Cannot get any bugger to do building work

[Ohbellayoubigtwat]

Finally got the money to do up my house.

We just want two rooms opened up, one room closed off, and all the doors/skirting/bits that go with that.

I’ve been trying to find someone since Jan. most never reply. We have had 4 come out to quote and said, yes, we would like you to do it. They have then all fucked off into the sunset and ghosted us. One local builder who had been recommended says all the right things but 3 months in, can we get him to come and measure up and quote? Can we fuck.

I’m losing the will to live here. It’s not a difficult job. We aren’t fussed about the timescale. We don’t want the moon on a stick. We just want to give someone lots of money to make out house work for us.

Why is it so hard?

Can you obtain personal recommendations on Spotted page on facebook in your local area?

Yup. They was some of the ones who never responded and two who quoted and then ghosted us.

It’s getting beyond the joke now.

once again I recommend “which? Trusted traders”, you have to pay for join but they’re rigorous in ensuring reviews are genuine. I have found lots of contractors there. They’re not all perfect but they do show up, quote and do the job correctly!

Can't offer any advice on actually getting someone to come out but I would say try not to let your frustration with the process cloud your judgement on choosing a builder.

It took us almost a year to find a roofer after the similar agreeing to quote, receiving no quote, agreeing to do the job, ghosting, excuses etc. and in the end we were just happy to get someone agree to the work and get started.

We had a bunch of trouble with them and looking back there were some red flags we overlooked, all just because we wanted it done.

Similar here, but if you've got someone preferred, just keep chasing them. I find I wait for them, and then they do a great job.

I don’t chase anyone for quotes or for work to do done. If they can’t be bothered to respond then they are not the sort of people I want doing work for me.

If they are reliable, with good communication and do a good job, then I’ll use them again.

I’ve built up a list of decent tradesmem
over the years who I’ll happily use again.

Shortage of builders etc, my Polish lodger hasnt advertised for 10 years...non stop work and the bonus is i get bits done for free !!..Most of his friends went home a few years ago or left the cities and moved out.

I've also got an awesome list of tradesmen, that don't advertise because they are utterly swamped, but sometimes that means they forget to get back to me, or I need to chase a bit. The work they do is amazing and I'm happy to wait.

I wouldn't chase someone I didn't know/have massive recommendations on.

Sorry I can't help. I've been through 13 carpenters to find someone to replace my back (non standard size) door! Same ghosting etc etc It's mind boggling! Perhaps just keep going!

Forgot to say, I'm in SE London

The key is to present them with a project plan. They’ll assume you’re just time wasting having them come round for a quote. Your work sounds structural. Get an engineer / architect to draw up the plan (you’ll have to do this anyway so not money wasted) and then send this alongside a page or so describing what you want doing, to what finish and so on. They can then quote exactly and they know you aren’t time wasting / just after free advice. Drawing up quotes takes a long time - you’ve got to price up all the materials, the labour and so on. They’ll only spend their time if they know you’re serious. Having all the drawings ready to go shows you’re ready to go.

I see this on on MN all the time. Not an issue we've had personally, and we've done a lot of work over the last few years, but perhaps it's area dependent. We've also built up a decent list of people we've used several times and found other good tradies from them, theyre always happy to recommend. Have you any trades contacts at all you can ask, 'hey can you recommend a decent builder?' Sort of thing. We've had to wait to get stuff done because they're always busy, but don't usually have an issue with people getting back to us and quoting.

Yep, of course we’ve done all that.

We have to put one steel beam in, we have paid for the measurements and plans. Everything has been done properly, we present it all, floor plans etc.

No one is interested! Even the ones who say they are never come back to us when we say yes please.

Are you around London? It is crazy where we live. It took me months to find someone to do a tiling job and even then he was booked up for 6 months! I’m now encouraging my son to become a builder!

No, West Midlands.

It’s hard because supply of builders far exceeds demand in many places. They can cherry pick the jobs they like and the people they want to work for.

Can the structural engineer and/or the architect / whoever drew up the plans, find someone for you ?
Sometimes builders don't like to work directly with clients but go through architects who they have a good relationship with.

Well, yes.

He was through the local builder who says all
the right things but who we can’t pin down for a quote! He recommended the architect who he’s worked with, we got in touch, plans done. We ask the builder if he can come and measure and final quote, it’s been “we’ll work out a time in the next couple of weeks” for months now. I don’t understand it, he’s highly recommended in the area.

It’s very frustrating.

We do have some that work for us where you have to wait a while, and one who isn't brilliant at getting back to you when you first get in touch, but they are all good at what they do, and do communicate once they get going. All bar one are slower at sending in bills than anything else, the only nagging I generally have to do its to get them to send me a bill afterwards. 😊One of them took months of nagging to send the bill. And it wasn't a small bill, either. 🤔

It must be so annoying, I know, I have family in the SW who have exactly this problem. It does seem to depend a lot on where you are. Up here in the NW of England it seems to be less of a problem, though you have to wait for the best ones to actually do the job, they do come and quote/estimate and book you in, and then come when they say.