10 top tips — which I almost followed

The man on the doorstep was portly, bespectacled and middle-aged. “We’re just doing some work up the road,” he said in a soft Dublin accent. “And I was wondering if you needed your wall fixing.”

This is usually when alarm bells ring. It’s a similar situation to when those notes pop through the front door, announcing that a gutter clearer/driveway cleaner/window cleaner is currently in the area and available for business — or, more likely, will be if enough householders ring the mobile phone number provided.

Clues that suggest dodginess are lack of a website, landline number or business address – roughly in that order, though a misspelling scores highly on my personal skulduggery rating.

By these measures the man at the door was off the scale. And yet…The wall he was referring to – five courses of brickwork under concrete coping – had been crumbling for years, with the end having recently collapsed. It clearly needed attention. So, what could I lose by letting him take a look?

Plus points

He made sensible comments about the state of the brickwork, the type of brick involved, the necessity of a sound foundation, given the clay soil and the close proximity of a hedge. All plus points.

He then took me to a neighbour’s wall and showed me similar repairs he’d done previously. Given that the neighbour was within sight of my front door, making this claim showed either convincing confidence or impressive chutzpah.

The point of this tale? Well, I hired him to repair my wall, which he’s promised to do – after he’s finished extending my paved driveway. He offered a good price for that (it was next on my list after the wall) and insisted he wouldn’t want any cash up front. Two days later he asked for £500 for materials. I gave him £200, which he said was fine.

I now have an excavated front garden, a freshly cleaned existing driveway and a huge pile of topsoil. If that’s all I have when I next write this column, I can safely say that all the advice I’ve ever offered selfbuilders on dealing with tradespeople was absolutely right.

Because I haven’t followed any of it. So why didn’t I follow these deeply sensible precepts? To be fair, I did get a signed agreement, chat and check previous work, though the latter was through no effort of my own.

The reality, however, is that my builder is a small local contractor juggling several jobs, cash flow and winter weather to make a living – nothing of which he would dream of sharing with me.

He may be perfectly sincere in his promise to turn up at my site tomorrow. But he can’t predict the ground conditions on another site, deep frost, unexpected rain or whether any of his labourers or brickies won’t opt for a better-paying job. And all that’s assuming his previous customers have been prompt in paying their bills, so he can pay his workers and his suppliers.

The only constants are his building skills and his ability to inspire trust in customers that, whatever the constraints, he’ll complete the job and to the standard he’s promised. So, essentially, I’ve decided to trust him. And that, as in so many aspects of life, depends on a gut feeling.

Fingers crossed.

My 10 Commandments

1. Never accept the first quote for any job, especially if it’s lower than you expect it to be. Double that if it’s exceptionally lower.

2. Always ask to see a tradesperson’s previous work and, if possible, to speak to the customer. The bigger the job the more important this becomes because of the amount of money you’re going to be spending and the time you will spend with this total stranger.

3. Demand, or provide for yourself, a written account of the work to be done, the agreed price and a proposed completion date, plus any other relevant details, get the tradesperson to sign it, then sign and date it yourself.

4. Don’t pay for anything up front, unless it’s a specific item from a particular manufacturer – typically, for a self build, a timber frame kit, which won’t be produced if you don’t pay in advance.

5. I repeat: avoid paying up front. But if you’re persuaded to for a valid reason always get a signed receipt from the tradesperson.

6. Whenever possible, source materials yourself. Traditionally tradespeople had trade accounts offering substantial discounts at trade-only outlets. They would then typically add 10 per cent before presenting the bill to you. Nowadays selfbuilders are actively encouraged to open their own trade accounts and the distinction between DIY and trade has been blurred by stores such as Wickes and Screwfix. Plus, of course, the internet, which has undercut all but the most die-hard trade suppliers.

7. Make a note of every conversation you have with your tradesperson, most especially when you agree next stages, or any alteration from the initial agreement. Write it in a diary, or voice record it on your mobile. Don’t leave it until you’ve made the next phone call/shopped/picked up the kids etc. You will inevitably forget something.

8. With every new stage or change from the original agreement, raise the question of extra cost – or saving. It’s the only way to avoid a nasty shock, and arguments, with the final bill.

9. If you are genuinely pleased with a tradesperson’s work, tell them. The downside is that you may find strangers ringing you up, asking to see your brand new wall/extension/self build. The upside is that the tradesperson will remember you as a good customer and hopefully be more willing to correct any problems you only discover later.

10. Keep talking. Any builder will have a store of anecdotes and information invaluable to a selfbuilder. Access it over a cup of tea.

January 2019