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Having good building contractors
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When you are considering carrying out improvements to your house such as an extension, loft conversion or new garage, it is crucial that you find a good, reliable builder.
I am sure you have seen and heard about a lot of the horror stories and disasters created by so called 'cowboy' builders. It really is so common nowadays they have even made a whole television series on the subject (Cowboy Builders - Five).

So how can you make sure that you avoid most of these problems and start finding yourself an excellent builder who's not going to enable you to down?

Well, it is a lot easier than you might think. Essentially, all it takes is a little bit of common sense, a small amount of research and some clear instructions and when you follow our tips below and you ought to not go too far wrong.

Research

It is best to do some research to confirm the quality of work performed by way of a builder before employing them to do any work.

Ask for a listing of half a dozen previous clients and contact them for feedback. When possible, arrange to visit a couple of of the clients and view the work for yourself, especially if the job is pertinent to the work you will need doing. At the minimum you should ask for written references from the builders previous clients.

Any reputable builder could be more than happy to offer you this information and so if you meet any resistance or reluctance as of this early stage you should be cautious about whether you wish to go any further.

Appearance And Behaviour

Check the looks of the builder before you utilize them just because a 'dodgy' builder will often dress shabbily, drive a clapped out white van, usually without any markings and generally not come across as very professional. It sounds like a cliche but these things will be the tell-tale signs of a 'cowboy' builder and you ought to steer well clear.

Regarding behaviour, be very suspicious of any tradesman that won't invest in a schedule, will not put anything on paper and/or does not give receipts. Should they seem too eager to quote quickly and cheaply without even properly looking at the job they are quoting for your suspicions should be raised.

Work With A RECOGNISED Local Company

A tried and tested way to avoid issues with your builder would be to work with a local company which has an established reputation. Which means that they will have a fixed office address, an organization telephone number and if VAT has been charged, a VAT registration number.

Correspondence on letter headed paper with many of these items listed is also a good sign of an authentic business.

Ideally they'll also operate as a Limited Company rather than a sole trader, but this is simply not essential if another things check out.

Mobile telephone numbers and email addresses are disposable so be wary if these are the only methods of contact that the tradesman provides you with.

The reason why a local businesses is preferable is that they have to guard their reputation in the local community because word soon gets around should they do a poor job or let someone down.

Be Clear About THE NEEDS YOU HAVE

To avoid any doubt about what you have agreed, put everything that you want carried out in writing and have for a written estimate back from the builder. Again, any good tradesman worth coping with will expect this.

It is important that you don't keep changing your brain about what you want after the work has started because the builder will ask you for extra for changes at this time and this is w here many disputes can begin.

Obviously, sometimes things will need to change and in cases like this you just have to be clear about the changes that you want and buy into the builder any extra cost that this may add before the work is performed. Again, you need to document all changes on paper.

Other Points To Be Aware Of

With regards to contracts and agreements, the standard advice in these circumstances applies. Usually do not sign anything that you haven't read and/or fully understood.

About payment for the work, your builder may request some cash in advance but this should be avoided if possible. A reputable builder is only going to expect payment after the work has been completed to the agreed plan and signed off as satisfactory. Generally of thumb, you should never pay a lot more than 10% of the full total cost up front.

On a larger scale job, stage builder payments may also be necessary but, again, you have to be clear upfront about what you are paying for and when.

If your builder requests all or part payment in cash then leave. You may be fuelling the black economy and leaving yourself open to the risk of dealing with a rogue trader.

Finally, be skeptical of anyone who comes knocking at your door offering to 'do you a favour' or has 'materials left from the previous job' and may can you a 'great deal that may save you money'. Do not listen! It'll never save money to hire a builder in this situation.

What To Do If Things Go Wrong

If things do go wrong or you are unhappy with the quality or extent of the work carried out, talk to the builder calmly and clearly and explain why in the beginning.

If the builder will not respond, the next stage would be to put your complaint in writing.

In the event that you still cannot get a resolution after putting things on paper, you need to seek further advice. People that you can turn to are your Solicitor, the Citizens Advice Bureau, Trading Standards or the relevant Trade Association. It certainly depends on the type and extent of the issue or builder dispute.

Summary

So there you own it. If you want to look for a good, reliable builder, do some research before you start, be clear in what you need and put everything on paper and use good sense in terms of contracts, agreements and payment.

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