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On Thu, 4 Mar 2021 06:56:12 +1100, cantankerous trolling geezer Rodent
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alan_m wrote:
On 03/03/2021 11:37, Theo wrote:
Robert wrote:
Ask another tradesman who you trust and have done business with for
suggestions.
Try to find out who local letting agents use .

Letting agents who are known for their high quality workmanship, and
absolutely not for lowest-cost tendering to suit their absentee landlord,
yes?

Is this from personal experience?

Oh yes. I have some stories...

I know someone who owns multiple rental properties and was ripped off by
allowing the letting agent be responsible for arranging maintenance and
repairs which was done to a very poor standard. The properties are now
maintained by a directly employed builder/handyman when required and over
the past few years the previously shoddy work has been replaced to a much
better standard.

For that sort of thing I'd expect a stream of photos of work done, rather
than a stream of invoices for work allegedly done but nobody checks.
(Tenant complains of X, agent sends somebody round, agent gets a bill, agent
pays bill - never checking with tenant that somebody turned up and fixed the
issue)

Theo

AnthonyL wrote:
On 2 Mar 2021 15:35:24 GMT, Tim Streater
wrote:
Does your village, or a neighbouring village, have a village magazine?
Tradesmen advertise in those. Do those villages have pubs? Possibly ask the
publican. Village shop? Parish Council meetings? Could button hole folks at
those places.

Where did I mention village?

Magazine for the suburbian area is where I got No 1 from.

You have to be careful with those, because there are magazines and
magazines. The parish magazine produced on the village hall photocopier is
probably fine because everyone knows everyone, but there are glossy
'advertorial' magazines that claim to be local but are stuffed full of paid
ads padded out with 'articles' that are just puff pieces for the business
advertised nearby ('have you thought about XYZ?'). That's just the Yellow
Pages with better printing.

Things like:
https://roundandabout.co.uk/
https://www.vantagepointmag.co.uk/
http://www.villagermag.com/

and I'm sure there are many others.

Theo

On 02/03/2021 09:23, AnthonyL wrote:

Hate it with a vengeance. Maybe I'm in the wrong clubs.

Same.

This is how it is around these parts at least,

You decide how you are going to play it but then after numerous no shows
etc. you resign yourself to the fact that it's a miracle if you can get
someone out to look at the job let alone actually crack on with it.

So then you settle on whoever will show willing and pay more than you
wanted/expected for a job that you aren't 100% happy with.

It's often more stress than it's worth.

On 02/03/2021 09:23, AnthonyL wrote:
I dread every time I have to try and get something done.


Roofers are the worst trade to engage.

I had a brand new house, one part of verge pointing needed correction
(his fault) .... continually told , later in week, next week, never got
him to return.

On a separate out building had 2 different guys both advise quick job,
will call in one weekend .... keep calling texting ... keep being told
next week or 2 ...... been 2 years !


The issue is many guys who call themselves roofers are not via an
apprentice scheme they are are just guys who have ladders, as per
another poster - full of shoddy workmen.
There are good skilled roofers - no doubt, but with no regulatory system
..... difficult to find for repair.

On 04/03/2021 10:32, R D S wrote:
On 02/03/2021 09:23, AnthonyL wrote:

Hate it with a vengeance.Â* Maybe I'm in the wrong clubs.

Same.

This is how it is around these parts at least,

You decide how you are going to play it but then after numerous no shows
etc. you resign yourself to the fact that it's a miracle if you can get
someone out to look at the job let alone actually crack on with it.

So then you settle on whoever will show willing and pay more than you
wanted/expected for a job that you aren't 100% happy with.

It's often more stress than it's worth.

Its the same everywhere. Everyone wants to be on telly and earn a
fortune for being an opinionated **** and proud of it, no one wants to
live in a rented terraced house and be a plumber.

A mate's son is a front office man in the motor trade. He has changed
jobs 4 times in the last two years to try and find a garage that
doesn't over charge its customers or do work that doesn't need doing.

He claims he has found an honest dealership, but the price is £135/hr
labour...

The answer is DIY - I mean, look how thick the average plumber is, Only
the sparkies are partially educated.


--
"Corbyn talks about equality, justice, opportunity, health care, peace,
community, compassion, investment, security, housing...."
"What kind of person is not interested in those things?"

"Jeremy Corbyn?"

In article ,
The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 04/03/2021 10:32, R D S wrote:
On 02/03/2021 09:23, AnthonyL wrote:

Hate it with a vengeance. Maybe I'm in the wrong clubs.

Same.

This is how it is around these parts at least,

You decide how you are going to play it but then after numerous no
shows etc. you resign yourself to the fact that it's a miracle if you
can get someone out to look at the job let alone actually crack on
with it.

So then you settle on whoever will show willing and pay more than you
wanted/expected for a job that you aren't 100% happy with.

It's often more stress than it's worth.

Its the same everywhere. Everyone wants to be on telly and earn a
fortune for being an opinionated **** and proud of it, no one wants to
live in a rented terraced house and be a plumber.

A mate's son is a front office man in the motor trade. He has changed
jobs 4 times in the last two years to try and find a garage that
doesn't over charge its customers or do work that doesn't need doing.

He claims he has found an honest dealership, but the price is £135/hr
labour...

Remember that that cost includes all the dealer's overheads, premises,
equipment, support staff, etc.

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle

In article ,
Algernon Goss-Custard wrote:
AnthonyL posted
I dread every time I have to try and get something done.

My roof etc needs attention:-

1. Email response Sunday will come tomorrow. Came here, clearly
didn't want to be here. Didn't want to go on roof (I've come in the
car so got no ladders), said he couldn't do anything for 5 months
(feedback on the website said he was doing jobs within days), he
didn't like my attitude and after 10mins walked away without saying a
further word.

Whereabouts are you? Here in East Devon we get that all the time. It
wasn't so bad in London, provided you were prepared to deal with people
you didn't know.

Not so sure about that - I'm in London. Wanted an existing Victorian sash
window converted to double glazing. A couple of neighbours used the same
small firm to do this and they made a very good job. So contacted them
autumn last year. They had a look and gave me a price but said it would be
January before they could start on it. But didn't want strangers in the
house during Covid, so put them off. I've now had the vaccine, so they
came yesterday to make templates. They then make new double glazed sashes
in their workshop. And said they will fit them in May. ;-)

--
*Wrinkled was not one of the things I wanted to be when I grew up

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Jethro_uk" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 03 Mar 2021 19:51:39 +0000, AnthonyL wrote:

Are insurance backed guarantees a good thing?

They sound impressive don't they ?

In theory they are supposed to outlive the firm that did the work.

In practice I would be pleasantly surprised if anyone can report ever
claiming successfully on them.

OTOH

I can assure you that there is nobody who has claimed on an installer
guarantee, after the company goes bust

BTDTGTTS

On Thu, 4 Mar 2021 16:18:02 +0000, rick
wrote:

On 02/03/2021 09:23, AnthonyL wrote:
I dread every time I have to try and get something done.


Roofers are the worst trade to engage.

I had a brand new house, one part of verge pointing needed correction
(his fault) .... continually told , later in week, next week, never got
him to return.

On a separate out building had 2 different guys both advise quick job,
will call in one weekend .... keep calling texting ... keep being told
next week or 2 ...... been 2 years !


The issue is many guys who call themselves roofers are not via an
apprentice scheme they are are just guys who have ladders, as per
another poster - full of shoddy workmen.
There are good skilled roofers - no doubt, but with no regulatory system
.... difficult to find for repair.

Got someone coming around now on Monday. Will arrive in a van with
the company's name on it. I'm hopeful that he might actually stay
long enough to look at the job.

Watch this space!


--
AnthonyL

Why ever wait to finish a job before starting the next?

In article ,
AnthonyL wrote:
Got someone coming around now on Monday. Will arrive in a van with
the company's name on it.

Just to give a smile, saw on the back of a builder's van today, beneath
the name:-

New York
Paris
Peckham

--
* I like you. You remind me of when I was young and stupid

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 05/03/2021 13:28, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Fri, 05 Mar 2021 12:35:41 +0000, tim... wrote:

"Jethro_uk" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 03 Mar 2021 19:51:39 +0000, AnthonyL wrote:

Are insurance backed guarantees a good thing?

They sound impressive don't they ?

In theory they are supposed to outlive the firm that did the work.

In practice I would be pleasantly surprised if anyone can report ever
claiming successfully on them.

OTOH

I can assure you that there is nobody who has claimed on an installer
guarantee, after the company goes bust

BTDTGTTS

I didn't need to do any research to know that.

If it's something that is a deal breaker for some, fair enough. But I've
worked for an insurance company. And I can still recall my Dad being
asked by an insurance company in the 1970s the most reliable parts of an
engine, since they had to underwrite the warranty for the dealers and
needed to ensure they only covered the bits that never failed. ISTR they
started with the crankshaft.


Mk1 diesel Landrovers tended to break their crankshafts

On Fri, 05 Mar 2021 13:16:00 GMT, lid (AnthonyL)
wrote:

On Thu, 4 Mar 2021 16:18:02 +0000, rick
wrote:

On 02/03/2021 09:23, AnthonyL wrote:
I dread every time I have to try and get something done.


Roofers are the worst trade to engage.

I had a brand new house, one part of verge pointing needed correction
(his fault) .... continually told , later in week, next week, never got
him to return.

On a separate out building had 2 different guys both advise quick job,
will call in one weekend .... keep calling texting ... keep being told
next week or 2 ...... been 2 years !


The issue is many guys who call themselves roofers are not via an
apprentice scheme they are are just guys who have ladders, as per
another poster - full of shoddy workmen.
There are good skilled roofers - no doubt, but with no regulatory system
.... difficult to find for repair.

Got someone coming around now on Monday. Will arrive in a van with
the company's name on it. I'm hopeful that he might actually stay
long enough to look at the job.

Watch this space!



He came as agreed. Company has been going 20+yrs, details on
Companies House. Went all around the house talking and explaining, on
the roofs, suggested what could be done about my spalling chimney
bricks too.

Next step is for a quote to arrive, due by the end of the week.

Watch this space!


--
AnthonyL

Why ever wait to finish a job before starting the next?