Your house is the most important space to you. Your builders and
project planners should know and respect that when they enter your home
to work on it for you, and should make every effort to make you feel
secure in what they are doing to create a high quality end product.
A
Cowboy builder doing a botched job is every home owner's nightmare,
leading to disruption leaking into every part of your life. Keep your
home and family safe and coy with reputable builders, here are some tips
in choosing and checking a builder's reputation.
Before you hire a Builder
Be
wary of unrealistically low or fast estimates - an attractive price
will grab anyone's interest, but if you've planned your build properly
you'll have a rough idea of how much the work should cost, incorporating
materials and labour. An estimate too much lower than this should
definitely be looked into, where is the saving being made? Is it true
that some smaller companies who don't earn over the yearly threshold
don't have to pay tax, so some smaller quotes may be accounted for by
that, though an honest smaller company will always be forthcoming with
information of this kind. Don't be afraid to ask about quotes too far
above your original plan too - were your original plans not inclusive of
certain aspects of the build? Or are there some parts of the budget
that are unaccounted for?
A Reluctance to write down a Quote or
Schedule - Having a quote in writing is a contract between you and the
builders, outlining an intention to keep to the planned works. Of
course, if the build comes across some issues that are not the builders'
fault and you discuss any additional or reduced amounts of work with
them, this can change, but make sure to have the changes written and
signed too. If a builder or contractor refuses any written confirmation
of estimates, it's an opportunity to mess you around. You are well
within your rights to insist on a written estimate from anyone you are
employing to work on your house. Make sure that all materials and jobs
are listed on a broken down quote that covers all work you want done.
Look
out for an unwillingness to disclose contact details - Refusing to give
a last name and contact number, or the information of their project
manager is not reassuring but some disreputable builders will dodge the
question by insisting that they do not have to disclose this
information. This is not true, you have the right to request enough
information to check the builder or building company's history including
any declarations of bankruptcy and court cases. Withholding contact
details and open information about the company points to a reluctance to
be looked up.
Beware of paying upfront or in cash - Again, some
builders who work a limited number of hours and have a yearly income of
less than the taxable threshold may not need to pay tax and so are able
to ask for payment in cash. However, builders and companies should be
forthcoming with this information, and any larger companies should be
paying tax. Asking for a cash payment may be a sign that they are
dodging tax, and could point to them cutting corners elsewhere. Paying
upfront requires a huge amount of trust, money is needed to buy
materials to carry out the building work of course, so be prepared to be
asked for money early in the process for that, but paying in full
before any work has begun isn't a practice attributed to most
trustworthy builders, beware of construction workers and companies who
ask for this.
Can you always get in touch with them? - If you're
having trouble contacting the builder or company before work begins,
what's to stop them disappearing during the job? This is a common
complaint from victims of cowboy builders, that the work begins and then
stops, leaving the site in a disruptive state of disarray that has a
tremendous effect on both lives and bank balances. Look for a company
with a website showcasing previous work that checks out under
investigation, testimonials and references, full contact details and,
above all, a company or builders who are easy to get in touch with and
trace.
Be wary of unnecessary changes to your planned work -
Experienced and creative teams with ideas for home improvement that fits
in with your own vision is a wonderful addition to your project.
However, if every aspect of the planned work is not up for debate and
your contracted builders are changing your designs, this could be a
method of trying to upsell you something you don't want. Another method
of scamming more money out of you is finding mysterious problems with
the house, materials or designs and asking for more payment to fix these
ghostly issues. This is a fine line to tread, as there may indeed be
issues that were unknown to you before now, so if you are unsure about
advice you're being given, don't be afraid to get a building surveyor in
to take a look and a second opinion.
If you are unsure about the
builders or contractors working in your home at any point, trading
standards are easy to contact and quick to respond to queries, do not
hesitate to call them.
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