Cowboy builders

For many years, when seeking to find a "service" of any kind, we've asked around friends and acquaintances and have never been disappointed. Are you in any local groups like WI, where you can ask about this? In my experience, people are only too happy to recommend good tradesmen or services of any kind, if you just ask.

We used a gardener who was useless, really bad work. I then noticed some time later he was on Checkatrade. Looking at the reviews and then his Facebook page, I saw all those "Ooh, he was wonderful" reviews were written by his family and friends! I know that others were very unhappy with the work he did and it took us 3 months to find his real name and his address. Vile man!

Auntie flo If they bother to respond.!
I cannot believe anyone in the building trade and that must involve plumbers /electricians /carpenters etc who say their is no work around. I do not approve of saying what you as a customer think what you want carrying out is worth in terms of money or what you can afford to pay
Let them tell the customer, what they as the ones' to carry out your request,can or will do and let them give the customer either a guaranteed or an estimated price.

Maceym00 Citizens Advice are not allowed to recommend business

There is now an on going problem concerning work needed to be carried out on private properties.This due to many that are involved in the building trade who are taking on contracts involving new builds which will go on for years if what we are to believe this country needs to house the ever increasing population.My own experience was luck in finding a builder who would work weekends, carrying out maintenance He needed , he said, the extra money how many don't. It was short lived however when 'wifey' had other plans for him.

We have never had a problem finding tradesman, whether general builders, or one man bands. I know of 3 one man bands in the village. One of them does most of our small jobs. We may wait a few months before he can do any job, but that seems reasonable.

There are two privately owned builders based in the village as well. One has worked for us for years, we have never used the other, but will probably ask him to give an estimate for our extension.

I live in southern Oxfordshire, where we have one of the highest building targets in the country and also a lot of well paid jobs in the electronics and high tech areas. So plenty of alternative jobs,

We have several times found tradesman by speaking to them when they were working on other houses in the village.

Your local council should have a trader approval sheme. The tradespeople are checked. I have used them in my local area and found good workmanship .