Tradesmen (sorry if in wrong section)

[Sunflower49]

If you need a tradesman (plumber/plasterer/joiner/electrician) what is it that you have as rules to go about it?
I'm asking because I've recently had a flood. Two and a bit months ago-and the stress of sorting it out, because of tradesmen letting me down and doing shoddy jobs and generally being unprofessional, has caused me far more stress than the practicalities.
For a month I had no hot running water and no boiler (which didn't matter so much in the middle of August but was still a problem), no bathroom floor and no lighting in the house apart from lamps/torches etc.

This is bad enough, but the first guy appointed to fix it booked in three times each time didn't turn up.
When I finally stopped being understanding and got upset-he told me he was a busy man and had to let people down all the time, it's to be expected.

The second one just didn't know what to do and caused a bit of a mess then quoted me an amount of money I thought was far too much (bear in mind I don't know what I am doing!) and was somewhat relieved or at least seemed it, when I said I would get somebody else.
The third one was a boiler repair man and that only, and he did fix the boiler, good experience there.
The third one was a guy I've known twenty years, a friend, which puts another slant on the whole situation obviously, and he 'fixed' the lighting then went to leave after I had paid, and the lights switched off again. Same thing again after he had done something else, they worked, went off again as he was packing his things together.
Me being an ABSOLUTE idiot, told him to keep hold of the payment, and return to do the rest of the job.
Guess what, he didn't turn up to his next appointed booking, or the one after.Left me out of pocket and out of friendship-I was much more upset about the latter!

I don't really know what I am asking here other than I suppose, has anybody got any rules they go by when appointing somebody to do work on their house, and also as far as I'm knowing at this moment and most of my life, people who do these sorts of jobs (I am sure they may be some of them on here!) want to do a good job, and don't want bad reviews and don't want to do a bad job for their customers. Has anybody had any experiences similar?
As for the guy I paid kind of in advance, I know this was the wrong thing to do , I even knew as I was doing it!But I trusted him as a friend. In the end I had no idea what was going on and ended up speaking to his wife, advising her that I needed him to get in touch and come and finish the job, or refund me half of the money!
He was willing to throw a twenty year friendship away (we meet every xmas and speak frequently online, we've lived together in the past and went to the same secondary school) for the sake of a couple of hundred quid. That confuses me, but that's a different subject altogether.
Has anybody else had nightmares with people doing handiwork for them?
I am actually very stressed out, I would even say it's got me down-I've got no lights in my house still after 2 months which isn't ideal as I am in the middle of selling my house! lol

[Mick]

The easiest way of finding a good tradesman whatever its for is to come on Accyweb and ask for recommendations as members have used most tradesman at one time or another and can tell you who they are and how well they did the job

[Sunflower49]

Haha good idea. I wasn't on here at the time though!It was a lodger who flooded my house, so the first tradesman was brought in by him-I demanded that he sort it out obviously.
The second one, who made a mess-was recommended by my Mother who is a property developer-and for her he had never caused any problems.
The fourth one who ripped me off, as I said was a friend of many years.His reviews are good two, apart from the last one (Mine/My Mothers).Am I allowed to put her? Please remove if not.

Electrician in Morley, Leeds (UK) - 27 Electrical Services

[susie123]

First rule if you find a good tradesman is hang on to them - don't lose their details as you might need them again in a hurry. If you want them again you might have to wait as if they are good they may be in demand but if it's a real emergency they might fit you in or send someone else they know is good to help out.

Second, if you know a good tradesman ask them if they have knowledge of good people in other trades - or people to avoid! news travels fast.

Third, we have found local pubs a good source of information. Ask if anyone in the line of work you need drinks in there, if there is, talk to them and get a feel for the person, if it's not the right trade again they may know of people to recommend.

Fourth, ask your neighbours if they have found any good people.

All this gained from renovating three different houses over the years in different place but still not easy to know you have found the right person in the first place!

[Sunflower49]

Thanks for reply Susie...Although the third point surprised me, my Father has always emphasised to never ever ever trust any worker if you meet them in a pub!Lol not saying you're wrong, he's just as likely to be (well I didn't meet any of the above in the pub did I).
Neighbours I couldn't use in this case :/ the reason I am moving is partially to do with the neighbours. I live next door to a prostitute who is fine 50% of the time. When sober. When she isn't, she's abusive and volatile. The area is mostly rented.
Word of mouth is a good thing usually. I think I have just been very unlucky. One thing the second guy (the one who made a mess of things) did was to switch all the electricity off without telling me he was going to, first. I was working on the PC and lost my letter, also he took the lightbulb out in the kitchen and left it propped against the work surface. As soon as I returned from work that night, I walked straight into it and it broke. Schoolboy error but still adds to my bad experiences-I've just had to go to Wickes to buy another bulb and they're not cheap.
Just unlucky I think I've been this time :/

[MargaretR]

I suspect that your free range pet rats may have deterred some workmen from returning.

[Sunflower49]

I doubt it Margaret-the rats are in an outhouse type room that was locked the whole time they were here-none of the workers even saw them.

[susie123]

Originally Posted by sugarmouse0707

Thanks for reply Susie...Although the third point surprised me, my Father has always emphasised to never ever ever trust any worker if you meet them in a pub!Lol not saying you're wrong, he's just as likely to be (well I didn't meet any of the above in the pub did I).
Neighbours I couldn't use in this case :/ the reason I am moving is partially to do with the neighbours. I live next door to a prostitute who is fine 50% of the time. When sober. When she isn't, she's abusive and volatile. The area is mostly rented.
Word of mouth is a good thing usually. I think I have just been very unlucky. One thing the second guy (the one who made a mess of things) did was to switch all the electricity off without telling me he was going to, first. I was working on the PC and lost my letter, also he took the lightbulb out in the kitchen and left it propped against the work surface. As soon as I returned from work that night, I walked straight into it and it broke. Schoolboy error but still adds to my bad experiences-I've just had to go to Wickes to buy another bulb and they're not cheap.
Just unlucky I think I've been this time :/

Oh great turning the leccy off and then leaving a light bulb rolling round in the dark for you to discover the hard way! Better luck next time.

One reason we do well in pubs is that my other half is very good at talking to people like that and getting to know them for a few weeks and storing them away for future reference - in his head I mean! helps that we usually have regular pubs we go to and see the same faces week after week.

And we've been lucky to have good neighbours!

[Wynonie Harris]

Originally Posted by susie123

we usually have regular pubs we go to and see the same faces week after week.

Tut tut, Susie! Joan Bakewell wants a word with you!

[susie123]

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

Tut tut, Susie! Joan Bakewell wants a word with you!

Sadly I'm off the drink at the moment cos of illness and I don't find our local very inviting at the moment. I miss my Friday nights but t'other half still goes so I get all the news that isn't fit to print... Plus I've got a good stock of malts here if I get the urge while he's out! Need to make a bit more use of that CAMRA membership though.

[Wynonie Harris]

Originally Posted by susie123

Sadly I'm off the drink at the moment cos of illness and I don't find our local very inviting at the moment. I miss my Friday nights but t'other half still goes so I get all the news that isn't fit to print... Plus I've got a good stock of malts here if I get the urge while he's out! Need to make a bit more use of that CAMRA membership though.

Well, I hope you're well again soon, because there's still a lot of great pubs (and I mean PROPER pubs) out there to get through, as you'll know, being a CAMRA member.

Sorry to hijack your thread, Sugarmouse. I think the subject of recommended real pubs might warrant a thread of its own.

[susie123]

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

Well, I hope you're well again soon, because there's still a lot of great pubs (and I mean PROPER pubs) out there to get through, as you'll know, being a CAMRA member.

Sorry to hijack your thread, Sugarmouse. I think the subject of recommended real pubs might warrant a thread of its own.

Yep I'm doing my best. When you mentioned the Baltic Fleet recently it struck me we should have gone in that when we went to the Pool a few years ago for a break.

I was having treatment in Preston a few months ago and we went for a meal at the Continental down by the river. That was my student local in the sixties, unrecognisable now but still a great pub with good beer and food.

[Wynonie Harris]

Originally Posted by susie123

Yep I'm doing my best. When you mentioned the Baltic Fleet recently it struck me we should have gone in that when we went to the Pool a few years ago.

Well worth a visit next time you're there, health permitting!

[Sunflower49]

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

Well, I hope you're well again soon, because there's still a lot of great pubs (and I mean PROPER pubs) out there to get through, as you'll know, being a CAMRA member.

Sorry to hijack your thread, Sugarmouse. I think the subject of recommended real pubs might warrant a thread of its own.

It's not a problem, but next time you 'hijack' a thread I want you to make sure you warn everybody by writing in capitals
'THIS IS A THREADJACK!EVERYBODY RAISE YOUR HANDS AND DROP THE TOPIC!!!!' (I don't care about threadjacks, I do it all the time )

Originally Posted by susie123

Yep I'm doing my best. When you mentioned the Baltic Fleet recently it struck me we should have gone in that when we went to the Pool a few years ago for a break.

I was having treatment in Preston a few months ago and we went for a meal at the Continental down by the river. That was my student local in the sixties, unrecognisable now but still a great pub with good beer and food.

I run past the Conti almost every day. Good selection of wine but never rated their food service and I HATE their beer festivals! Lol

[Wynonie Harris]

Originally Posted by sugarmouse0707

I HATE their beer festivals! Lol

I hate 'em too. Nerds earnestly discussing specific gravities and the like. I just like going into good pubs and having a decent pint or five.

Ooops, sorry...stick 'em up, this is a threadjack!