Posts Tagged ‘trade’

As a property investor and landlord, the chances are you’ll need to call on the services of a builder at some point in your career. When time is money, finding a reliable builder can make a considerable difference, so here are some useful tips for finding a good builder.

Business, trade directories and local directories, such as the Yellow Pages or locally produced free publications of tradespeople, are a good starting point for finding a builder in your local area. Browse through the ads, select a couple that you’re interested in, then give them a call to obtain more details. In your initial phone call, ask plenty of questions, such as the work they typically do, if they’re currently available and average costs of work. If you’re keen to see some examples of their finished work, then don’t be afraid to ask for testimonials too.

Where possible, arrange a meeting with the builder and see if they’re willing to offer a free quotation for the work you need to have carried out. First impressions are good, but you can often get a better idea of what they’re like and how they operate by meeting up. If they promise a quotation, but it takes weeks to occur or never appears, then you can move on to finding someone else.

Personal recommendations for builders are always good, especially if it’s from someone you know who’s recently used the services of a builder. This can help give a more accurate picture about how good the work was, how personable the builder was and how quickly and efficiently they got the job done.

There are a lot of websites where you can find details of builders, but one of the more reliable options is Checkatrade. Anyone registering on the site has to be vetted first, plus they are monitored on a regular basis through customer feedback, so there’s a much better chance that you’ll get a reputable worker and not a fly-by-night rogue trader.