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AIBU?

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Re builder wanting full payment

12 replies

Kazplus2 · 19/09/2018 11:17

Possibly outing.
I am a landlord of a property I own in London (that I lived in years ago). Recently I arranged through my estate agent (who manage the property) for a new bathroom to be installed. I got two quotes from builders, both nearly identical, except one stated that he could move a bit of a wall back to be flush with the rest of wall and create a bit more space. (This bit of wall was like an L shape, with one part the height of the room and one part to waist height acting as a shelf). The difference in the two invoices was £1k.
I chose the more expensive one but first checked were they sure they could do this as I thought the full height part iwas part of the chimney breast and thus couldn't be moved. They assured me they could do it.
Anyway, they went ahead and did the bathroom and here is where it gets tricky. They were not able to do tbe work for the reasons above but we're able to remove a small bit of wall which went from waist height to floor (but couldn't touch the floor to ceiling bit) so did that instead. They did not contact me about this just went ahead. That now want me to pay the full invoice for the following reasons: I asked them to come back and do the following - change cheap white radiator to a towel radiator, paint one wall of bathroom a different courses and tile down the side of the sink. The total invoice is £6k and the bathroom is very simple with basic products. I have taken everything into consideration and offered £5.5k which I think covers the value of the work they could do plus the labour involved in painting the walls and changing the radiator. The small extra bit of tiling I believe should have been done on the first place. Am I being unreasonable?

OP posts:
araiwa · 19/09/2018 11:32

Realistically, how on earth could anyone know?

TemptressofWaikiki · 19/09/2018 11:45

Well, the builder did not deliver the actual agreed work. Therefore, he is not entitled to the additional quoted £1,000. It depends if the additional stuff was done to make good the issues that arose from the half-arsed move of the wall. Also depends if the radiator etc were specified or if you changed your mind. Bottom line, you did not actually get the kind of bathroom that you hired this builder to do. Offering £500 extra for additional work sounds fair but only if this was actually requested by you and not caused by wall move he actually did not accomplish. I would not budge.

Kazplus2 · 19/09/2018 12:00

The wall painting ( normal size bathroom wall) and the change from radiator to towel rail were additional work as the quote was for a standard radiator and I accept my error and feel that I have accounted for the value of this within my adjustment.

OP posts:
Neshoma · 19/09/2018 12:12

Does your builder paint walls? Is he a builder or a guy who installs bathrooms? Builders don't usually paint or tile

I agree he should have notified you that he couldn't remove the big wall.

As you didn't specify a radiator you are at fault.Did you specify tiling too?

To sound like an awkward customer - pay him his quote.

dementedpixie · 19/09/2018 12:16

Bathroom fitters don't normally paint so that will be extra. Changing your mind about the radiator will cost extra too. Was the tiling extra or had you specified it to begin with?

Kazplus2 · 19/09/2018 12:19

Hi. It was an installation of a basic bathroom including tiling and decoration at a cost of £6000.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 19/09/2018 12:21

Was painting included in the original quote?

Kazplus2 · 19/09/2018 12:22

Sorry, just to expand, the quote did include a radiator but it was a very basic (cheap) radiator that was fitted hence me wanting it changed to a towel radiator. I accept that i am liable for this but it does not compensate for building work not completed. The quote was for everything, remove bathroom, replace bathroom, tile and decorate snd push back wall in the process to create additional space.

OP posts:
Kazplus2 · 19/09/2018 12:25

Painting the whole bathroom was included in quote. I asked hi. To repaint one wall in a colour paint as it was painted white and very clinical. I accept this is additional work that I am liable for. I estimate approx £250 to £300 for repaint of one wall and replace radiator. They were coming back to property anyway as they had left wires hanging out the wall behind the mirror that needed to be addressed (they forgot to fit a light above mirror).

OP posts:
Neshoma · 19/09/2018 12:32

Sorry, but had you already paid for the new radiator? Because removing, purchasing and installing a new one would be more that £300, plus painting.

Kazplus2 · 19/09/2018 12:37

Thanks Neshoma. What would you think would be the value of that work then? I had paid for the original radiator as part of the quote (50 percent up front). The additional painting was one flat wall of a standard bathroom size.

OP posts:
Taylia · 21/09/2018 15:42

Did you not discuss these things before the work started? Eg colours of walls, type of radiator?

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