Would a very dilapidated house make tradesmen think you couldn't pay them?

Robertson74

Hello, I live in my late parents house, that they let down, when they got old. It is a large house in a rural area with a large messy overgrown garden, with lots of trees that have got too big. I am single and live a very basic life. Would tradesmen be put off working for me? The reason that I ask is, that many years before Covid and now, I have tried to get lots of small jobs done with no success. My dad was a self employed builder who built his own house and did his own repairs. Since the house was built, my town and the surrounding ones have lots of wealthy people living in them, so the tradesmen have their pick of houses.
I have contacted loads of landscapers who either never call back or look at the job and don't call back. Last year a local man agreed to do a small patio for £1495 to be done next year, they said they'd keep in touch, I'm now being ignored. My late mum was left without heating in the winter because a plumber let us down and wouldn't install a new oil tank.
I have a lot of big jobs that I need done. The soakaway near the garage isn't working anymore and water has got into the garage walls and there is a disused sunroom above that needs demolished- the roof blew off years ago and the rain has rotted everything. I need someone to demolish the room and make sure the garage is fixed and knock down a  joined wall. Also my back roof leaks badly in places - I need to dishes in the loft to catch water.
Also I have contacted well known tradesmen I have seen in neighbours houses and the town- they don't reply. But what really gets me is that they continually turn up locally doing jobs, but won't come near me.
I'm starting to feel that if I can't get smallish jobs done, what about the larger ones? Would they work for someone if they thought you couldn't pay them or they didn't like the conditions?
I'm really sorry about the rambling post, I just feel really annoyed and upset by them. Why couldn't they just be honest with you and tell you the situation? You could then move onto someone else. Also I would never take on a job, if I couldn't pay them, but they don't know that.

comeandgo

Maybe the jobs you are wanting them to do are too small for them?  How are you expressing yourself?  Are you able to give them absolute instructions or is it just I want you to repair this?  Unfortunately there is a lack of good tradesmen and they can pick and choose and would probably go to repeat customers.  

tacpot12

I think they might worry about the dilapidated state meaning that you cannot pay. I would suggest that when you first contact them, you let them know that the house has been inherited, and that you have money put aside to do the work. 

I would concentrate on trying to get a local gardener engaged to get the garden back under control. One option, if other are baulking at the job becuase it looks too big, is to offer someone the job as regular work, e.g. coming for a day every week. You  will probably need a tree surgeon to tame the taller trees. I would wait until you can give them clear access at ground level before you try to engage the tree surgeon.

Once the grounds look cared for, you might find it easier to engage tradespeople to do the work on the house.  

Section62

Robertson74 said:

...My dad was a self employed builder who built his own house and did his own repairs....

Are any of the people your dad worked with still around?  They may not be up to doing work now, but could make a recommendation.

On the domestic scale a lot of the industry works on reputation and word of mouth.  If you talk to people who knew him it is possible you might get more insight into the situation.

Any concerns about not being paid could be overcome by payments in advance (not always a good idea) so if the builders are not raising that as a possibility it might point to other issues perhaps.

casper_gutman

When you initially contact someone about a job, if you word your message right the shabby state of the house could almost be a selling point, e.g. I've recently inherited this, it needs lots of money spending on renovations (implying lots of potential work for them). Maybe suggest this is in the planning stages, e.g. getting plans drawn up/talking to architects. In the meantime I need someone to do this bit of work now.

twopenny

It's true that if it looks in a state they may be put off.

Also that they haven lots of work at the moment that is easier and more lucrative. They need the income to support themselves and their families so are choosing the easiest to get the most money from.

"Since the house was built, my town and the surrounding ones have lots of wealthy people living in them, so the tradesmen have their pick of houses." This is the problem at the moment. I can't get a small bathroom done, it's messy and not the easiest to remove bad work and redo where with so many people spending holiday money on their homes a classy refit is easier and more money than my disintigrating bathroom I moved in with.

Perhaps start with one spot like the front, outside would be easiest. Take one area and ask for specific jobs to be done to clear and replant.  An odd job guy, lots of people do garden clearance. It's not skilled.

This would show you are spending and making progress and serious about improving the property.

Do you sweep, clean windows, door fittings etc?

But I do agree, very depressing when you can't get help.

Robertson74

Hello, thanks for all your replies. Comeango and twopenny I agree about them having lots of work especially with everything that's been going on since 2020, it's just that I feel my house is too much for me, compared to somewhere smaller. I wish my parents had got out before they got too old and it got into this state. twopenny  I do brush the place sometimes, but never clean the windows and doors, so that might help. 
Section62, all my dads friends are mostly passed away now or moved away from the(I don't know where) area. Some of their sons are in builders trade, but I don't know them. I wish my dad had shown me some of his skills and I could have done some things myself.
Tacpot12 & Casper_Gutman, I'll let other tradesmen know about these things when I contact them.. I also worry about putting money into the garden when the main house things need done. If I couldn't do the garden, would tradesmen be put off?
Also I'm a bit upset about the man, from last year letting me down. He said the slabs could be done in December, but I was worried about frost, rain etc affecting them being laid down. He said they could be done in the Spring instead and he would be in touch, but he hasn't. It's upsetting that they don't let you know they've changed their mind.
It sort of puts me off contacting them, if they change their mind and that's another year gone. How can you sure they want the job?

FreeBear

Had the same problem getting my roof done. Had quotes last year and had one guy say he would start in August. That was the last I heard... Hopefully, it will get done this year, but it is going to cost more than I had originally hoped.

On the bright side, the weed patch garden is looking a bit better than it did - Had a mini-digger & driver from a local ground works company for a couple of days to dig out the base for a patio & driveway. Spent a couple of hours digging out tree stumps and doing some <ahem> landscaping in between waiting for hardcore deliveries. Laid the slabs & paving blocks myself which wasn't very difficult.

GaleSF63

For the garden clearance, do you have any friends with student children, or know any students who might be interested in earning a bit of money for a few hours a week? 

Bendy_House

Hi Robertson.

All the responses above make sense, and are likely to make some contribution to your difficulty in finding tradesfolk. It's also a difficult time even without all these added complications, as there is so much work around for builders, coupled with a shortage of folk to do it.

I wonder if another concerning issue is that these individual tradespeople know that the house is generally run down, so the work required might not come across as 'defined' enough?

For example, a request to come out and quote for 'fixing the roof' might strike local roofers as too open a task, as they might be wondering "Ok, what about the rafters, soffits, even ceiling joists, what about that bay window, chimney stack..." Ie, might they be suspecting - given the way the house has been visibly neglected for a long time - that the owner is not interested in a 'proper' job being carried out, but just another patching exercise? And they'd be understandably reluctant to become involved in a job with such undefined limits, where the owner might have completely different expectations of what will be done? "No point us patching a leak when that chimney stack needs serious attention..." sort of stuff.

 I fear the history of the house may be counting against it. Coupled with such 'delapitation' making it hard to define how deep the damage might go, just what the extent of their remit might end up being.

A Q that needs to be asked, is, can you afford to pay to have this work done? Have you ANY idea what the end figure could be? If you could post some photos, coupled with a brief description of the state of each major component, I'm sure folk on here could give you a rough ballpark.

It's a 'large' house in a rural area? Where?

A 'large' roof recovering is going to be, what?, £20k upwards? Would anythingless than a 'recovering' be a waste of time? It's been leaking, so are there any rotten timbers? If so, add more £ks.

Demoish the garden Room - might be doable for a couple of £k if it's straightforward, but what about the 'rotten' stuff below - is the garage roof compromised? Will IT need recovering too? Add £4k.

With this forum's help, I'd try and arrive at an honest and realistic figure that would 'sort out' the house, structurally if not also cosmetically, and then ask yourself "Can I actually afford to do this?".

If 'no', then perhaps consider cutting your losses - I bet such a project will realise a surprisingly high sale value. Is there even potential to develop the 'large' garden to add another house? If so, then depending on where you are, this could add a VERY  significant additional amount. (Whether it's worth trying to get outline PP for this, others will advise on.)

If you CAN afford to have it fixed, and this is where you want to live, then it might be worth (again, others will hopefully advise on this) employing a project manager/surveyor/architect. They will go over your house, list all that needs doing, and will hopefully recommend some general builders to do the WHOLE job. You may be surprised at how 'multiskilled' a good outfit can be; "While we have our digger in to clear that stuff, do you want these trees taken down?!"

Can this be reduced down to these two simplistic options - a complete (structural) renovation vs cut your losses and sell up?

If the answer is (hopefully) the former, then a single building outfit to do everything will, I think, be best. Project-managed if you don't have the knowledge and skill for this. Then sit back and enjoy :-)

Section62

Robertson74 said:

Section62, all my dads friends are mostly passed away now or moved away from the(I don't know where) area. Some of their sons are in builders trade, but I don't know them. I wish my dad had shown me some of his skills and I could have done some things myself.

If the sons have gone into building there's a reasonable chance they helped their dads out on school holidays etc and may remember your dad.  So start calling them, "You don't know me, but your dad worked with mine.  Sadly he's passed away and his old place needs some TLC. Would you or someone you know be able to have a look and give me a quote for the work which needs doing?"

The worst they can say is "No".