5 months for a bathroom and kitchen etc.

[Flowersforyourchocolateprettyplease]

Hi, I dont believe I'm BU but feel like I'm losing my mind.

Having work done on a 3 bed house.
New heating system, so all old radiators out and new ones in.
New oil tank.
New small bathroom,
New small kitchen.
One door from kitchen to livingroom taken out.
Two doors swapped round, to open on opposite side.
Plaster on walls in kitchen, bathroom and one bedroom.
New light fittings x12.
Skirting boards in 3 rooms.
New vinyl floor in kitchen and bathroom.
Tiles in bathroom, one wall only.
New kitchen window which was delayed.

So far it's been 5 whole months and still not done.
We've paid on time and been easy customers but starting to think, maybe too easy so easily fobbed off for other jobs 🤔.

No one living on site, which is rural but not difficult to access, does this sound normal or not?
YABU - A lot of work, normal.
YANBU - They're taking liberties.
Thank you.

Just to add, we hired a builder who had a team and contracts other trades as well. The excuses have been:
Plasterer/electrician/tiler not showing up, or being ill.
Their partners/kids being ill.
Goods not being delivered/wrong items delivered.
Items damaged so having to reorder.
Holiday time.
Him being unwell.

Frustrating to say the least.

As someone who works in construction in a rural area yes 5 months is a long time but the reasons given are not unheard of. When there’s a delay with one trade it knocks everything out of balance and the subcontractors will have other works that they will get on with. Have you tried setting a deadline by saying you’ve got someone coming on X date?

I actually think this amount of work could easily take 5+ months. For example, when you replace lights & rads, there is additional decoration required to make good. If you are rural, your builder may have a limited number of sub- contractors to choose from. I had to wait four months for a correctly qualified plumber to become available for some work on my heating system. The key concerns should be: is the quality of the workmanship good ?Is he making steady progress?
I have done substantial work on three houses now & it can be slow.

Thank you, this is helpful. We've set numerous deadlines. Including a "move in" date but still not done.

Thank you. Quality of work was good but as it stretches, I can see some slacking and not enough care being given in handling goods.
He had quoted for 3 months but could now be double that time.