We live high up in the Shropshire hills in an exposed spot and get absolutely battered by the wind and rain in the winter.  We have been trying for the last 3 years to get someone to come and paint some wooden soffits, fascia boards and decorative finials.  We have been repeatedly let down by people either not turning up to give quotes after arranging to do so, or giving a quote and then not turning up to do the work.  One or two have been up front and said they are too busy or don’t like doing exterior work. I appreciate the honesty of those guys but get mightily pissed off with those who string us along with no intention of doing it.

We’ve asked loads of people for recommendations and have phoned every painter and decorator in a 20 mile radius with no joy. We’ve scoured the net, parish magazine adverts, shop window business cards and even accosted people working on other jobs nearby. The woodwork is getting near the stage when it will be beyond painting and need replacing. I’ve painted the bits I can get to with a standard ladder but there are loads that need specialist ladders/platforms or scaffolding.

We’ve had similar issues trying to get electrical work done and also brickwork pointing etc.  It’s getting really sad to see our home decaying for want of tradespeople willing to do domestic work. I know the trades have been in short supply for years but is it particularly bad in the Marches, rural areas generally or everywhere?  Any tips on finding someone? Or even (which would be ace) a recommendation?

Couldn’t agree more and don’t live in a rural area. Been attempting to recruit various tradespeople for assorted work and most of them have simply wasted my time. If they’re not interested in a job then why promise a quote? Then there’s those who never return your call.

Are you not able to replace everything with non-wood fittings for easy maintenance? Aesthetically probably not pleasing but that’s the trade-off!

Are you not able to replace everything with non-wood fittings for easy maintenance? Aesthetically probably not pleasing but that’s the trade-off!

If it comes to it, yes we’ll be fitting PVC for an easy life!

Even as an ex trade (joiner) with contacts I’m struggling to get a driveway wall and a bit of landscaping done I’m talking up to 15k of work and it’s just not profitable for trades to do time and skill heavy work.
One of my mates can do 2 single story block work extensions in the time he could do my drive no roof or render just block work for his main contract and still take home more for an easy job I can hardly blame them for not wanting the work tbh.

Even as I type that I don’t believe the maths but I’ve worked it out
Digger hire
Skips
Blocks
Drainage
Rain days
Ect
Ect
He is better off slinging blocks

Tradesman here. I don’t know what to tell you, times are good, crazy even. I don’t know what’s going on, maybe they just don’t train them anymore, everyone wants a desk job. But anyway, upshot is that we can cherry pick the best jobs. So what’s not attractive about your job? Maybe it’s access? Perhaps think about getting the scaffolding up, make it easy for the work to actually happen if you know what I mean.

@jambourgie fair enough. I’d cherry pick the best jobs too. But I’d at least be honest to enquirers and say I didn’t want their work if there was better on offer. Many seem incapable of that.  Being constantly told yeah, I’ll be there next month, after this job, next good weather or whatever then disappearing and refusing to answer the phone is par for the course it seems. If they don’t want the work why can’t they just say so?

My next option is to look at hiring a scaffolding tower and doing it myself. Access is tight in places so it’ll need to be a small one to fit, but I’ll give it a go.

If I was a careers advisor, Id be pointing people towards the trades, but perhaps suggesting a side module of business ethics and customer relations!

@jambourgie

Having been through loads of landscapers for a job last year..

as a tradesman what is the point of turning up to quote a job, spending half an hour talking through and actually measuring up and then disappearing.

surely you would know pretty much after the job has been explained you’d know if you wanted it?

i would much rather trades had said.. “actually seeing it I’m not interested”

Have you tried Facebook? There seem to be lots of requests and responses to trades on some of the local groups I’m in.
For low skilled painting work it might be worth a try.

Finding the same trying to get a shower replaced in Southampton. Getting to the point now that I’m going to burn holiday and DIY it because we need to get it sorted.

I’ve a trade and from the other side I hate folk wasting my time by getting me to turn up to their property, measure up, chat then price only for either no response, how much!!! We’ve changed our mind
So now I tend to only work for folk I know, or ask what are they expecting it to cost or their budget. Some don’t like it but that’s the way it is. Other option is to give a labour price only. I have a good few customers who we have a mutual trust whereby they get quality work but don’t get ripped off

I ve just painted my soffits and exterior. I bought a 12 step stepladder with platform so can access the top bits, loads of prep and 6 coats of paint. Materials have been c 500 and it’s about 2 weeks work, but I m super slow and done other stuff as I went along.

Just plan the job, use the best materials. I so nearly had the soffits replaced with uPVC but 50 year old wood is good for another 50 years.

Hire a cherry picker and forget the scaffolding. Much easier in my opinion.

I think people are not moving and instead spending money on home improvements. Must be 10 houses I walk past on my morning dog walk with skips outside doing bathrooms and kitchens etc.

Open a pasty shop, lure them in with a discount-if-you-buy-two deal.

I’ve pretty much given up, been let down so many times by trades. teaching myself is quicker, cheaper and less stressful than trying to get a trade in. currently fitting doors for the first time. it does take a long time and disruption is annoying but it’s a damn sight quicker than never.

when the times turn bad, those contractors that pissed off potential clients are going to find it hard

If I was a careers advisor, Id be pointing people towards the trades, but perhaps suggesting a side module of business ethics and customer relations!

I’ve lost count of the number of clients who ghost me after giving them drawings and an estimate, taking up my evenings for nothing.

Goes both ways.

I’ve currently got 7 or 8 email conversations, drawings and estimates going on. Some people don’t reply for weeks then want an answer instantly.

It’s hard to keep all your plates spinning.

So yes. Can be frustrating whichever side you’re on.

Get a second hand tower scaffold and get your finger out of your arse. Then spend 18 months of all your, previously, fun time up said tower. Or not.

and get your finger out of your arse

Other paints, and indeed brushes, are available.

I have to say as a fitter turner im quite glad i dont get asked for homers unlike my dad as a sparkie. If i was working for myself id be like folk have said above if i wasnt interested id say so, whay waste your and the customers time?

An observation of mine is some mates in trades have migrated away from domestic work towards commercial stuff because there’s plenty of work going. Why spend your evenings and weekends running around doing quotes and chasing for payments off dozens of folk when you can get weeks and weeks of reliable, low risk and well paid work?

If you’re able you might as well get on either with the painting or with UPVC replacement (if you can find someone). We wanted to replace two wooden windows and the front door in a conservation area with R9 UPVC. £10k! Fortunately we have a reliable builder with woodworking contacts to make repairs and no PP required

Exterior painting is obviously ruled by the weather and any delays add to the tradesman’s problems and costs

An observation of mine is some mates in trades have migrated away from domestic work towards commercial stuff because there’s plenty of work going. Why spend your evenings and weekends running around doing quotes and chasing for payments off dozens of folk when you can get weeks and weeks of reliable, low risk and well paid work?

yup, that’s where I’m at. When I’ve done domestic it’s been working for other trades, normally building firms. No time wasted quoting, chasing payments, having customers explaining to me how long a job will take me…

WE’ve just been ghosted by the company who were due to due our roof and render. Supposed to start at the end of March. £40k’s worth and we’re happy to pay for a decent job without any corners cut. “Got a lot of work on” has changed to “we’ve got to wait for the right weather” which, given we live in Wales and (a) it’s been the longest stretch of nice weather ever for the last couple of months (b) otherwise, always raining… if they’ve been waiting for nice weather to do jobs, then they would never have worked before!
Several visits, brought us example slates etc…
…however I did point out to my better half, all the avoidance started after they came to talk the project through with an architect friend of ours who wanted to make sure they had a clue for us, so while he gave good feedback on them, maybe they didn’t want the job to be looked at by someone vaguely competent, in which case we may actually have dodged a £40k bullet.

Anyone know an experienced and reliable roofer Swansea/Carmarthen way? 😉

That’s very prudent, but what you’ve done there is mark yourself out to be a potential pain in the arse. The roofers will be thinking they’ve dodged a bullet.

I know it doesn’t sound fair but when there are people crying out to get jobs done why would they risk ballache on yours? Just move on to the next in the queue.

My Dad has been trying to get his kitchen done for the best part of five years in Lincoln. Nobody seems to want to do the work. 30 years ago he’d have done it himself but (fortunately) he admits it’s too much for him now. He did eventually get his bathroom done but the guy ballsed it up by fitting cabinets incorrectly so wasn’t invited back for the kitchen.

In Oz we’ve just taken on a big renovation with a single quote because we just couldn’t get anyone interested if it isn’t a new build. Crazy times here, too.

I’ve had. Few trades recently and I tend to end up with them moaning at me house good it is to finally have someone who doesn’t dick them about like the large commercial jobs they are using me to fill in for.them.dicking the. About…..

Most recently a floor tiler who came.recomended and was able to fit me in within a week because I had the tiles and the prep was done – because the hotel he was refitting down the beach had changed their mind on the tiles at the 11th hour leaving him and 6 lads with no work for the week.

We had a painter last year – found him as a recommendation on the village Facebook group . He came – he painted – he was clean and reasonable price.

The plasterer I’ve used a few timws is a local lad my mate knows from the pub. He just does small scale stuff as he can deal with the big job sites – an aside he is also deaf so a lot of people are put off but he does an amazing job.

Windows and joinery have proved a bit harder to sort though.

Same here roofer wanted in Bristol.

Replace felt and batten on a bungelow.

They just cant be arsed, but will come out and look then nothing.

Any roofers here, South Glos fancy some work ?

For what it’s worth, the shit rolls downhill. So as a tradesman I can pick and chose the best jobs on the most whimsical reasons: who has best parking, who has the nicest wife, who’s more likely to say “I’ve only got soya milk, is that ok?”.  Etc etc, but if I need to take my car to the garage the same rules apply. I had to give up on my last garage as I could tell they’d marked me down as an ‘arsehole’ because I’d made the cardinal sin of telling them what the problem was when dropping it off. You can’t come back from that. My new garage we get along great, I drop it off, tell them something vague like “it went bang near the front wheel”, make sure not to enquire about how long it will take or how much it will cost. And then wait a week or so for them to fit a new spring. It’s a shame we must play these games as one would have preferred them to fit two springs, or even four whilst they’re at it. But you cannot risk being exposed as a know it all.

Social dynamics. Psychology.

That’s called Karma jambourgie! 😁  Currently on a tea break* after shitting myself at the top of a wobbly ladder** desperately trying to get a first aid lick of paint on my neglected wood (ooh Matron).

*Proper builders tea with cow juice, although I’m tempted to make an organic, vegan, ginseng infusion in silent protest at all the cba tradesmen out there! In desperation, I phoned our window cleaner this morning to ask if he knows anyone. I also called down from the ladder to ask the post man the same. I’m a short step from stopping people in the street.

**I think I’ve sorted a scaffold tower for next week. Although there is one awkward bay window over a pitched roof porch that I still can’t figure out how to get to.  A cherry picker is no good because the front access is on 3 levels with low walls all over the place. It couldn’t get near enough.

A fine day for it. If you want a job done right, do it yourself etc. please be careful with ladders 🪜

Last year for the first time in over 40 years I decided to get someone else to clean our windows. Being the wrong side of 60 and my 40 plus year old wooden ladders weigh a ton plus wife is none too happy with me up the ladder I felt it was time . First one that came worked from the ground with ” special” water 🤔 that dries spotless. Um nope ! Hadto come back again , others either just don’t turn up or use the awkwardness of getting round the back of our house as an excuse even when I offer to help carry their ladders .
I ended up thinking why would I pay £25 to someone and they don’t make any better job of it than I can so I’m back to doing it myself for how much longer who knows 🙄 I think they just want to turn up when it suits them to houses that are easily accessible when no one’s in do a quick job and shove the bill through the letterbox.

That’s one thing where we are lucky.  We have a great window cleaner.  Our house is old with awkward access and loads of windows. He also cleans a glass roof on a porch extension. He turns up with two young lads and all three work up ladders simultaneously with proper chamois and squeegees. Because there are three of them it only takes 15 to 20 minutes and the windows are smear free and spotless. £30 for the windows or £40 if he does the glass roof as well. As I said above, I’ve asked him if he knows anyone who does exterior painting. He’s going to get back to me. If he doesn’t, I’m hoping one of his lads might fancy some extra work.

Well, this has turned into a fascinating thread and interesting to hear from the other side too. Totally appreciate that some customers have unrealistic expectations but, blimey, my lactose-free milk has a lot to answer for then.

Within the last 24 hours I’ve accepted a quote for a full bathroom refurb, gulp. Like I had a choice!! Currently waiting to hear whether I’ve secured their last slot before the end of the year otherwise January it is.

Grumble grumble, it never used to be like this in the old days.

Good Luck with your bathroom refurb  @cinnamon_girl  👍 Send them my way with a load of paint brushes when they’ve finished!

OP I feel your pain.
After trying to employ someone to do the outside of our house for a couple of years I ended up doing all of it last summer…
Triple extension ladder, extendable roller pole and a healthy fear of heights not withstanding!

I’ve now started on the bathroom 😁 house would never be done if I have to wait on unreliable or reluctant trades.

Grumble grumble, it never used to be like this in the old days.

Pre-Brexit, you mean?

🙂

Arghhh don’t say it, you’ll attract them…

An observation of mine is some mates in trades have migrated away from domestic work towards commercial stuff because there’s plenty of work going. Why spend your evenings and weekends running around doing quotes and chasing for payments off dozens of folk when you can get weeks and weeks of reliable, low risk and well paid work?

yup, that’s where I’m at. When I’ve done domestic it’s been working for other trades, normally building firms. No time wasted quoting, chasing payments, having customers explaining to me how long a job will take me…

Same, I’m a self employed decorator whos been mowed out for as long as I can remember, but hate all the admin/chasing that goes on..not the mention the constant working weekends/bank holidays trying to play catch up. Tempted to get on at a firm for an easier life as its affecting my mental health TBH

I’ll do it for £20k if you pay for my hotel and transport from London. 50% upfront, 50% on completion. Need some exercise.

Speaking to trades round here they will exclude you on quote based on your job or if you come across like someone that will nit pick or not pay.

if you come across like someone that will nit pick or not pay.

Weirdly I’m not a trade but my pre qualifier paperwork does the same tbh…..why would you work for someone who shows all the signs of someone with no intention of paying. Trust your gut

At the end of the day they are not even obligated to quote.

That’s very prudent, but what you’ve done there is mark yourself out to be a potential pain in the arse. The roofers will be thinking they’ve dodged a bullet.

Yeah but no. If you can’t be trusted to work to a drawing never mind what you quoted for you can **** right off. If you can’t work for someone competent enough to tell you it’s wrong then you obviously can’t be trusted to do it right. Once bitten twice shy.

Trades are probably 50% responsible for my shitty mental health at this point. If I wanted to risk it not being right in the end I’d just do it myself. Funnily enough the bits I’ve done are mostly fine and the bits done by supposed professionals are half arsed and not worth what was paid for.

Facebook groups are a load of shit as well. Our local one has recommendations but you’re not allowed to say when someone has done a bad job. Go figure how that ends.

Pre-Brexit, you mean?

It’s been like this for the past decade at least.