Is there too much work / not enough contractors?

Cocorita

I been suffering with builders since MARCH.
One took ages to do a communal stair renovation (Which trader, more than 50 recommendations on site, 100% recommended by others) and the work standard es quite poor. We even had to retain the payment until he came back and fixed some disaster the idiots he was subcontracting did).

And from march too, I was chasing builders to do a kitchen renovation, but I had two (one of them very recommended by colleagues and he even did a great job before in my house - A Which? rated builder) that failed and a LOT that came, made me explain all we need to do, and never gave a quote, or never came to see the job, and even those who did it, provide quote and then told us they only worked with cash payments (no thanks)
The first builder.. he dissapeared after we agreed to go ahead. We thought he was busy so we let him be. Two days before starting, we called him and a unknown lady picked up the phone, and said that the builders was not going to do the job, no more information provided. He never called to at least apologise. We were waiting for him for more than 3 months.
Then another one, dropped the job one day after starting (yes, they ripped off my kitchen and left).

Now I'm trying to find each separate trade myself, with almost no building systems and techniques knowledge (not in the UK at least and certainly not about Victorian properties!), with no clue about how to coordinate the whole mess and probably being ready to be victim of cowboy builders.
I swear I will NEVER try to do any kind of renovation on the UK once I finish this one.

pineapple

EssexExile wrote: »

Whatever the cause of the problem, it's been the same for all the 40+ years I've owned property.

There are regional differences though. Where I used to live in Yorkshire - even though it was quite rural - I could actually get a quote and the job done.
Here in my rainy godforsaken corner of Cumbria you have several battles ahead of you if you want any work done - large or small.
It's a major hurdle just getting someone to give you a quote or an estimate
The final battle is getting them on site to do the job.
It's par for the course for them not to respond to emails or 'phone messages. But if you can actually get them to view the job, they promise a quote then disappear into the ether never to be seen again.
Or they promise to come and simply don't turn up.
Sometimes you will get a vague promise like 'Maybe sometime next year'.
It's doing my head in.
I love it how you are supposed to compare quotes. Here you are lucky if you can find just one person who will do the work and even then you probably had to beg. :wall:
Anyone halfway competent is booked up months and sometimes a year ahead. In fact if they CAN fit you in, you worry that there is something wrong with them.
So plumbers, electricians, joiners, builders, roofers, plasterers, carpenters, kitchen fitters etc please move here. I might get my cottage finished and you will never be unemployed!

pineapple

I'd just like to add that the 'rustic' plasterwork done by my good self in the lounge is a direct result of the plasterer not turning up. Naturally I will promote it to future buyers as a character feature along with the manky beams, the 60s kitchen, the 'interesting' electrics and the rotting shed door.....