Dodgy builder? Help

2

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  • Airwolf20721
    Airwolf20721 Posts: 24 Forumite
    edited 18 October 2016 at 2:48PM
    Highest quote i had 25 lowest 18. No plumbing involved. Rooms not big as you say in fact normally you wouldn'nt need planning premission as the extention only going out so far out but due to the building it joining onto has 4 flat i had to get planning premisson. it 1 double room one single room
  • daz100
    daz100 Posts: 68 Forumite
    Doozergirl wrote: »
    Who is going down small claims route? For how much?

    You said he asked for more money, not that you paid it!

    The original quote was for kitchen and utility ( the utility being the extension). I paid nearly all the original quote (3k short) on the believe that the builder was coming back in May to start the extension we are now nearly in November and he is saying cant start the extension until he has an additional 19k. So I am claiming the difference on the original quote and the new additional funds required to complete if that makes sense.
  • Doozergirl
    Doozergirl Posts: 33,777
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    daz100 wrote: »
    The original quote was for kitchen and utility ( the utility being the extension). I paid nearly all the original quote (3k short) on the believe that the builder was coming back in May to start the extension we are now nearly in November and he is saying cant start the extension until he has an additional 19k. So I am claiming the difference on the original quote and the new additional funds required to complete if that makes sense.

    Yes, I understand. He needs £19k to build the extension because he's spent your money.

    Please do not pay anyone up front again. Agree stage payments based on the work carried out.

    Good luck.
    Everything that is supposed to be in heaven is already here on earth.
  • seashore22
    seashore22 Posts: 1,443
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    I don't think this will help the op now, but it may be useful to other readers.

    We have had extensions built on two occasions and we also agreed to staged payments. The difference being that we never paid large amounts in advance. The builders on our current build spent large amounts on materials and did most of the work before they even asked us for a payment. The previous builder asked for regular payments, but only for the stage we were at. If something had gone wrong and the builders had walked away our losses would have been either non existent or tiny.

    We agreed a fixed price for both builds. The first came in on budget. The second has included a few extras, but those were always mentioned as they cropped up and were all fair additions to the agreed costs. Unlike the op we know exactly where the extra cash has gone and are well within our 10% contingency. 50% extra with no proper explanation is very dodgy.
  • seashore22
    seashore22 Posts: 1,443
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    I can't see any way that this isn't a rogue trader, but just in case:

    What size is the extension?

    Is the kitchen incredibly high end?

    Where do you live?

    Did you get recommendations from satisfied customers?

    Was the builder on the local council list of approved builders?

    Did you get other quotes for the work and how much were they going to charge you?
  • daz100
    daz100 Posts: 68 Forumite
    seashore22 wrote: »
    I can't see any way that this isn't a rogue trader, but just in case:

    What size is the extension?

    Is the kitchen incredibly high end?

    Where do you live?

    Did you get recommendations from satisfied customers?

    Was the builder on the local council list of approved builders?

    Did you get other quotes for the work and how much were they going to charge you?

    The kitchen was going to cost about 19k including fitting etc had other quotes and all about the same price. Its the building work so he has charged about 18k for a new roof on the kitchen and to take down the wall between the kitchen and utility. Like I say I cannot see where the money has been spent and is now saying my solicitor is saying I do not have to show you receipts.

    We also had quotes for the extension they average about 15k so even adding them both together he was coming in at the higher end but he had done some work for us in the past (nothing major mind).
  • seashore22
    seashore22 Posts: 1,443
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    edited 26 October 2016 at 11:45AM
    That still doesn't answer most of my questions, but that's by the by right now.

    If it goes to court he will have to show his receipts, so that's just bluster. Did he tell you that the roof was costing more as he was doing it or is this the first you've heard of it?

    Was the quote itemised? Do you have written evidence of the quote and what exactly he was quoting for? Last but not least, why oh why did you pay him for an extension that he hadn't even started? When did the work on the kitchen finish? I only ask because you say he was supposed to come back in May and I wondered why he didn't do it all in one go.
  • seashore22
    seashore22 Posts: 1,443
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    It's also unusual to do the kitchen refit before the extension is built. Won't they have to knock through into your newly fitted kitchen?
  • Annie1960
    Annie1960 Posts: 2,998
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    Doozergirl wrote: »
    Yes, I understand. He needs £19k to build the extension because he's spent your money.

    Please do not pay anyone up front again. Agree stage payments based on the work carried out.

    Good luck.

    And make sure you speak to building control yourself personally at each stage before making payment.
  • daz100
    daz100 Posts: 68 Forumite
    seashore22 wrote: »
    That still doesn't answer most of my questions, but that's by the by right now.

    If it goes to court he will have to show his receipts, so that's just bluster. Did he tell you that the roof was costing more as he was doing it or is this the first you've heard of it?

    Was the quote itemised? Do you have written evidence of the quote and what exactly he was quoting for? Last but not least, why oh why did you pay him for an extension that he hadn't even started? When did the work on the kitchen finish? I only ask because you say he was supposed to come back in May and I wondered why he didn't do it all in one go.

    No he never said what he was going to do or how much extra it would cost but on his quote it states that he would inform me every step of the way before commencing additional works but that did not happen.

    Yes I have quotes and a quote breakdown and even the text message where he reduced the price further to a price I was happy with.

    It was a planning issue he said didn't need it then changed his mind so couldn't start right away.
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