10 Tips on Choosing a Reliable Builder
The general shortage of reliable builders does not mean that you have to grab at the first person you find. The golden rule when embarking on any property development or improvement is never, ever buy anything that needs substantial work before you know for sure that you can get hold of a good firm of builders to do the job.
One friend – who experienced problems with builders that were so horrendous lawyers are still involved several years later trying to sort out the mess – offers this advice, wisdom gained from bitter experience:
- Never rely on friends to recommend you a specialist building service as what the builders did for your friends may be completely different from your project. Friends are so eager to help solve problems that they can forget the negative aspects of the people they are recommending. Sometimes friends can inadvertently do you a disservice.
- Friends rarely warn you of the potential problems involved in a major project, such as the importance of having a properly qualified architect or designer before you start.
- Before starting any expensive project, make sure that you have drawn up a proper contract with your builder and agreed an arbitration procedure if things go wrong.
- Make sure that you look at the credentials of the people who have been subcontracted to do the work. Many of the ‘qualifications’ are worthless and merely refer to membership of an association that can be obtained by paying a yearly fee. Always choose people who belong to those bade associations that have a well-established grievance procedure.
- Don’t imagine that you are protected simply because you employ a well-known name. It is the person who is doing the job who counts, not his firm.
- A dodgy builder knows a dodgy plumber, electrician, glazier and so on.
- Keep a daily diary of events. If you don’t you will wish that you had as, once the project is under way, so much happens so fast that it is impossible to remember all the details. You will then have a record of events.
- Always remember that nobody is ever going to care as much about your building as you do, so always write down notes, however informal, of what you want done.
- Never be bulldozed into quick decisions, otherwise you could end up with floor tiles you don’t like, taps that are not what you would have chosen and cupboards placed in peculiar corners. Do not make decisions on the hoof, but always ask for time to think if you are not sure.
- Deal with any problem immediately and never let it fester, as it can only get worse. If you wait to complain, the men could be off site, never to return.
If you are renovating your own home, then, of course, the work can usually wait until you do find the right builder. I waited ten years to have my kitchen extension done and it was worth the wait. Eventually, the right person came along at the right price and with the right know-how to do the job.
If, however, you are renovating or developing for profit, maybe you can’t afford to wait. So, the best advice here is: never buy somewhere in dire need of massive amounts of work, only to find that nobody can do the necessary work for about a year. You will be throwing money away in the meantime. Find the builders first, then buy.
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