How to find a tradesperson

[B0D]

I need some advice on this. I know I need to get 3 quotes and preferably recommendations from someone I know, my problem is I simply don’t know anyone to ask as I live a very isolated life.

it’s a small job to swap a bulkhead light for spot lights in the bathroom and it needs to be certified for fire safety.

At the moment I’m thinking I’ll be going on checkatrade or something but am worried about getting it wrong

Any advice appreciated

We’ve found excellent people through Checkatrade - and they want good reviews so do a good job. Give a very clear brief with photos and all good

Do you have any local facebook groups? People often ask for recommendations for trades people on my local town's facebook group.

Ask your neighbours/nearby friends and on local facey groups

Check your local councils website and see if it links in with Trading Standards. When I lived here I looked on there first, eg

https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/community/trusted-trader/trusted-trader.aspx

Oh, the city council does as well.
https://www.derby.gov.uk/trading-standards-environmental-health/trading-standards/consumer-advice/buy-with-confidence-find-approved-trader/

Nextdoor is handy for a starting point.

@CharlotteFlax
I don’t have any to ask

We've just successfully sued check a trade so I would not trust them. I would now join my streets WhatsApp group and ask in their for r3comendartiins and I can go round and check the work

dont use those websites, they pay for good reviews and can remove bad ones, ask friends or local fb groups.

I wouldn't use Check-a-trade or similar but I would use the one associated with Trading Standards. I'd also use local Facebook groups, ask there and also search previous posts as others will have asked similar questions. See which traders get recommended consistently.

In our local fb groups it seems to be the wives posting the recommendations. I’m not sure it’s any more helpful than checka trade

Next time you see a sign-written van parked in your neighbourhood, any trade will do, ask the driver who he uses for work in his own house.

These people see the handiwork of other local tradesmen and know how to sort out the skilled from the cowboys.

yes, that can happen, i filter them out if possible. I have found an excellent electrician, plumber and roofer via facebook.

Thing is, I
don’t trust Next Door or Facebook recommendations cos as mentioned by PP it’s people recommending their friends or themselves

As I mentioned I don’t know any neighbours to ask or a WhatsApp group to join. And lots of people have had a bad experience with Checkatrade

@Phoenix1Arisen
thank you that is helpful. I will try.

as a tradesman who gets work via word of mouth you are very wise to distrust comments on any and all social media.
Far too many are very obviously not genuine recommendations since it is wife, girlfriend or self promotion who wrote it.

sadly there is no infallible method if you do not have a circle of people that you personally trust to give you names. The big websites such as Checkatrade and Ratedpeople all have "issues" that mean a genuine picture of an individual trader is not possible.

Buy With Confidence is the one associated with Trading Standards https://www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk/

@MissFizzyPop
thank you this is great help!