Home maintenance - getting building works done
For the majority of people, their house is the largest investment they will ever make. It makes sense, therefore, to ensure that it is kept in the best possible condition.
Don’t take unnecessary risks with your health and safety, and if you are in any doubt, it’s best to leave it to the professionals.
What work needs to be done?
Before getting estimates, take a good look at your property and prepare a list of what needs to be done and how much of it there is to do, both inside and out.
How much work is there to do?
Measure as best you can the work to be done in square metres (m2) for walls, floors, ceilings, roofs, and for door and window sizes. Measure in linear metres (by length) for soffits/fascias, guttering, drainage pipes, and damp proof courses (DPCs). Even a rough indication will assist you when dealing with a builder.
Having drafted your list of works (or specification), get a few photocopies done ready for the builders.
Contacting builders
Go by personal recommendations or approved lists of builders. Ask builders for the details of jobs they have just finished and follow up with their clients. Look for local builders, as travelling time has to be paid for, and choose smaller builders who commonly carry out the sort of domestic work you need doing. Do not pay for estimates.
You need at least two estimates. Estimates should be on a builder’s headed note paper, dated, and signed by the builder, showing a price against each item of work, a subtotal plus VAT, and a grand total. Ask when your builder can start work, the expected duration of the job, and get written confirmation.
Find a Trading Standards-approved builder
Works in progress
While works are in progress, look over the work and discuss it with your builder on a daily basis. Be critical and ask questions. Don’t pay money up front.
Pay in increments as individual items are completed to your satisfaction, less a retention of 10%. Pay promptly after a final inspection of the works where you check that everything looks satisfactory and operates properly.
