How to find a decent builder? Stressing over this!

[Littlepicklehead]

Trying to find a builder for our extension work and it's proving hard. I've had a few personal recommendations but they are busy and can't even get out to quote. Which is a good sign but not helpful as it's a pretty big job but we are really hoping to do the work this year.

Used a certain website to check out tradespeople (hint there, being deliberately vague) and have had a couple of quotes, and waiting on one from a very local builder who we really liked but is v slow at getting back to us.

Anyway after looking at the glowing reviews on the website about the builders, the niggling feeling I had about just how good all the reviews are led me to google the website itself. There I am presented with a whole thread on moneysupermarket saying that it's flawed and bad reviews aren't allowed. And then that mumsnet was also sued by them (hence my vague reference to their name) for a negative thread that was posted about mumsnet terms experiences.

I'm so confused now. What is the best way to verify whether the builders are actually any good? Should we see previous work, is that enough, or will they just select someone that they know has a good report?

I've watched a lot of cowboy builders on mat leave and I'm so stressed about picking someone who is terrible. Heck, one of the builders even joked about being on the show when my dd started pretending to take photos on her toy camera...

Help!

Well Mumsnet comes to the rescue - a mumsnet search reveals one of the builders that quoted today has a longstanding mumsnetter recommending him in a post which does tally with his feedback.

It's such a minefield though. Why can't there be a non biased trioadvisor style sits for tradepeople (or maybe there is but I just don't know of it?)

We're in a V similar situation, builders don't seem to want the business, they are just so slow and difficult to get hold of. That's great you found a builder on mumsnet, maybe they should start their own trip advisor style site!

Drive around your local area. When you see someone having building work done, make a note of the date, address, work, and builder's name. Ask the builder for a card.

In a month or two, go round and ask the householder what they think.

Avoid anyone who does not have a local, geographic, land-line phone no and a local address that you can actually see (and is not an accomodation address)

Agree with PigletJohn. If you can't wait a month to get quotations in, ask them to do them now, that way you can at least gets quotes in. If someone then seems okay and your happy with their quote, then knock on the door of the person who was having the work done and ask them how it's gone so far.

Thanks for the advice. I've tried a couple of companies I have seen working locally, but the story is the same that they won't even quote. I'm not quite ready to accept that we need to wait until next year, but the time of year does seem to be against us.

The builder that was recommended on here has offered to show me some previous work. He said to pick a photo of a job off checkatrade and he'll try and arrange a site visit for us. They seem a v well established company, just still feels like a massive leap of faith. We were happy with the quote though and I can't find any negative reports of the company online. Maybe this is as good as we can hope for?

We just knocked on doors locally and asked. Everyone was very happy to show this us around and tell us what went well and not so we'll. Good luck - it is a leap of faith for a large amount of money.