Tips for finding a good tradesman
When we moved into our current home it had just undergone a major renovation with almost everything having been ripped out, replaced and decorated so it didn’t need any work when we moved in. Since then we have had one issue which needed some professional work, the heating.
We were disappointed and frustrated when the first tradesman’s attempt to fix the problem stopped working after a couple of weeks and we were lucky that a local plumber friend was able to help us out and after some investigation discovered and fixed the problem.
Finding the right tradespeople can be tricky, with the most common complaints being poor quality of work and a general lack of professionalism which can end up making the problem worse! Check out these three tips for finding a good tradesman.
Get recommendations from friends or family
It seems obvious that when you’re looking for a reliable tradesperson it’s best to ask the people around you for recommendations in order to hear about some first-hand experiences. Reach out to your neighbours to get references for local plumbers, electricians or builders, they will definitely warn you off of any rogue traders they have run into!
Our community has it’s own Facebook Group where it is common place to see people asking for recommendations and making suggestions for tradesmen, which is always great for both the people looking for help (as they great trustworthy references from locals), and the local tradesmen who get to promote and advertise their work to potential customers.
If you’ve had work done on your property before by a reliable tradesman then it’s worth asking them for opinions for other good quality workers whom they may have worked alongside before. Your friendly local plumber might know a top notch roofer or electrician so be sure to ask, you might even get a discount if you mention who referred you, which is an added bonus.
Online recommendation services
If no one you know has recently had work done on their home and there are no first-hand accounts available to you then another option is using an online recommendation service to help you find a tradesperson.
The good news is that there are lots of different websites where you can search for tradesmen and post jobs for quotes. The sites work on a system similar to word of mouth, where the traders are reviewed and judged based on their previous work – a bit like eBay or TripAdvisor. One such site is Bidvine, a UK-based local services tech startup, connecting customers with the right service provider.
Simply answer a few service-specific questions about the job in hand, compare multiple bids from tradesmen as well as their company profiles and reviews before choosing your preferred provider using the information provided to guide you. All the tradesmen who reply to your request are all interested, qualified and available to carry out your request on your preferred date and terms which makes life much easier!
The approved trader scheme
TrustMark is a not-for-profit Government endorsed scheme for trades in and around the home. They vet traders for trading practices, customer service and competence, with those meeting the criteria being award with official accreditation to ensure good industry standards.
You can use their website to search for tradesmen by entering your postcode and choosing what trade you are looking for. It produces a list of services within 50 miles of your location, you can then browse the options and view more details about each of the suggested tradespeople contact details and reviews – although I have noticed that a large number of firms near us have 0 reviews!
So, if you’re looking to get some work done on your property and want to avoid rogue traders who might take your money and run or leave you in a worse state than you started out in. Make sure you do your homework whether that be word of mouth from neighbours, reviews from previous people online or via the Trustmark accreditation.
