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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think tradesmen add a "big house tax"

73 replies

bedraggledmumoftwo · 04/11/2015 17:23

Feeling really stung by a locksmith today. They were supposed to come around and quote to fix a patio door that was broken in the locked position. However, by the time they had essentially broken it open it meant the house wasn't secure so I wasn't in a position to consider a quote at that point, just choose between the cheapest and most expensive options offered. And alone in the house with two screaming preschoolers I wasn't really in a place to argue.

Anyway, we live a big old house, aibu to assume they look around and mentally put the price up as soon as they arrive?

OP posts:
unlucky83 · 04/11/2015 18:08

I have a painter decorator guy who comes round every few years and quotes me for painting my facings. He is really cheap and if they need doing I use him. (I was doubtful at first at using someone who knocked on the door but neighbours had used him - and I did get another quote and it was almost double)

We live in a funny soft of L shaped terrace - ex-council and relatively cheap.
We have bought a house that we are renovating - about 1 mile away. Slightly bigger, sort of better area, detached. He put a card with the price for doing the facings through the door for 3x the price... but actually because of the funny layout of this house that house has less facings and if anything they are easier to access etc. Obviously pricing to the house value...
(And his face was a picture when he came back and I was actually in...all a bit awkward Grin)

pinechesterdrawers · 04/11/2015 18:11

unlucky, did he adjust his quote in the end or was he sticking?

EvansOvalPiesYumYum · 04/11/2015 18:14

Exasperated - no mine doesn't either. Not all tradespeople are crooks.

Viviennemary · 04/11/2015 18:15

There's expensive and theft. This was theft. Report them to trading standards. And ask them for a breakdown of their charges. Labour, materials and so on. They can't just go around ripping people off like this.

charleybarley · 04/11/2015 18:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EvansOvalPiesYumYum · 04/11/2015 18:17

WoodleyPixie Yes for sure. I live in an average three bed semi. Albeit with an extension downstairs and a conservatory. My window cleaner charges £25 inc conservatory.

The same window cleaners charges my mum £120 a time. Her house is bigger than mine but not 5times the size. It's just in a 'nicer' area and a large detached house

Have you challenged your window cleaner on this? If I were you (and your Mum) I'd get someone else, quite frankly.

EvansOvalPiesYumYum · 04/11/2015 18:19

You need to find your tradespeople via good recommendations. Personal recommendations, or via Checkatrade or similar. Local County Councils often have recommended traders under their 'Trusted Traders Scheme'.

There are rogues out there, but I say again, not all tradespeople are rogues

Finola1step · 04/11/2015 18:22

YADNBU. I live in a very naice SE town. Have been told that trade people put a minimum 10% on top of any price. I now ask "Is that the usual cost or is that the (insert name of town) price?".

A friend in my road is having a huge building job done on her house. Think gutting, new electrics, loft conversion. The works. She will be moving out for 6 months rather than live in a complete building site. Big job, £200k approx. She chose an out of town builder because he came in £80k less than a range of builders based in and around our town. £80k!

Finola1step · 04/11/2015 18:24

Oh and £120 for window cleaning? Where does you mum live WoodleyPixie? Downton Abbey?

EssexGurl · 04/11/2015 18:26

We were told by the insurance claims assessor that tradesmen have a tendency to charge according to postcode. We are not particularly well off and our house is def not one of the biggest round here. But we struggled to get a sensible plumbing quote. The insurance company came to assess the damage as the repair quotes we had were so high. They found their own plumber to fix it as they wouldn't cough up. Plumbers we found still wouldn't reduce quote even when we presented the insurance company information.

PissPotPourri · 04/11/2015 18:27

I think you do generally have a point and there are plenty of opportunists in the trades. However, that said, dh is a plumber and we live in an area where you do have some seriously affluent people. I asked him and he said that on viewing a big house or talking to people with apparently obvious wealth, he feels more comfortable quoting his normal prices. What I mean is, he is far more likely to (and frequently does) drop prices and not charge for some of what he does, when he can see that every penny counts. But he is a soft touch and we are not rich, probably because of it.
Still, I guess this is saying that he makes a judgement based on what he can see.

skankingpiglet · 04/11/2015 18:28

I'm a tradesman, and I don't charge more because it's a big house. I do add if the house is old (regardless of size) as you are bound to encounter unforeseen issues, if the person is a PITA (a 'putting up with them' tax shall we say...), and if I really really don't want the job.
I have however charged less to people who clearly don't have much.

tictactoad · 04/11/2015 18:32

I have said for years some (not all) tradesmen get ££ signs in their eyes and the happy ringing of a till in their ears as soon as they clap eyes on this so YANBU, OP.

pinechesterdrawers · 04/11/2015 18:32

skank, why wouldnt you just say you dont want the job? Or if you didnt like the person you were quoting for, say you're too busy or make something up like not free for three months.

WoodleyPixie · 04/11/2015 18:33

Hardly downton but a substantial house with a full length 'orangery' (make it sound much grander than it is) but yes £120' we are in the south east.

I did ask him why it was so much more and he said it was the going rate for the area. My mum is happy to pay it as last window cleaner was £90 and didn't do the glass roof on the orangery.

skankingpiglet · 04/11/2015 18:40

I should also add, it's always the wealthier clients that are surprised at my prices rather than ordinary householders. My prices are fairly mid-range. I've even had a few ask 'exactly how much' my day rate is, then been shocked when I tell them, despite them clearly earning many times more and not having the on-going costs of equipment to purchase and maintain coming out of their income. I got a feeling from a few I should be earning around £2.50/hr... Angry

Rockytoptennessee · 04/11/2015 18:41

They don't all do this. A family member is an electrician - his quotes are detailed, listing parts etc that need to be bought and the hours he expects to put in. On several occasions he has charged less as he had overestimated how long the job would take. He gets lots of personal recommendations.

Original poster
bedraggledmumoftwo · 04/11/2015 18:41

Trapdoor, thing is I'm actually quite handy and do most diy.stuff myself. And I saw online that if it is broken in the open position you can buy a new mechanism online and do it yourself. But ours was definitely broken in the fully engaged position, to which it said call a locksmith! Should have said thank you very much and paid for their time breaking it open, and done the rest myself but I obviously couldn't secure the house while I got the parts, and it didn't sound too expensive when he was saying 150 or 300. (I chose a middle ground around 220 that had turned into £240 by the time he wrote the bill) if he had said 500 I would have sent him away even with the house not secure!

OP posts:
Peachy86 · 04/11/2015 18:41

Yes, and it's not just tradesmen and big houses. My husband has a very high paying job and I swear whenever we get quotes for things they Google his name first. They then see his job title and see £££ signs. It also happens a lot in other scenarios too. For example, when we got married all of our suppliers asked us where our venue was before they would quote us and I swear because it was an expensive venue they bumped their prices up!

TinklyLittleLaugh · 04/11/2015 18:42

Wow, lock changing isn't even that skilled is it? DH has changed loads of our locks.

skankingpiglet · 04/11/2015 18:46

pine if I don't want the work and they still come back to me, I will always be very very busy unfortunately for the next four months or so. As for not being honest about not wanting the job, it's just not the done thing to outright say so! I haven't met a tradesman yet who's doe that, they all just go in high. Most householders will get several quotes, and your price knocks you out of the running. If they are just a PITA, then I'm happy to do the job, I just want to make the extra stress worth it Smile

Original poster
bedraggledmumoftwo · 04/11/2015 18:48

With any kind of desirable but not urgent work I do get quotes- prices for our extension varied by 20-30k! - and I thought I was getting a quote today. But one the door was broken open with no way of securing it I felt they had me over a barrel!

OP posts:
pinechesterdrawers · 04/11/2015 18:49

ok, interesting. what sort of premium do you add?

howtorebuild · 04/11/2015 18:50

What an odd industry game. What do you think will happen if you tell the truth?

Cookingongas · 04/11/2015 18:52

Pine- I agree with skank. If you tell someone you don't want the work try are likely to bad mouth you. Even if you do so nicely. ( remember that angry thread that a roofer had told a mner that the job was too small- despite what his van said!!!) A high price in a pile of quotes is far less memorable as they just write you off. if they don't bad mouth you they may tell people you don't want work, which is not necessarily the case either.

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