Viewing 17 posts - 41 through 57 (of 57 total)
  • The impossibility of finding a painter (and other tradesmen)
  • choppersquad
    Free Member

    Funnily enough I am a very busy painter. Pretty much booked up until the end of the year. As already mentioned a lot of decorators turn down outside work because the weather can play havoc with your plans and if you can’t move things around you’re left with no income. The main reasons I think I’m busy, are that I’ll turn up to do a quote when I say I will, do good clean work and generally try to be as courteous and hard working as I can. I’m not sure if this is the right way of doing things as the amount of people who just rip you off, do a terrible job and then run away as fast as they can seems to be on the increase and they’re the ones who are in the pub at 3:30 every day. Maybe I’m doing it all wrong.

    TheBrick
    Free Member

    I think you’re probably just becoming more aware of them. Just do what you do.

    blokeuptheroad
    Full Member

    @choppersquad nope you’re doing it right, no wonder you’re busy 👍

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    squirrelking
    Free Member

    Yup, I don’t care if I have to wait if whoever is doing the work does a good job.

    Bunnyhop
    Full Member

    So tricky in the last few years to find honest, hardworking trades people who care.
    It took us several goes to find a good builder to sort out my workroom attic roof. We’re now trying to find someone to re-point the house. One quote was just so high it was ridiculous (maybe chancing their arm, or didn’t really want the job – who knows).

    Lucky to have a really good decorator who is very popular with the older folks and doesn’t rip them off.

    As others have said it’s a two way street, (I’m a curtain/blind maker)so many customers nowadays wanting something for nothing, messing a tradesperson around eg. not turning up with the work, not collecting the work, not getting back when you’ve sent them a quote, but the very worst is saying I am too expensive, when the quality of my work is exceptional and I don’t even earn the minimum wage on most of the jobs I do,

    Any – good luck blokeuptheroad, be careful on those ladders.

    kayak23
    Full Member

    the very worst is saying I am too expensive, when the quality of my work is exceptional and I don’t even earn the minimum wage on most of the jobs I do,

    I can identify with that.
    14k I ‘made’ last year 😭

    There’s a culture of gathering many quotes, which of course I understand on the one hand, but for us as the ones doing the work, just be aware that it takes up a huge amount of our time, unpaid, and that even if you go with someone else, a little note to explain or just to let us know is just really a nice thing to do.

    Honestly, I’m so fed up of people not having the courtesy to reply to me when I’ve gone to the trouble of researching everything needed for their project, produced initial drawings and costed it up and come back to them with everything they need to be put at ease, along with clear evidence of my conscientiousness, only to be…. ghosted. 😐

    Clearly they’ve found someone cheaper,its out of their budget or they’ve been kidnapped by aliens, but a little note of thanks is helpful and courteous.

    Hope you get sorted op

    franksinatra
    Full Member

    We had this problem trying to get a small en-suite refitted, over two years of trying to line up trades, no-one wanted the work. Ended up get a main contractor in to build extension and refit the entire house over a 6 months. New windows, flooring, heating, electrics, internal woodwork, two bedroom and study extension, sun room, new kitchen. Also got en-suite replaced. Easy, but expensive solution.

    It started as a simple extension but our trades were so good we borrowed extra money to get everything that needed doing, or would need doing in the next few years, all done at the same time so we wouldn’t have the hassle of getting other work done later.

    The problem with that approach is that everything starts getting old/breaking at the same time!

    alanl
    Free Member

    Hmm, on the other foot, I have no work booked in. I’ve had 3 people/Companies let me down, badly, over the last month. I had a 2 month Contract to inspect and test commercial properties for April and May. I did 4 days, and walked out, as they put me inspecting Social Housing, they had ‘lost the Contract to inspect the commercials’. They lied, they had no contract, they just couldnt get anyone to do the Social Housing, so gave me a made up story so I’d start.
    The next one fell in just right, 2 days after I left that, I got a call, we need someone for refitting lighting for a month on railway buildings. OK, I’ll do that. Got a call on the start day, sorry, we’re not going ahead with that now. After I’d spent £100 on orange hi vis kit.
    Then, a new house wiring. This was on the back burner for a while,it’d easily be a months works, I’ve done loads for the guy before, he wanted me, the times fell right, so I was going to start. Until 2 days before, when the builder objected, and said he only worked with his own electrician. I’ve since gone to do some work on his old house, and met the electrician the Builder had got. I wouldnt employ him to fit a socket. I can see some problems with that job.
    So I’m sat here decorating my house, waiting for phone calls.

    DickBarton
    Full Member

    I haven’t cleaned my glasses yet, but have you managed to find a panther yet?

    jambourgie
    Free Member

    Would love a panther. Or a leopard 🐆

    DickBarton
    Full Member

    Why a leotard? That seems to be a bit of a jump from a large cat…

    blokeuptheroad
    Full Member

    Yep, found a Parthenon thanks, he wants paying in marbles of all things! Result!

    suburbanreuben
    Free Member

    Elgin Foch!

    chickenman
    Full Member

    And of course trades folk nowadays have to push their gear for a job in a wheelbarrow since all the vans have been bought up by the Enduro warriors and van converters…

    reeksy
    Full Member

    All the Enduro warriors and van converters where I live are tradies anyway, so it doesn’t make much difference.

    kiwijohn
    Full Member

    Took us over a year to find a builder for our garage.
    Too smaller job for them to bother with when there are easy new builds going up everywhere.
    Finally got a local one to slot it in between other jobs, because we had plans, approvals & finance all sorted.
    He’s been great. Picked up some issues with boundaries from the start and a few details in the plans. We know it’ll take a bit of time, but I’ll soon have a proper shed.

    “Touch wood”

    Flaperon
    Full Member

    There’s a culture of gathering many quotes, which of course I understand on the one hand, but for us as the ones doing the work

    I hate getting quotes. Provided the first one sounds reasonable to me, that’s what I’ll go for.

Viewing 17 posts - 41 through 57 (of 57 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.