We all know and understand that it can be a rather stressful time when we are renovating. So we are here to help by offering some advice when it comes to finding the right tradesperson you want to hand over your project to.
The most important aspect when it comes to a tradesperson is reliability, so recommendations from friends and family that have already worked with a professional is usually the best way forward where it’s already comforting to know that someone you know already had a good experience with a professional.
There are also helpful online websites that offer a reliable search for a dependable tradesperson somewhere near you.
Once you think you’ve found the trader for you, there are a few more important steps to follow to ensure you get out from the experience exactly what you are “bargaining” for.
Always make sure you have the tradesperson's full contact details, the more information provided by a tradesperson, the more you can be assured that they are trustworthy.
Give a clear explanation of what you want and ensure you describe exactly what you need doing in detail before asking for a written quote.
Make sure you get quotes and not an estimate. Quotes usually take into consideration the actual work at hand, this will typically include onsite measurements, accurate labour time frames and material costs taken into account and therefore tend to be more accurate when it comes to the final cost of your project. Often, quick estimates are usually provided with maybe other “similar” projects in mind that were previously taken on by the tradesperson, and as we all know, with every project being unique, this usually means the final costs when it comes to estimates tend never to match and often end up being much higher than originally estimated.
Check that they have insurance, if the trader doesn’t have insurance, you may be liable for costs if things do go wrong or someone gets injured on site.
Check their credentials and trade licence, this will ensure you are hiring a professional that knows their profession well and this means a more accurate quotation and good quality workmanship.
Check for references, the more the merrier.
Check what permissions are needed. Always check if you need planning permission or building regulations approval.
Always insist on a written contract outlining the agreed terms of payment, start and finish dates (although you should be a bit flexible on finish dates as this can be dictated by many factors including supply shortages, weather and even the health of the work force, especially during the winter months)
Don’t make an advance payment for the total cost upfront. Although you should expect to make a small payment for materials and initial labour costs. Holding out on making the full payments ensures the work progression is constant and high quality of workmanship with the end result, all work should be assessed once completed.
Few other things to consider.
What are the cleaning and disposal agreements?
Ensure you find this out or agree on terms with the tradesperson. Some customers are OK with cleaning after completion and disposing of unused materials to keep their costs down others prefer that all this is handled by the tradesperson with hassle-free completion to the customer at a slightly higher cost, however, we recommend that this is discussed and confirmed before works commence.
Resolving issues.
If you notice a defect in the work, request that they correct the mistake before making your final payment and agree on a completion date.
Any real professional will take pride in their work, so this aspect of the whole process is usually remedied as soon as possible by the tradesperson, especially if you followed our advice provided in finding a suitable and reliable one.
We hope this blog was helpful to you and helps you track the right tradesperson for your planned project.
