Consumer Advice June 2010
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When a job needs doing...
Use our hand-holding guide to
help you through any building work you need doing...
• First you need to find a man who can. If you've got a big job, it's worth getting a builder in who will then sub-contract out to other specialists such as a plasterer, carpenter and decorator. If it's a small job, you might be better building up an acquaintance with a local odd-job man. Or you might need a specific specialist. Speak to friends and neighbours for recommendations. See who's a member of your local authority's approved trader scheme - if they have one - at www.oft.gov.uk/oft_at_work/consumer_initiatives/trader/members. Or look at one of the recommend-a-tradesperson websites such as www.ratedpeople.com or www.mybuilder.com. And leave your own feedback once the job's done to help others.
• Get a minimum of three quotes and see how they compare - a complete job quote is better than a hourly rate if possible. Ask to speak to others the builder's done work for - anyone who's any good will be more than happy to supply testimonials. And make sure it's a quotation rather than an estimation which may well creep up. Though whichever type he gives you, the builder may need to adjust it if he comes across an unexpected hitch like rusty pipes or rotten wood.
• Check the insurance - ask to see a copy to make sure the builder's got cover before you get him to start the job. Again, no reputable builder should have a problem with this.
• Agree the main stages of the job up front and on paper if it's a big job. Download a contract template from the Federation of Master Builders at www.fmb.org.uk/find-a-builder/free-contracts. Don't pay the full amount up front but agree to pay in stages, making agreed payments as you go.
• State from the start how you want your property to be treated: should builders take shoes off when walking through the rest of the house, can they have access to your bathroom and the kitchen? And can you have a start and finish time each day? Getting these simple things in place can stop both sides getting stressed.
• If there are any problems or hitches that crop up as work progresses, raise them as soon as you can and give the builder a chance to explain and amend.
• At the end of the job, walk and talk through the work with the builder to make sure things are as they should be. Hold onto a small retainer just incase any snags materialise, it's your leverage to get him to finish the job off.
• Which? magazine has put together some very useful information on how long typical building jobs should take - installing a new casement-style window should take one person two days, for instance, and repairing leaking drains should take one builder and one labourer three days. It's on its Advice site, go to www.which.co.uk/tradespeoplecosts.
Qs&As
What car...?
Q I'm looking for a new second-hand car but am
not sure what to get. I've got a dog so want room at the back
but don't want a huge estate, and I'd like it to be
economical too. I've got around £5,000 to spend. What do
you suggest?
A Your best bet would probably be a roomy
hatchback but you can find advice online to help you decide what to
choose. Try www.carmony.co.uk, which offers a clever Lifestyle
Search. It asks you a few simple questions like whether you want
room for a pushchair, shopping bags or a dog, how green you'd
like it to be and how many people you'd like to fit in. It then
comes back with a selection of relevant cars and finds the
second-hand deals on that car in your area. For your requirements,
it came up with 78 options including a Ford Focus and Peugeot 307.
Mobile trade-in
Q I've just got a new mobile phone. What are the
options for the old one? Can I make good money out of it or should
I give it to charity?
A Obviously the better condition and the newer
the model, the more money you'll get. Go to www.mobilevaluer.com and answer a few questions about
the condition, make and model of your phone. It compares what
you'll get from all the main buy-back companies, so you can
quickly check who pays most. Contact the one you want to sell to,
they will send you a bag for you to post back to them and
they'll send you a cheque in return.
Most charity operators take a cut of the cash the charity gets so
if you do want to donate to a specific charity, sell your phone
yourself then donate give the money to the charity. Plus, you can
opt in for Gift Aid and they'll get 28% on top of your
donation.
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