How to Pick the Right Tradesperson For Your Repairs
For both tenants and landlords, finding the right tradesperson can be a long and arduous struggle, throughout which you could be charged extortionate repair costs and even thousands of pounds in additional, hidden charges.
Home Emergency Insurance for £130
- ✓ Covered up to £1,000 per emergency
- ✓ £250 for overnight accomodation
- ✓ Call out, labour & parts included
Whilst most tradespeople are in fact honest, hard-working and qualified to carry out given repairs, there are a small minority who may cause you more trouble and pain than the existing issue at your property. Oftentimes finding a suitable tradesman is what keeps landlords and homeowners from carrying out significant repairs, thus being able to find and pick the right tradesperson for your repairs can be extremely valuable and beneficial.
Get recommendations from friends and family
The first route to go down in looking for the right tradesperson is by using personal recommendations. This would mean asking around friends or family, and possibly even neighbours to recommend a tradesperson for your repairs.
This is one of the most effective ways of finding a good, trustworthy and qualified tradesperson as you have not only the benefit of someone already using their service, but also are able to go, see and assess the work that the tradesperson has previously completed, first hand.
Just like there are things you can actively do to find the right tradesperson, there are also a few scenarios that you should stay away from when trying to pick someone to carry out your repairs.
Never use the services of someone who approaches you unexpectedly, as the people are often con artists who are looking to rob you of your money. It is rare for a first-rate tradesperson to have the need to find new clients by cold-calling.
Get more than one quote
To get the right tradesperson for a certain repair it can also be useful to obtain at least 3 different quotes for the same task. By getting a number of quotes you can get a better understanding of what the true cost of the repair is and avoid being overcharged.
Tradespeople can oftentimes be reluctant to give a quote however if you repeatedly ask and insist you should be able to get sufficient information to come to a reasoned judgement and decide which tradesperson is right for you.
In checking a tradesperson’s credibility, you should ask for a few references (2-3) from previous repairs and customers. Once you are given the references, phone up the referee and enquire as to the quality of the tradesperson’s job and service provided. If the tradesperson is reluctant to give out any references to you without reason, that is usually a sign they will not be the right pick for your repair.
Prepare a contract
Once you feel like you have come across the right tradesperson, make sure to put down a written contract where both parties agree on a fixed cost, but also the timeframe of the repair and any further relevant details.
Further to this, find out whether the tradesperson has the right qualifications, insurance and if they offer any warranty. A classic error that you want to always avoid is paying the tradesperson the full quote upfront. Instead schedule a payment scheme that will be in line with specific repair or construction targets being met.
Find a Local Hero
Finally, one of the alternatives to those discussed above in picking the right tradesperson for repairs is through online searches.
There are a number of online platforms that offer tradesperson services and can be helpful as the companies carry out stringent background checks on tradespeople prior to listing or offering their services online.
Local Heroes is an online platform that works to connect you and the right tradesperson for the repair you require. You tell them what the repair needed is, to which Local Heroes quote a price for the service and provide you with a 12-month guarantee.
The platform and service is extremely reliable and used by thousands of satisfied landlords, all while your repair and the overall service is backed by British Gas.
When you let your property with Mashroom, you are able to make use of Local Heroes’ services through our online platform to go through with any potential repairs that your property may need.
