Do decent plumbers still work in the U.K?

Skiduck

samlb wrote:

Has anybody actually used this site to find polish workers....... plumbers, buliders? And if you have was the work a good standard? No big problems:question:

does anyone still understand the british economy? yep we are expensive, yes we work more than our european counterparts in certain locations, yes our standard of living is higher than others, yes we pay more tax than others.

I knkow this is a money saving site, but to promote export work is detrimental to our society - you can not sustain a country of buyers when you have so little GDP. Sometimes the cheap way out is more expensive in the long run.

handyman.

and they dont pay tax on the small amount of money you have payed them

hilstep2000

I've got a great one, if you are in East Sussex PM me, but I don't think he goes outside the county.

D_e_n_i_s_e

This is how a typical plumber quotes up a job

Before even inspecting job!
1) distance to travel to job - the further to travel the more money- Kerchinng!
2) location of job - if the job is in the plush, posh neck of the woods more money!
3) car on the drive - own an X5/fancy plate? - you've had it!
4) state of the house - big rooms, nice decor, expensive tastes, more money

on the job
1) i must have forgot to mention that 'doesnt include VAT'!
2) this parts extremely difficult to get
3)

(you can add the other excuses yourself!)

I have two houses ones a nice semi which i live in, with a nic car on drive, the others a terraced from which i moved from a couple of months ago.
SAME boiler - SAME part went faulty, SAME plumber called one dealt with my Husband and one with me, the diff in price between the two jobs £125!

need i say more?!

handyman.

denise, do you wish to live in north Korea? You may be much happier there.

Snow_Angel

gizmoleeds wrote:

Hiring foreign workers is not detrimental to society. There are currently insufficient British workers doing these jobs so you have a simple choice: get a foreigner to do it, or forget about doing it at all. Just because someone was born in another country makes no difference to the economic effects of them providing you with a service.

Off topic a bit.....but similar. A few years ago the UK allowed many foreign nurses, doctors and physios to work in Britain for the NHS. We are now facing a national crisis, with almost 100 unvoluntary redundancies at my local hospital alone. 93% of this years British physio graduates are not able to find work (approximately 1600 trained, keen physios - trained incidentally at a cost of £73 million to the UK tax-payer). The situation for trainee doctors and nurses is similar.

Please support British trade.

Rant over thanks

P.S. One of my best mates is a brilliant plumber ... and has morals! Unfortunately he lives in Cornwall so can't help you there!

alanobrien

i Truly know your frustration.
Yes good plumbing and heating people do exist but in my experience it takes a while to find one.

When you do, just make sure you put all your business there way. I do, and have referred a lot of friends to them all of which have been happy with the work done.

Keep looking you will find one.

Alan_M_2

I see an awful lot of nonsence spouted about immigrant labour on this forum, I used to be dead set against them but I have to say I've changed my mind as in the last 12 month my business turnover has increased by 40% rectifying the work that these people do incorrectly.

So not only has the customer paid for a job to be done, but has to pay for it to be pulled up and replaced, in nearly every case the orginal fitter has retured home so it's a little difficult to exercise your right to any guarantee.

Some home truths, approximately 500,000 Poles have entered the UK since they were admitted to the EU, you think that's bad you just wait until Turkey enter, it'll be a free for all.

The average stay of these people is 4 months, they earn, often legitimately and pay tax, upon leaving the country they can reclaim the tax paid up to their annual allowance according to current Inland Revenue guidelines,

Whilst here they can claim child allowance, and other family allowance tax credit on their children that are not even necessarily in this country - all quite legally.

Personally they are making me money and I'm happy about that, but honestly I'd prefer not to see them operating in this manner at all.

The sooner our building industry is entirely regulated the better form all points of view and by that I mean any cowboy builder no matter what nationality.

Tom_Jones

Denise your talking absolute rubbish, I think you watch too many 'House of Horrors' type programmes and belive the whole industry is full of cowboys.

Andybez38

Skiduck wrote:

does anyone still understand the british economy? yep we are expensive, yes we work more than our european counterparts in certain locations, yes our standard of living is higher than others, yes we pay more tax than others.

I knkow this is a money saving site, but to promote export work is detrimental to our society - you can not sustain a country of buyers when you have so little GDP. Sometimes the cheap way out is more expensive in the long run.

How much would you charge to fit a new bathroom, shower and radiator like the OP wants done? Would you you turn up? or overcharge for the job cause your not Polish? :rolleyes: