How long would you wait for a reply?

machiavellie

I agreed some work with a builder, about 3 weeks worth of work in total including building work and kitchen refitting, plus a full house rewire for his electrician.

We had agreed the building work could be done end of September, but the electrician wanted to come in this weekend before the work started.

Sadly my house purchase got delayed by a week due to the seller's solicitor not responding to emails on time. Now that's all settled we have a new completion date for the 8th. I've had to ask the electrician and the builder if they can push the work back to a couple of weeks.

They both said no problem, the builder said he would work out a new date with the electrician.

To add context, this is a private sale, and I had permission from the sellers to rip out the kitchen (they're not living in the property) before the sale completes but nothing else. So the builder has already been up the house and ripped out the kitchen, and I paid him for that job. As part of that job I also paid for him to deliver a skip this week and clear all the rubble, and the skip would remain there until his job started on the 11th.

The skip hasn't turned up, and he's now not replying to texts.

I pushed the work back on Monday, didn't hear anything by Wednesday so I sent him a text 10am in the morning about rearranging a date for the work. Silence. I sent another text at 6pm asking if he could also tell me when the skip was going to arrive (since i've paid for it!) and silence.

How long do I wait until I can assume he just doesn't want the work anymore because I've pushed it back by a week, and he's just taken off with the money that was supposed to be for the skip?

twopenny

Do you have any way of finding out about either? Are they working, personal circumstances?
While I've had trades promise and then cut me off, regular occourance round here, I've had 3 suddenly slung into a divorce and another whos father died suddenly.
Stuff happens in their lives too and work commitments tend to take a back seat.

You'd hope theyd eventually ask someone to ring round but few do.

machiavellie

I've tried both the builder and electrician and had no response from either, and I don't want to harass them and put them on further!

Montybell1

He doesn’t want the job , find someone else 

machiavellie

Montybell1 said:

He doesn’t want the job , find someone else 

Almost an hour after I posted my last reply I got a response out of him lol, seems he's just terrible at replying quickly

housebuyer143

Builders tend to be terrible at replying. They are not salesmen and generally one can't be good at their job and then great at admin - doesn't seem to happen!.
Glad they replied. I find they tend to need pestering to get a reply 

Alfrescodave

To add context, this is a private sale, and I had permission from the sellers to rip out the kitchen (they're not living in the property) before the sale completes but nothing else. 

Not sure who is the greater gambler, you or the seller.  Hopefully nothing prevents the sale from completing otherwise there may be expensive consequences.

machiavellie

Alfrescodave said:

To add context, this is a private sale, and I had permission from the sellers to rip out the kitchen (they're not living in the property) before the sale completes but nothing else. 

Not sure who is the greater gambler, you or the seller.  Hopefully nothing prevents the sale from completing otherwise there may be expensive consequences.

Well the seller is my mum, and it's just a matter of waiting for completion now. both of us were happy to continue.