked up until then. Regards Bill.

Its all very good saying that you do not trust builders but if you have that attitude why should we trust you. It is very common for customers to give interim payments that were agreed prior to the job starting. I agree never give huge amounts of money upfront but a deposit of 10 per cent shows us some trust for us and we realise that you are willing to pay for the job. I also agree ask different trades to recommend other trades, I can recommend an electrician, plumber and tiler and hope that they recommend my joinery skills. So there you have it your kitchen fitted by alot of different trades that work together regularly. The other problem is that all good tradesmen have full order books and we get phone calls daily wanting it done next week. Expect to wait at least 6 weeks to get a decent job.

[alison6692]

Hiya

I am a member. Oooh!!! :P

Anyways. Thanks for all your messages. Maybe we coould all carry on this thread by recommending a tradesman in our area.
How about that?
MFI were suprsingly competitive. So we are waiting for our contractor to come round price up the last few bits. Yay.

Bye

The web site www.GoodNightVienna.com is for people to recommend trades persons in any field in their area.

If you live in Berkshire or Surrey there is a handy guide called The Little Green Book (now also online at http://www.littlegreenbook.com) - it describes itself as "The only consumer-driven guide to some of the best local restaurants, tradespeople......and much more", and I am told it's really useful.

:) Hi Alison,

I know of a very good fully qualified plumber, gas fitter and electrician all rolled into one. He comes from Portchester. drop me an email if you're interested and I'll let you have his contact phone number. Not only is he qulaified .... he tidies up after himself as well!!!!. I have recommended him to lots of people and everyone has bee extremely satisfied with his standard of work.

[alison6692]

That would be great. Thanks
Alison

[debeast]

Theres been a lot of good advice offered on this topic. There must be a lot of lurkers on this forum as most of it has come from guests!

I'm definatly going to check out the websites for recommendations in my area. I need to get my boiler serviced and i know nothing about boilers other than you need a corgi (or some type of dog) engineer

Well done everyone for contributing

I live in a village outside Edinburgh and am married to a plumber who is a sole trader, he has never had to advertise and his work comes mainly word of mouth and through recommendations from local builders, he is always happy to help his customers and recommends other tradesmen he has worked with and who he would be happy to do jobs in our own house, he always gives at least 2 recommendations and leaves it up to the customer to decide which one ( gut feeling comes into this decision)

Go ahead and check out MFI their stuff is ok its the tradesmen used to install it who make the difference

[alison6692]

Hi debeast

I would really reccomend Britsh Gas for your boiler. They have been really helpful for us, basically they come round once you have started their boiler care insurance thingy and tell you if your boiler is going to snuff it (technical term!!!) which probably means they won't insure it or if its all fine and dandy which means they will, and free yearly services.
And I have found askyourneighbour.com invaluable. Its my second fave site, second to this one of course ;D.

I know the feedback has been great. What a response. A big Thanks to all of you.


Bye

[debeast]

Thanks for the tip but i moved away from BG as there prices were quite high compared to other utility companies about. Can you stil get your boiler seen by them even if your not with them ?

I couldn't trust anyone to work on my property .After watching various programmes about rogue traders etc I decided that as I had always worked with wood as a hobby that I would do something about it and offer a quality service at a reasonable price.
I enrolled at college on NVQ Carpentry and now halfway through a 2 year part time course I am in a position to work for others on a part time basis(eves and weekends) until I have enough of a customer base to go full time. I've been "on the tools" now for a month or two and it looks as though things are about to go crazy...all by word of mouth.
From assembling flat pack to high end kitchens!!!!

Go for personal recommendations

Regards,
Dave.

[alison6692]

Hi!
I am not sure about the british gas insurance being available to non-british gas customers. Sorry thats not very helpful.

I think that is really good advice about getting taught in areas of DIY and having a go yourself. (I did hear that bank holiday weekend it infamous for huge DIY accidents taking trips to their local A+E. :-/ )

Its so hard because your house is the most exspensive thing you own, you spend so much time and money on it and let someone you don't know free with a hammer and saw. Its so scary.

Happy Easter

Alison

[john.graves]

try going to the federation of master builders website im a member and they do check up on you before you join and you do have comeback via them. personally throgh most of my jobs do come through reccomendation :o ::) :-[

[Amardeep]

Try the following website:
www.upmystreet.co.uk
You enter your postcode and then inpute the type of tradesman or service you require. The site will the list all the people available, by distance to your street.

It cannot guarantee they are good, reputable, trusty but they will be local and you need to do some legwork by asking people if they are any good. All the posts for this topic are excellent, but the best way to find out about local businesses is to read the local papers and their letter sections. People are all too quick to complain if something goes wrong and local papers are all too happy to print such stuff since it sells their product.

I have used this sit several times and found an excellent plumber and gardener from it, both of whom do NOT advertise since they are too busy. Their details appeared because they had been found by Yellow pages, asked if they wanted to advertise. Even though they refused, their details were passed (probably sold) on.

Even if you are paranoid, you can always get them to come round to give you a quote and you can see what they are like. And you can go see examples of their work; after all you and they should not have far to go if they are truly local.

;)

Anyone tried www.littlegreenbook.co.uk ?

[Andy_ArT_Trigg]

For domestic appliance tradesmen, there is free advice on my washing machine site http://www.washerhelp.co.uk/repairfaq.html which includes washing machine repair FAQ advice and list of washing machine tradesmen who are members of the only whitegoods trade association in the UK http://www.washerhelp.co.uk/domestic-appliance-repairs.html.

I don't make any money through this list or through this link. I do make some comission from other small parts of the site, but only from recommending things I would gladly recommend for nothing.

[webmasterpolo]

I've not actually used the tradesman from this website, but l found out about it from a book, and l've done some searches. It might help you:

http://www.homepro.com

[Andy_ArT_Trigg]

I cannot make any comment about this particular site, but there have been many such schemes over the years. Although in theory they are great, IMHO they suffer from a major flaw. That is that they rely on charging the traders fees to make money.

This causes potential conflict of interests. Ultimately everyone recommended has paid to be there and the tighter the schemes standards are the less money they get. A truly scrupulous scheme may well find it impossible to find enough decent traders to survive.

If you look at the disclaimer on this site they basically say that they offer not the slightest warranty that any of the traders listed are in fact any good - here are just a few of them :

"HomePro makes no warranty regarding any goods or services purchased or obtained through our Website or the Services or any transactions entered into through our Website.

1.2 HomePro relies on data provided by third parties to determine which Trade Professionals are included in the Database and does not recommend or endorse any specific Trade Professional.

1.3 HomePro cannot accept any liability in respect of any contract or other agreement entered into between You and the Trade Professional and, in particular, but without limitation, HomePro can accept no liability relating to the quality or fitness of any work performed or omitted to be performed by any Trade Professional."

[edited to add the following]

I think it's only fair to say that DASA members (whom I mentioned in my previous post) also have to pay a fee to join, so potentially the same dilemma afflicts them too. However, the difference is that DASA is an official trade association and is basically non profit making. It's run more as a crusade than a profit making venture.

Their strict standards have always meant there aren't enough members to keep it running or promote itself properly. Most of the general public have never even heard of it and many members drop out because they don't feel they gain anything from being a member if the public don't know about it. My experience is that the few that do join are very genuine.

Please note I promote DASA on my site free of any charge or favour.

[Heddwen]

If your in the Sussex area there is a 'stamp out cowboys' directory.

log onto www.vetted.co.uk

or call their freephone apraisal line on 0800 028 2294.

This also applies if you want to warn people of bogus traders and cowboys!

You could try them out anyway as theyre freephone and they may be able to put you in touch with someone in your area, or their website may direct you.

I know of them as were members @ Autoclean. Hope it helps.

Good luck.

:)

[budgetflyer]

Why not go into your local builders/plumbers merchant.
The staff behind the counter may be able to help with the names of some good tradesmen.
IMO I wouldn't trust anything recommended by the British Gas web site. Put it this way, They can charge £4500 for a 7 radiator heating system that can be had elsewhere for £2500.
How can they ,using that benchmark recommend "best value " on anything?

[budgetflyer]

Oh I nearly forgot,
Forget MFI, Howdens Joinery is the trade division. Same kitchens, but cheaper, and many in stock to take away . This is "trade only" but if you go in you can set up a cash account. Get MFI to do all your measuring etc, get your list and price and then pop along to "Howdens" in your overalls to get the stuff. A quick search on google or phone 118--- for your nearest one.

[alison6692]

Hiya

me again!!

Can you adam and eve it. MFI said they would ring in the week, didn't. So I rang them today asking what the plan was, as we have been waiting to hear from their fitter and NOTHING.
Why do we seem to be so unlucky.
So MFI have promised someone will ring us.
In the meantime a man who was recommended from askyournighbour is coming round tonight. fingers crossed.

I am still looking for a plumber/builder type person.

Alison


:)

[budgetflyer]

Like other posters have advised do not give any money up-front. If asked for money, ask the builder why he/she needs any money up front? Remember if they are reputable, they will have traders accounts with local merchants who give the builder interest free periods after invoice to pay up. So they money cannot be for materials. If the builder says that the money is for materials, they are unlikely to be credit worthy to a Builders Merchant, or they may be having problems paying their accounts there - knowing this you should ask yourself if you still want to give any money up front and take the risk. If they (the merchants) don't want to lend to the builder why should you take the risk and lend to him?

Whether they have trade accounts is irelevant. If they are supplying thousands of pounds worth of stuff they may want the security of knowing you have or are willing to pay the money for it.
IMO Its not unreasonable to ask for material money upfront and then stage payments for the labour.
Having a trade account is no good if you don't get paid at the end of the job. Not all customers are honest. My brother in law had a final payment of £25K withheld because 1 of his men left an empty coke can on top of the fridge. It took him 3 months to get his money.

[alison6692]

Our man is from re-nu kitchens and he wants 40% upfront. I reckon thats reasonable. What do you think?
MFI rang so I am going to see what they come up with and then make my decision. I have already left a £600 deposit with them.

I will try and get a photo of my kitchen when its done and show you all!!! :) I stress WHEN!!

I have been passing myself off as a tradesman for years. I know a bit about everything, but I'm hopeless at most jobs. I always price a bit cheap so it suckers people in, then I find extras to charge for, or I get them paying extra for the materials. I give people dates & times, but I turn up when I feel like it. Most of the stuff I do falls apart within a couple of months but there are so few tradesmen about these days that I never have any trouble finding the next job. I use the punters telephone all the time & I dont give a stuff how much an 0870 number costs to call. Only joking. ;D

[alison6692]

???

eh????????????

[cathy]

This is fascinating. I mean really why is it so diffilcult to find someone.
I
8)


Its dead simple to find a good reliable tradesman Alison

go to the place where rocking horses poo

;)

[alison6692]

I know I think you are right. ;) We still haven't got the bleedin' kitchen in yet. MFI are going to do it. Fingers crossed that it goes okay, and if it does I will put the bloke I use on the 5* board for everyone to know. Maybe I will even marry him :-*

It has meant that man has had to develop his DIY skills, that can only be a good thing ..... although he does keeping asking for a belt to put his gun in ...... its a drill!!!! thinks he's a cross between tommy walsh and john wayne.

[cathy]

I have writ a poem about my mans DIY skills

hes out there now trying to build a wall for a conservatory to sit on

I hope the conservatorys one side is longer than the other

cos the wall is

anyway

does anyone fancy a larrrf at my old farts expense???

[alison6692]

Hello This is an oldie thread now.

But hurrah I have a kitchen. ;D ;D ;D

It was supplied and fitted by MFI and they were very good indeedy.

Thankyou all very much.
xxxx

[plumb1]

Thristy work reading this thread ;)

[Giraffe]

My other half works for a team who fit MFI kitchens and he is always getting asked to do extra jobs. !Don't ever worry about asking them, because their pay is usually rubbish so they need extra work to keep them solvent.

Also, he has just finished his first year doing Plumbing training and is inundated with requests from family, friends, friends of friends etc to do work for them (We're in Nottingham by the way). He is a very conscientous worker and won't leave until he is satisfied with the job. !Just shows that there is a very big shortage of trusty tradesmen. !We've had to struggle while he's been doing the course and earning rubbish money but it will all be worth it in the end.

[TigerLily]

Very old thread now but just wanted to say that I used MFI in kentish Town both to supply and fit my kitchen and they did an excellent, very quick and very tidy job. I felt I probably paid a midrange price but don't regret it for a second!

[theGrinch]

get a recommendation and see their work
its that simple

[plumb1]

Word of mouth is the best way to find a good tradesman,Anyone one with limited skills can apply to jion any list be it on the net or yellow pages,you dont think all these advertisers do it for free(payme £50 and I,ll put you on my list) ;)What a load of Ballcocks
And if any tradesman wants to charge you over £200 a day,they are ripping you off,and many before you.
It makes me >:(,when these Bloody so called tradesmen,con people.
In the dark old days,i had to go to collage for 6yrs,to gain my Advanced city&guilds in plumbing,now its 2yrs and of you go(menace the general public)and give us true tradesmen a bad name >:(
Did anybody see that program Posh Plumbers,wish they would do a follow up,and see if the young girl and the plonker from the city is still there,dought it.
Enough of my ranting,WORD OF MOUTH is the best

[baldelectrician]

As sugested before word of mouth is the best, but if you cannot find a local tradesperson for love or money gou can go to a couple of sites that have vetted tradesmen.

In Scotland:
SELECT (Electrical Contractors Assosiation of Scotland)

http://www.select.org.uk/index.php?page=p/companyfinder/postcode&pn=cf03

UK

http://www.niceic.org.uk/common/contractor_search.html

the National Inspection Council For Electrical Installation Contracting

People listed with these bodies have to meet minimum standards and are asessed. And in the case of SELECT there is a guarantee on the work.

[calmgirl]

ask freinds neghbours etc to recomend one

[calmgirl]

another option is to go to your local trade suppliers and get them to recomend one

[boofy]

Apologies if this has been posted before: www.fix-itman.com (http://www.fix-itman.com)

[starving artist]

Somebody told me about a site called www.londontradesmen.co.uk. Haven't used it but it's another resource.

[jos22]

My local trading standards dept offer a service (at a cost) giving details of "trusted local tradesmen".

[emmamaw]

I am a Building Standards Inspector for a Council in Scotland (un-named). I inspect lots & lots of private sector work; domestic, commercial & industrial (from internal house walls to new shopping malls) & I deal with one-man builders to multi-national companies.

FWIW in the domestic market, I would not trust any builder unless I had been recommended them. Always go see their previous work and speak with the property owner/occupier (or the person who got the work done). Do not just ask for a list of addresses of previous jobs and then do a drive-by visit (the builder may not have worked on the job and/or there may have been many problems on it). It is also worth noting that most projects have problems of some sort - what matters is how the builder sorts it out & how much to fix.

Like other posters have advised do not give any money up-front. If asked for money, ask the builder why he/she needs any money up front? Remember if they are reputable, they will have traders accounts with local merchants who give the builder interest free periods after invoice to pay up. So they money cannot be for materials. If the builder says that the money is for materials, they are unlikely to be credit worthy to a Builders Merchant, or they may be having problems paying their accounts there - knowing this you should ask yourself if you still want to give any money up front and take the risk. If they (the merchants) don't want to lend to the builder why should you take the risk and lend to him?

Best advice I can give to you is to ask others who have had work done for recommendations.
Unfortunately, us 'Money Savers' like to save, but sometimes it costs more ££'s in the long run to to be sure of getting things completed in a reasonable time, and less stressful. Also don't pay any more than 75 % of agreed price until you are happy with the work. Tell the builder that this is what you will be doing, right at the start when he is quoting for the job. If you pay it all just as work is finishing, it is commion not to see the builder again as he has no incentive to come back and finish the job. Depending of the scale of the work, a formal contract may be of use - various trade bodies will be able to provide further advice re this.


Anyway enough from me, I am away to see if I can become a consumer advisor now (best not let the Director know or he'll have me in the Trading Standards Section as well ;D ;D, on the same salary as just now :()
Hi Haggis
Some great advice there, but I would like to make a point about deposits. My hubby is a landscape gardener, and although he has accounts with his suppliers, he still asks for a deposit for materials. This is because in the past hubby has turned up on day one with all his materials to begin a job, only to find that the customer has either changed his mind/got a mate to do it on the cheap/dissapeared. When the materials are perishable, e.g. turf, you can only keep them going for a few days before they die. This is why he asks for a deposit, but only to cover the cost of the materials.

[Joints]

Can someone tell me how the following sounds as a quote:

- Change of all gutters and fascia boards
- Change of downpipe
- Checking and correcting roof tiles and pointing (refurbishing the roof in other words)

£850 how does that sound?

[nelly]

Can someone tell me how the following sounds as a quote:

- Change of all gutters and fascia boards
- Change of downpipe
- Checking and correcting roof tiles and pointing (refurbishing the roof in other words)

£850 how does that sound?

Cheap!...........