The Home Improvement Project Adviser
Golden Rules of Dealing With T.R.A.D.E.
If you are carrying out home improvements, there’s always a mixed bag of emotions. On the one hand, it’s exciting – change is coming, and you’re sure you’re going to love it. You’re already daydreaming of how much better life is going to be when the work is finished. But on the other hand, it’s also worrying, because you have to hand your home over to someone else.
Hiring in a professional doesn’t tend to get any easier, even if they have worked with you before. It’s still a huge ask; to give over your home (your pride and joy) into the experienced hands of a relative stranger.
To try and get rid of the panic, you can ensure you’ve gone through the right steps to hiring the right person by following the rules of the T.R.A.D.E.
T – Talk To People
The only way to know if the person you’re considering hiring is reputable is to get feedback from clients they have worked for before. Rather than the “everything is great” front a company might put forth, you get real experiences from people like you. If you ask a company for references and they refuse to give them – especially if they are a well-established company – then it’s worth thinking again about using them. You have to wonder what they are hiding.
R – Recognize All The Issues
You and whoever you hire have got to be on the same page about the work you’re having done. It doesn’t matter if it’s fixing a water leaking roof or installing an entirely new bathroom suite – you both need to know what’s expected. For example, you might expect them to repair the roof tiles beneath a leak – but they don’t see that as part of the job unless you specifically request it. In this example, you’re going to struggle choosing the best roofing company if you’re not able to identify all the issues what you need doing. You have to be fair to both you and the tradesperson about your expectations.
A – Ask Questions
You need to be able to build a dialogue with the person working on your home, and it starts from the moment they quote to you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Have they done anything like this work before? How long have they been in the business? If they are going to be working on anything to do with your gas supply, ask to see they have the correct accreditation. No one reputable is going to have issues with you having queries.
D – Documentation
Even for the smallest of jobs, get everything that’s meant to be being done down on paper. You should also get estimates for timescales and possible additional costs.That way, if there’s a problem, you have a specific record to fall back on to defend your position.
E – Enjoy
With the above steps done, the final checkpoint is simple: try and enjoy the experience. Hopefully, this is more helpful as you have established the things you need to, so you can relax safe in the knowledge you’ve got the right person for the job.
As they say … better safe than sorry!
Thanks a lot for your time
Klaudia