Contractor/builder has no website or listed on trade sites?
We invited 12 contractor/builders to come quote for a full period home renovation we're looking to do. Out of those 12, 7 said they were fully booked for the foreseeable future.
Out of the remaining 5:
- 1st was a no-show.
- 2nd arrived and left for an emergency after 10 minutes and I haven't been able to get hold of him since.
- 3rd was highly rated on Checkatrade and had their own website but they don't seem to work on period properties and when we discussed ideas he kept wanting me to shift to ideas I wasn't keen on, refused certain things I wanted (insisted vinyl was more suitable than tiled floors) and was a bit terse. He is also a real pain to get hold of, sometimes taking a week to reply between emails.
- 4th was a lovely guy and a little cheaper but he's a sole trader who does not have a public profile (no website or on any trades site as he says he's worked in this industry for 25+ years but he gets work through word of mouth and recommendations so has never needed to advertise.) He has sent legit looking photos of previous work which seems to be the style I'm looking for but the lack of a "company" to speak of makes me feel like it's a bit risky.
- 5th barely spoke English and couldn't seem to get a sense of what I was after.
We really want to get this booked in and I'm leaning towards the 4th person. What kind of things do I need to watch out for before hiring someone without a visible online presence? He has confirmed he is fully insured and provides guarantees for the work.
Thanks!
Comments (8)
Ricky Watkins
last yearDo not pay for anything upfront. Pay in stages breaking ground damp level etc if having a extension.
hopingforsunshine thanked Ricky WatkinsTed
last yearCheckatrade is basically a sham, trades pay for it and since they are the customers of checkatrade they take priority over you and I. What that means is they can dispute negative reviews and have them removed. I used a builder with 50+ only positive reviews and he messed things up and ran away. I have since noticed that a lot of sole traders avoid social media or being listed on Google because they don't want to be held accountable by unhappy customers in public. In a way I can understand that as some people might blame a trade for something that's not their fault and take it too far. But Checkatrade is pointless and I now only go on personal recommendation. Also if someone is proud enough of their work to post on social media and maintain a public profile I take that as a good sign.
hopingforsunshine thanked Ted
Sonia
last yearNumber 4 could be your man. You could ask him for details of previous work, and if possible go and view them yourself if the clients don’t mind, My brother is a sole trader builder who doesn’t do the internet or Facebook or anything like that, and all his work is by recommendation/word of mouth. Being a sole trader doesn’t mean he does it all himself, he has an army of traders he calls in when required from labourers digging the footings to plumbers and electricians. He is an excellent brickie so he builds the walls himself. He usually asks for part payment as the work goes on, but you could pay for the building materials yourself along the way. Remember the trades people he employs will need paying at the end of each week. I always say to him that he’s practically rebuilt our home town! It is always a worry when looking for trades people and fancy websites and reviews do not always tell the truth. I hope all goes well for you.
hopingforsunshine thanked Soniahopingforsunshine
Original Authorlast yearThanks everyone for your very helpful comments :)
I feel a lot better about going forward with builder no 4. My gut was telling me he was the best person for the job. We will definitely ask to see any current/previous jobs in person though if possible.
It's good to know that just because a tradesman isn't visible online doesn't necessarily mean I should be suspicious. Fingers crossed we've picked a good one!Jonathan
last yearYou also have the option of continuing the search for exactly the type of builder you want.
Consider if you were going to buy big ticket items such as a new kitchen and then see if those suppliers have contacts that you could call upon for other parts of the renovation. You might also consider if you could employ someone to do it for you…. For instance an architect or designer or project manager could take alot of headaches out of the project and you do describe it as a full renovation so perhaps this help could help deliver the finished product faster and closer to budget
hopingforsunshine thanked Jonathan
PROi-architect
last yearWhen checking out builders who are new to me I always go to see projects that they currently have on site so I can see the quality of their work in the flesh. I also ask for references from past customers as well as other architects who they've worked with. I find that getting both other homeowners experiences as well as professionals viewpoints on a builder gives a more clear picture of how good they are both to work with and deliver a quality project.
hopingforsunshine thanked i-architect
Marsha Hounsome
last yearNumber 4, our builder didn't have a website but we still waited 8 months for him. He's been brilliant and really interested in making our reno fit with our needs. Go with your gut.
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Juliet Docherty