So, as promised in Part 1, let’s look at a few sensible safeguards without resorting to an App.
Most people, equipped with the right information, are more than capable of making responsible decisions. However, there are those in our society who are particularly vulnerable like the elderly for example, who can become deliberate targets for dishonourable people. Whilst in the main, the elderly may not intend to renovate their properties any time soon, nevertheless they are often aware that a property needs upkeep to maintain its integrity.
As a quick recap…In Part 1 we were looking at the recently announced UK government backed App for allegedly dealing with Cowboy Builders called “Trusted Payments” and whether you do in actual fact need an additional 3rd party involved in your renovation.
At some point in their younger days our older generation, they would have shinned up a ladder to replace a roof tile, a job that becomes more problematic as the years advance and they become reliant on others to undertake work for them. An App isn’t much use to the elderly, many of whom struggle with online banking or digital apps anyway and yet, they are one sector of society that are amongst the most vulnerable.
The Power of Community
To my mind, the root of the problem here is that we have all lost the art of looking out for each other. We live busy lives and don’t necessarily consider our potentially vulnerable neighbour down the road who to all intents and purposes may be living independently to a certain level and struggling with others. At one time communities existed everywhere in this country, comprising the young, the old, the in-between, and everyone looked after and looked out for each other. Neighbourhood Watch is still advertised in some areas on lampposts – how many people even know what it means anymore?
A perfect example I can give here is that of my own father. He was fully compos mentis, a 90-year-old retired engineer, and living alone after my mother passed. He had been incredibly practical in his younger days, and the upkeep of their home was always his responsibility. With advancing years he was less agile and consequently more dependent on others for certain tasks.
I received a phone call from him one afternoon saying he thought he had done something “silly”. His word, not mine. A passing tradesperson had made an unsolicited call at the house and persuaded him to have his drive re-gravelled and was returning in a couple of hours to do it. My father was worried because he had no idea who the tradesperson was, or in all honesty exactly what he had agreed to. I was based in Yorkshire and my father in West Sussex. Given the distance between us I couldn’t get to him in time to be of any practical use. Telling him not to worry, I called one of his friends. When the contractor returned, five members of the immediate community were with dad in the house. The matter was resolved amicably, and the tradesperson went on his way.
Dad was lucky on 2 counts:
- There was a time delay between the decision to go ahead with the work and the return of the tradesperson, which gave him time to think it through and ask for a 2nd opinion
- There was someone in his local community I could call to go and help him
Community is important for all of us. Not always just a digital community either, which isolates some, but the face-to-face variety. We all want to be seen as coping and independent so it is not always easy to ask for help or an objective opinion from someone else, but we never know when it might be any of us needing to ask for assistance. My father called me because he had sufficient time to think it through and was unsure.
Don’t Ever Give In To Doorstep Pressure!
There is perhaps a lesson here for all of us…don’t ever give into doorstep pressure! Always take a step back to think things through in your own time no matter how persuasive the caller. If you are uncertain, get a 2nd opinion – ask a friend, a neighbour, family – if a doorstep tradesperson is genuine they don’t need to complete a job there and then. It can be booked into a diary for a future date of mutual convenience as it would be in the normal course of business. And indeed, this is how it should work.
Knowledge
Vulnerability due to age or disability is one of the risk areas and the doorstep caller is only one version of the “Cowboy Builder”. Having inadequate knowledge about what you’re doing can also put you into a risk category because it can be difficult to establish whether you are being spun a yarn or not. Knowledge is a key component of any renovation project or household improvement, irrespective of size. However, it is always important to ensure the source of the information is trustworthy. It is not something to be undertaken lightly.
Understanding your property, what your forthcoming job entails, adequate preparation before you start and proper assessments of potential contractors are all good safeguards. You are less likely to fall into traps later.
Contractors
The source of your contractors needs to be reliable. I talk about this more in the book and there is also a free download on my website: PennyPracticallyDoes.com about how to deal with early contractor contact. Suffice to say for the moment there are several organisations out there who are long established, and I have used myself on occasion, namely; The Federation of Master Builders (FMB), Checkatrade, Rated People and MyBuilder. All these entities run extensive checks on the contractors registered with them, interview them to see they are who they say they are, ensure they have the requisite insurances, and they also require evidence of the individual’s standard of work. In some instances they also run resolution services for anyone using one of their registered contractors should future difficulties occur.
Project Price
Irrespective of the size of your intended project, I would always recommend getting at least 3 quotes for any project you are considering. Something to consider when it comes to price comparison is that often people use this process to find the cheapest price. We all want value for money however…it is important to understand that the cheapest price is not always the best price. There is potentially a compromise somewhere, and it could be the competence of the labour, using inferior materials, or indeed the ability to successfully organise and manage a project from A-Z. A tradesperson with nefarious intent is potentially more likely to offer a cheaper price to get the work and then the problems start. There are many factors that come into play when you are choosing the right contractors and it’s worth bearing in mind that in some instances you get what you pay for. For most people a property is their single biggest asset. You owe it the best quality you can afford.
Contracts
Whether you are project managing a project yourself and working with sub-contractors e.g. an electrician and/or a plumber, or indeed you are working with a design and build contractor who will manage the works for you and employ the required sub-contractors or use their own team, a written contract between you and the individual trades or the principal contractor is absolutely essential. This is the reason adequate preparation pre-works is essential. You need to know what you expect from your contractor and when. Likewise, he needs to know that you will stick to your side of the bargain and pay him for work satisfactorily completed, as and when you have agreed, within the pre-works contract.
If you ever come across a contractor who doesn’t believe in contracts then you need to ask yourself why not and probably this is not someone you would be comfortable handling your work. A written contract protects both parties in the event of a dispute, and they do happen, however well you think you know someone. Penny Practically Does…Renovation goes into the comprehensive points a contract should include in much more detail.
Structuring Payments To Correspond To Project Milestones
I have always structured my projects I undertake on behalf of my clients, with an initial deposit followed by staged payments and the balance at the end after the project is fully snagged. I would advocate that anyone undertaking any form of renovation project follows a similar principle. This is all agreed in writing with the pre-works contract, whatever the project size. The staged payment corresponds with the pre-agreed milestone and nothing else. There should be no need for additional payment requests. My philosophy as a principal contractor is that every job must pay for itself and I do not rob Peter to pay Paul as the saying goes i.e. take the money from one job to pay for another. This is one of the common reasons a job can stall.
My clients like this strategy because it allows them control over their project in that the work is checked as it goes along and the gradual payment of the individual stages works well for their cashflow. To be clear, my clients comprise both commercial clients as well as individual householders. This approach works well for my business too in that I can pay my sub-contractors when their part of the overall work is satisfactorily completed rather than them waiting until the completion of the project if they are one of the first trades on site for instance.
Checking The Work – Building Inspectors
You may not feel qualified to check the work yourself at the pre-agreed milestones and this is understandable. Without a degree of knowledge as to what you are looking at or looking for, how can you reasonably be expected to know? Many renovation projects may not need Planning Consents, but they do come under the auspices of the local authority Building Control. Their responsibility is to ensure work is the right specification before it starts and then that it proceeds in line with construction standards.
Once Building Control have agreed the specification and given consent for work to commence, a Local Authority Building Inspector will come out to look at your project pre-works and visit again at pre-agreed stages throughout the works. The final visit will come at the end of works to ensure successful completion. You cannot continue with the next stage until he has signed off on the previous one, and make no mistake, he won’t give you that all important completion certificate at the end until he is 100% happy.
If your proposed project does not come under the auspices of Building Control you have the option to employ the services of an independent Inspector, which at a reasonable cost can come and check the work for you.
Building Inspector visits are a good way of structuring your project milestones and you have someone who is properly qualified to look at the work, giving you that all important peace of mind before you pay your contractor the agreed milestone payment.
In Conclusion…
In my view it is you that should be in control of your project and your money too. Not a 3rd party. With the correct knowledge, knowing what to look out for, understanding your project and with some proper safeguards in place I am confident there is no reason why your renovation/home improvements project shouldn’t go from A-Z with no issues at all.
Never give into doorstep pressure, do your research and always make a decision in your own time by taking a step back. Ask for a 2nd opinion if you need/want to from friends, family or neighbours. If we all make a conscious effort to look after and look out for each other in our own communities, particularly the vulnerable, then this is when the “Cowboy Builders” lose their bite. They have nowhere to go.
So, is a 3rd party app necessary for a successful renovation or home improvement project and is it going to do what it says on the tin…? The only person who can make that decision is you yourself. Take your time, ask the right questions, consider your options and make sure every decision you make is an informed one.
My book, Penny Practically Does…Renovation is available in all forms on Amazon in both the digital and printed versions. I have written it to guide you through any renovation project. Why? Because I have seen the effects of renovation disasters first hand and been instrumental too in bringing a few of them to a final successful close. I want your renovation project to be a success and there is no reason why it shouldn’t be!
I stand by my maxim of “If I Can Do It, You Can Do It”. I truly believe you can.
If you missed Part 1 of “Cowboy Builders et al”. You can access it here.
