Rant for those needing work done

[Allhailkingcharlie]

I'm needing a few jobs done around the house. They've needed doing for ages and ages but I cannot get any trades people interested. It's a small job. Probably not even a days work. So no one wants to take it on. Do I just keep looking?

We paid £5000 to have a load bearing wall taken down and a steel put in. The steel was £600 and labour to put it in around £1000. The rest was the capping off and removing radiators, re-routing electric and making good, the waste removal etc. So I’m not convinced you will get someone to take down two non load bearing and make good for less than £5000 in todays economy.

No, I've checked. Non load bearing. One stud wall. One bricked wall. I had a builder round years ago to tell me but unfortunately couldn't go through with it at that time and then the builder has retired.

I literally want it knocking down and will sort the rest out myself afterwards. No electrics or plumbing involved.

The whole point of this thread was me saying that I can't get anyone to do anything. I asked a handyman months ago just to see if it's something he could do and he can't. I do need a builder. But I can't get one. The only one I got ages ago was one who wanted to completely change the layout of my house! I think he wanted to make a bigger job rather than a small one. Which is fair enough. But still doesn't solve my problem of getting someone. I'm happy to pay, just not £5k for knocking down two walls!

A couple of times I've managed to get tradesmen was by 'chatting up' workers already working on houses in my street. They are more likely to come and give you quote if they are close by. Be prepared to have the work done immediately - that's how it worked out for me. I think if I had delayed or tried to negotiate a more convenient date they would probably have vanished.

@HabberdasheryAddict that's a really good idea! Someone down my road is having some work done. I might grab them at the end of the day. Than you

You can knock the stud down yourself if you can do everything else

@GoodChat I probably could but with a young family I just want someone to come and sort it all for me in one go. But I think I'll have too.

Facebook is your best bet and look out for recommendations.

I had this problem. Finally had a big enough job to add on to the other little things and the fecker did the big job, billed me and never came back for the little ones.

I’ve got all big jobs (also small ones but can sort most of those myself and the only trade that’s easy to get to don jobs is the electrician. I’ve never had a problem in the past.

@Allhailkingcharlie
Hi, I'm west midlands and my son is a bricklayer and my best friend. If you need any help or advice.

My best friend and my son are both bricklayers.
Not my son is my best friend .

I've had the same problem, first for guttering work and then for new windows. No one will come out to even quote, let alone agree to do "such a small job".

Yes to this! they were working on a total refurb 2 doors down from us and I had a chat with them. We knocked a wall down (non-structural brick wall) and they also built a garage for us. This was done in between jobs at the full-refurb house. I remember when they hired a concrete mixer and compacter to use at the other house, they also used it at ours to build the slab for the garage before returning it. But like said before, they started almost immediately so we didn't have much notice.

@dancemusicsexromance I was going to say, that's really sweet! Haha!
Would you pm me details. Someone has actually got back to me today!!! Wahoo! Said he'd come sometime this week.

putting up a shelf is a small job
installing a plug socket is a small job

knocking down 2 walls and taking away all the debris away is a big job.

are you mad? probably at least a full day work including tidying up the edges.

if theres 2 people it would be 2 full days wages before you even start looking at materials

This is where we removed part of a non-structural brick/block wall. We removed about 1m long and two over the door bulkheads. It wasn't a small job. It cost us £1k for removal of wall and taking away the debris and building a new door frame. Another £450 for plastering to patch up. Plasterer did say it is probably best to replaster the whole ceiling but we plan other works in this area for the future so patching up was OK for now. The floor is also uneven in this area so levelling it will also be part of the future works.

We are just starting to be able to get tradespeople though does need to be a reasonable size job. Prices have gone up and I think with cost of living as well maybe demand has started to go down a bit. We have been able to get two things, one quoted and done (flooring in 1 room) and 1 quoted and arranged (painting outside of house). And someone also came round for work on the kitchen though awaiting a quote on that.

@Notyetthere that sounds very reasonable to me! Lovely space you've got there too

@oysterfox no I'm not mad. I'm not sure if you've read the whole thread or not. My issue is not what it costs (as such) or how long it takes, but builders seem to want big jobs where they are doing extensions etc, not just smaller internal jobs. My problem is finding someone to do the bloody work!!