www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

Now before all the tradesmen on the site start moaning.

I would like to highlight my experiences with a few of them in the past 4 weeks.

I am converting my loft into a play room for the children.

So I was telling a guy that takes his kid to the same school as mine that I am looking for a joiner. He tells me that his neighbour is a joiner. Phones the guy He comes out to the house has a look at the loft and says. No problem not a diificult job I will go home and look at materials and phone you with the costs.

No contact. Bumps into him at local shops. Turns out he lives round the corner from me. Says that he has been really busy and will come round the following evening. Doesn't appear.

So decides to look up yellow pages. Phones 2 joiners. One of them I left a message on his answering machine, he hasn't got back to me that was 4 days ago. The other one said that he would be out last night. Didn't appear. Another joiner who's number I was giving was mean't to come out this evening between 5 and 6 hasn't appeared.

I know that all tradesmen aren't like that thankfully.

I'm thinking to myself am I saying something wrong to them. However the wife has spoken to a couple of them as well.

I then start thinking is it the job. But three of them haven't even seen the loft.

All I am looking for is a stair case to be built. 2 velux windows, insulation, plasterboarding and flooring.

How about planning

A story I've time and time again, went to price an exterior job a couple of years ago, when I got there, I was told that I was 44th person they had phoned but only the 3rd to look at it, difference was I was the only to quote on it!

Guess who got the job!

thescruff wrote:How about planning

I don't require planning permission only a building warrant.

Welsh Decorator wrote:A story I've time and time again, went to price an exterior job a couple of years ago, when I got there, I was told that I was 44th person they had phoned but only the 3rd to look at it, difference was I was the only to quote on it!

Guess who got the job!

A joiner?..

I've got a slightly worse problem.

Doing a Hall/Stairs/Landing at the moment, clients wanted to replace all 5 doors on the landing, I'm OK on the odd door but this was a bit too much for me so got a joiner in. Rattled in the doors and new frames in a morning, lovely job and punters so happy with it wanted to replace the 4 doors in the hall. Contacted joiner again and he says no problem, I'll come round and measure up for materials tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow........ 10 days gone by and everything finished to bottom of stairs ands I am getting serious earache from client. Can't find another joiner and I've only got 5 days before we're due to start the second set of doors and finish the decorating. Times so tight with the amount of work I have on at the moment theres no way I can overrun on this one.

Have you paid him for the first lot?

Not yet, haven't seen him to pay him - so theres still hope!