To wonder if we are on some kind of trades person blacklist?!

[RozDoyle]

Arghhh I am so frustrated 😡

Ok, to keep a long story as brief as possible, I need a bedroom redecorated before Christmas. I also need various bits and pieces done around the house e.g. new internal doors, mirrors hung, a stairgate fitted etc.

I cannot get a decorator to do the room for love nor money. I just repeatedly let down. They don't turn up to give a quote. They give you a quote and then don't text you back or answer the phone. I'm starting to panic now. The room really needs done, I have a new bed ordered for it and new furniture cluttering up the landing.

Same story with joiners and handymen re the other jobs. Just having no luck at all. Handyman was meant to be here at ten o'clock today to do the gate and the mirrors and he isn't here yet. I have a feeling he's just not coming. I hope I'm wrong.

I just really needed to vent. I am making absolutely no progress with this house at all. It is stressing me out. Does anyone else have this issue?!

Totally agree OP - we waited nine months for a bathroom to be fitted, were let down by three plumbers / fitters including one who started and then didn't turn up after the second day. I have a list of jobs like you but no one is interested in doing them...

I think there is a lot of new build going on and it is much nicer to work on those than individual houses with actual people living in them!

Time to really push apprenticeships and start training younger people in these practical skills?

This happens to us a lot (bought a tip instead of a house...)

I second Jim's suggestion of My Builder, the customer feedback on there is v enlightening. If someone says 'we got off to a bit of a shaky start with x, but when he eventually started the job' etc you can bin them off before asking them to quote. The tradesmen have to pay for your contact details once they have seen your job description, so no-one is going to pay unless they really want the job.

Best bit of advice I was given was by a property developer who told me not to take it personally!

Where abouts do you live?
Maybe a kind MNer can recommend someone?

Are you actually chasing? I just think many good tradespeople are busy and often disorganised! I think they are also trouble with time wasters so know a customer is genuine when they pursue them so to speak? So the guy who didn't reply, for instance, who you know is good, have you sent another message or phoned? Also the guy who hasn't turned up today- have your rung him to see where he is? I've had brilliant people who I've had to chase- but when I have chased they have been apologetic and the job has been done. Just chase- seriously!!!!

I am about to text the guy to ask if he's coming. I will chase the decorator too but I'm not sure how to word it

Its not just you. 5 months and 6 appointments later, we've been promised they'll sort it at the end of this month.

I do get the problem with being self employed, They have to quote as low as possible and cram in as many jobs as they can. If one runs over it has a knock on effect.
But I also think many tradesmen don't want to say 'no they're too busy' for fear of losing a customer.

I feel your pain, OP. Finally got hold of a few good guys for various jobs, but went through that crap too.

Still waiting on a kitchen company to contact me - over a year later. Well, obviously I got the kitchen elsewhere meanwhile.
Still waiting on a garden guy to come back to me, probably the best part of ten years since last sighted... . Garden long since done by a person who actually wanted the business.
Rang a guy one time 'no job too small' according to ad, but in reality wasn't taking jobs unless €100 upwards. Well then don't advertise saying 'no job too small'.

Hope you get sorted, OP.

I also wonder if they treat women differently.

I don't think so. DP is a builder and said that on 9/10 jobs, the woman of the house is the "project manager" and decides what needs doing and controls the budget etc. This is for larger extensions.

Op I feel your pain but even my experience has not been as bad as yours! So frustrating.

So agree... we had the mother of all clusterf*cks trying to get a simple brick wall built outside our home. 6 bloody months. One guy completely disappeared, leaving tools and us owing him money, we actually checked obituaries for him. We were watching How-To bricklaying videos on YouTube in the end, as for a long time it looked like we were going to have to do it ourselves.

Is it going to get worse if we Brexit?!

Back in 2003 when I bought my flat, I couldn't find a plasterer for love nor money when I bought my flat. I found some Polish men working on the flat next door and they took pity on me and helped me out - they'd never done it before either, they were medical students from Gdansk!! At least I know how to plaster now.

Am sounding a bit Farage-y now so will stop ...!
Good luck OP.

I often wonder this myself

I could write a book about my bathroom, not a big room but took weeks and weeks and had a a plumber who just lied all the time.
If i ring anyone, they never show up. If they do show up, they then disappear again. Rarely does any of it go well.
Its not just you! They are out to get us.

In my experience, tradespeople work in "circles" of mates. So once you find one good one, you can ask them for the names of loads of others in adjunct trades, who will also tend to be reliable and good at what they do.

You also get what you pay for a lot of the time. Trying to get a job at the cheapest possible rate is often bad domestic economics. A high quality joiner or decorator will tend to have worked with high quality plumbers, plasterers, electricians etc.

I always ask for personal recommendations too You know that if a builder users a sparky or plumber in their own home, they think they're pretty good.

(Also: be prepared to wait for a good tradesperson, unless it's an emergency callout. The best joiner in my area is booked up about 6-9 months in advance).

I feel your pain. We needed a plasterer two years ago for a small job. Asked the builders who were building an extension down the road. Sure no problem. Eventually gave up. Found another. Eventually gave up. I finally found one through a friend. He answered my calls, came when he said he would and, when delayed by an hour, let me know in advance and actually apologised. At that stage, I didn't care whether he was any good or not, I was just so relieved to get someone to do the job. He was actually very good.

Last year we needed a leak in the roof fixed. Got a name from bil. Eventually answered the phone. Yes, I'll be in to check it out. No show. Phoned again. Eventually came in to check it. Gave a rough price but would get back with a definite price as he needed scaffolding. No call. Called him again. Yes, I'll get back to you. He didn't. Tried again. He wouldn't answer the call. Eventually left a message and sent text asking him to let us know one way or the other whether he wanted the job. No reply.

Other neighbours getting work done. Asked their roofer. Absolutely. Will call into you. After following up a few times, they called in. Gave a price. Will confirm the date. Chased up. Given the brush off.

Started asking around again. Eventually got a number from the guy who did our floors (very good, reliable guy). Phoned him. He came round. Gave us two options - do the job immediately, hiring scaffolding or cherry picker or hold on a few weeks when another job needed a cherry picker and we could split the cost. Took option 2. He turned up and did the job.

It's so bloody annoying. I wouldn't mind so much if they just told you they couldn't do the job or said they wouldn't be able to do it until x date and then did it. It's like they think if they refuse a job, they won't get hired by you in the future. I'm much more likely to hire someone in the future if they're honest about their availability.

What gets me is the ones that show up, take all the specs/measurements etc, then don't ever respond with a quote. It sounds just weird - especially when you've discussed the job on the phone before they come over, if it's not their bag, or they don't have time, why don't they say. Why??! It happens all the time!

I'm going to have to start breathing into a paper bag soon...

Gah I feel your pain. We've ended up doing lots of diy ourselves badly because of the amount of time we waste getting someone to do it for us

Guilty - yes, you need to plan ahead generally.

One of the 5 people who worked on our wall almost got it finished, then they got a better offer (bigger, longer job), so they left ours unfinished and disappeared. No calls or messages answered. Trying to find someone to finish of part of a job is virtually impossible.

Echo everything here - no shows, no replies, no quote sent. I guess they're falling over work and can afford to treat people like crap. I know in my experience it's only the little odd-job men (usually semi-retired) who want to take on smaller jobs. The others say yes but it's clearly not actually yes!

I'm ok with them perhaps not wanting the job but the ignoring emails/calls etc. Is just so rude and is the same as FB selling site/Freecycle rudeness and I've no idea when it became ok to be downright discourteous! (I feel myself becoming more Victor Meldrew daily).

Currently sat here waiting on a plumber so no it's not just you . Dh says it's just wha tradespeople are like. Don't really accept this because what if we all went down that route and doctors surgeries and shops and garages and hospitals etc only opened when they wanted or buses just turned up when they felt like it. It pisses me off.

I've had the same issue for big jobs too.

I can't even begin to describe the nightmare I've had/am having. I have to drive soon so I can't hit the 🍷 and I can't tell you without 🍷

It's NOT you 🌷

I waited in all day for a fencer to come as arranged at 9.
weather was fine.
At 11.00 I texted him to ask Where are you?
At 2pm he replied Cant come 2day. Soz.

I've been fortunate with my most recent plumber and electrician. Only small jobs; a leaking loo and a lighting circuit check. They were both local, came when they said they would and did a good job. The electrician in particular was a real find as his fees were very reasonable, he was extremely thorough and he never stopped talking all the time he was working. I found his business card in the small traditional hardware shop down the road. Maybe that is a good place to find a reliable tradesman.

I found the plumber's ad in a free business directory, a small job specialist.

On the postive side, I contacted a general handyman to come and do about 5 jobs together that were too small on their own.
He was brilliant.
Texted me to check what colour grout I wanted for tiles, what colour sealant for the bathroom (then advised me that clear would look better than white and he was right), so that he knew he has everything he needed.

He did all jobs perfectly plus a couple of other things that he noticed that needed done.

I would marry him if I could...

My experience is that tradespeople by and large go on the same training courses that mechanics go on, where they are taught how to convincingly tell customers that they will phone them, whilst knowing they have no intention of doing any such thing.

After several years of dicking about I now how a builder, a plumber/heating engineer and a painter who actually know how to use a phone.