Is it just me?

nipsmum, had EXACTLY the same problem in my bathroom. I outlined exactly what I wanted done. Tradesman came to quote me for it. Asked if I'd considered a new suite. I hadn't but said he could quote me for that AS WELL. Quote came. Only for a new bathroom. No mention of the work I actually wanted done.

I eventually found someone to sort the bathroom out. He came and did it. LOVELY, LOVELY chap. Couldn't have been more helpful. Did a couple of other jobs too. BUT was really really rubbish at sealing around the bath/taps etc. So I had leaks into the kitchen ceiling. Got him to come and reseal. He totally missed a LARGE area.

I do however have an amazing plumber. Young. Never endingly helpful. Thinks I need a new boiler but totally not trying to force my hand over it. Will let me make my own mind up.

Alima My view is and one which has been acknowledged by a person in the building trade is that with plenty of work, ie new builds,and properties don't just end with brick laying consequently there is plumbing and electrical work needed which you can say are great for those in that line of work and what can be better than a contract ? It is more difficult to get trades people now than it used to be and this I feel due to a' take your pick' leaving those of us with the smaller jobs at the back of the queue.

It isn’t you it’s them! We moved from North to South a few years ago and hence had no contacts or anyone to ask for recommendations. We were let down by numerous tradespeople. We thought it was because there is lots of work down here, a lot of money, in comparison to the North and they just couldn’t be bothered. One of them didn’t turn up as agreed and a week later arrived saying the weather had been good so he’d spent the time on his boat. We were speechless!

Amen to everything on here --- it was ever thus. We find that our trusted tradesman gets us to just less than screaming pitch then turns up all smiles!! Of course we welcome him with open arms!!
As for the rest (esp. plumbers & CH engineers) the only way one can get any sense out of them is to have an Insurance Policy then someone else with more clout is directing them. This is a bit like paying them to come to work but worth it in the end.---

I always think it's because I only have a tiny budget and a scruffy old flat..
Sadly, it looks like it'll stay scruffy until people turn up to do any work.

interesting - we are in the midst of having various things done to the house - repairs, redecoration etc. and both DH and I commented that, once committed to the job, every one of them has had to be chased up for not returning calls with info etc. - standards 'ain't wot they used to be'!

I try to get and use female trades people.... had three lots now . They turn upon time.... do the job.... clean up thief mess.... get paid. They all say it’s because they stick to smaller ‘in/out’ jobs. Suits me sir!!

A know a lot of people who are unlucky with tradesmen but I must say I have been lucky. We dont live in the UK but have a house there, we have an "odd job man" who is excellent, he also knows lots of tradesmen who he recommends, they turn up when they should, do a good job, and dont charge the earth,they are all local tradesmen, and we are very satisfied.Word of mouth has been an excellent way of having people to do work.

I definitely agree with several posters who say that you are not alone in your experience. Now re-married, I was widowed for some time and always had difficulty with any type of tradesman required. Still have similar experiences now (despite having ex-rugby player husband), the most common excuse being that we are "too rural" (we live in rural lincolnshire). Definitely agree that asking neighbours is the best strategy. Good tradesmen are REALLY hard to find!

You wouldn't mind if they just turned you down, would you?

But this is a world-wide problem with tradesmen. I live in Mexico City, right beside a plumbers' market and the only reliable plumber I know lives on the other side of the city.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOA_SUKEZRE
.. when anything like this happens in my life I stamp my foot ... scream ... open a bottle of something .... and ... listen to this [hope you get it I'm rubbish at this]... and I always laugh
If the link doesnt work ... it was the lego version of Flanders & Swann "The gasman cometh"

We were due to have our garden landscaped (new build) and the landscaper was due on 2nd September to start the job. Skips had been ordered which we paid for. On the day he didn’t turn up. We left three messages on his mobile and tried his landline but no response at all. In the end we cancelled the skips and got a full refund as it looked as if he’d just ditched the job. He then had the cheek to email the next morning and say how surprised he was that we’d cancelled the skips. We told him we’d left him a final message the day before cancelling the job and explained why. We’d lost faith. He told us he’d worked 11 days on the trot (another job) and needed a day off. Fine, but at least let us know!! Anyway, we sacked him as we felt it was just excuses. I subsequently found an old review from someone saying he’d didn’t complete a job and they were unable to contact him. Wish we’d seen it beforehand!

I don't think your age is a factor at all. When I was young and single I had this kind of thing constantly.

Any woman on her own is treated to the patronising " I know better than you" treatment from tradesmen. It stops when there is a man in the house and starts again if there isn't or if he is clearly incapacitated for any reason.

I'm not usually a woman''s lib kind of person, but I understand why some women feel more comfortable with women carpenters, plumbers etc.

One plumber I employed in my young days, actually placed the floor drain in the bathroom in the highest part of the floor that was built up to facilitate water from the shower running down to the drain. He got very huffy with me, when I pointed out that I had learnt in physics that water only runs downhill of its own accord.

Oh, how many times has this happened in the whole of my house holding years, starting in my 20’s,so not an age thing.
We have had some great tradesmen as well though, really put themselves out.
Funnily enough it has often been older ones who were reliable. One man came on bank holiday Monday to board out our loft bringing his grandson with him to help. Quite touching, really.
Hope you happen to hear of reliable people soon, and get all your jobs done

When my late husband and I asked for quotes for installing a new kitchen we rang one chap's tel no to ask why he had not arrived as arranged. Wife answered and told us he was tired so was still in bed!! Needless to say we advised he stayed there!

We are having that sort of problem at the moment, having ordered a new garage door, estimated delivery date = 6 weeks.
When I email the chap, I have had no replies, so this afternoon I posted a question on his web site, that is public. I am hoping for a response

We moved into a new build. The back garden needed some work, and I got three landscape gardeners to come. We discussed what I wanted, and they measured, then went off, promising a quote. Only one came back. He didn't have a price for me, but said that he'd undercut the other quotes, when I got them. I didn't want him on that basis, plus I didn't have any quotes! I spoke to one of the Polish workers on the building site, and he came and measured and gave me a price. He came when he said he would, a weekend, and he worked from 7.00am till dark, and did a good job. I have since gotten him to do some other jobs. Another of the Polish workmen is coming soon to restain the bit of exterior wooden cladding of the house. He has already done some of the neighbours' houses, and they were very pleased.

It's definitely not because you're an older woman on your own!

It's taken us 30 odd years to build up a reliable bunch of tradesmen such as roofer, decorator, gardener (to cut trees and hedges) and an odd job person. Our conservatory roof was leaking for months and we had several tradesman in to look at it - most wanted to replace the roof or were just not interested. Finally the above odd job lad (who is actually the son of our ex next door neighbour) came and spent the day here replacing guttering, resealing the joint between the roof and the wall, replacing a fan vent and finally cleaning the roof - perfect and it's not leaked since!

We renovated a bungalow in our old home town last year and used people recommended by friends and relatives but were totally unable to find anyone local to do the kitchen - one company were supposed to be coming out and on the morning of the appointment he sent a text to say he was going on a month's paternity leave and there was no one else to cover his job! A few days later we happened to see someone working next door at home and jokingly asked if he wanted a job 60 miles away - he said yes. Went over there to give us a quote, brought kitchen samples, then flooring samples and worked solidly travelling every day for 2 weeks fitting it, doing the electrics, plumbing and even the plumbing in the bathrooms. He carted the white goods we'd bought here over there in his car and sourced both the kitchen and the flooring at the best prices. He then laid laminate flooring in all the rooms. Such a nice guy too and very reasonable so we felt very lucky to have found him however he's now so busy he can't fit any other jobs in

I moved house about five months ago and need a lot of jobs doing. As I'm new to the area, I've used Trust a Trader and Check a Trade - always reading reviews first and looking at photos of completed work - and have been very pleased with the traders so far. I asked the person who owns the company currently replacing the fencing and driveway at the front of my house if he could recommend someone to replace my front door. He did - and I'm delighted with the result. The man who did my downstairs painting recently is coming back next year to do some more and I'm getting a quote next week from the fencing people as I want to revamp the back garden next spring. It makes all the difference when you live alone to find people you can trust.

Just bumping this up rather than start a new thread. Someone was coming to sort out some damage to my living room the other day but didn’t turn up. Said they’d come yesterday but didn’t I’m now worrying that they didn’t get my message saying it was ok for them to come yesterday (so now blaming myself).I had asked them to just give me the number of anyone else that could do the job but they said they would do it. We moved all the furniture. Didn’t eat. Dog didn’t get a walk. On a scale of things that can go wrong in life it’s pretty minimal but, boy am I fed up….

I have honestly never known it to be any different. I have been a homeowner for more than 40 years and in different parts of the country and its always been the same.

Maybee70..i would just ring them to reconfirm when they are coming..it is maddening when you rearrange your life for jobs that need to be done in home..now i always get a quick call from tradespeople to say that they are on way ...i get so anxious about any strangers coming in to do boiler checks etc but afterwards feel so much safer...

Phoned this morning. Left a message. No reply…..

All the other tradespeople we know are uber reliable. This is the only one that does this and, unfortunately we can’t find anyone else to do the job. I get frustrated that I can’t do the job myself as well. It’s all new’ish to me in that my ex husband could fix anything and it’s only since I’ve been with my current partner that I’ve had to rely on other people. I did tell my ex years ago that I never appreciated him. Mind you, he never finished anything, most jobs took months /years and he always left lots of mess to clear up. I lived in a virtual building site for 25 years!

I think a lot of tradesmen don't want the small jobs. I would be better if they said no at the start instead of letting people down.

We have a friend who is a plumber and does jobs for us. He is still a nightmare to pin down if we need something doing. We do pay him

Contacting Age Concern is a good idea as I would think the people on their list would be happy to do small jobs, as this is mostly what older people request as they can't do them themselves any longer e.g. clearing gutters.