Owning your own home

100%

I often think that there’s a real missed opportunity to create a scaled home services business across London. Problem is you would need a huge number of trades, have to vet them and keep them. You would charge a premium similar to Pimlico Plumbers but I think for peace of mind most people would be ok with that.

Problem is people always want things cheaper and trades are always tempted to do things on the side or for themselves because getting work isn’t actually hard!

I often think that there’s a real missed opportunity to create a scaled home services business across London.

Resi did this for us, everything 'taken care' of for a fee. Was great. I didnt even shop around, the process was excellent and reassuring.

Took a quick questionnaire for a loft; might even do it. Nothing can be more millenial.

Obvs not for 'small' jobs.

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Yeah, it’s definitely closer to and I think the loft conversions/extensions/big renno forms are much better than the mix n match building jobs - Resi’s problem is the ‘scaled’ bit. I tried to work with them and they just can’t deliver that many projects at once

I would pay that premium, for sure. Especially because I already have, and it has only caused added stress and frustration. With hindsight, if someone had said for an extra £4k (probably the difference I have already paid, I'd need to check), we will sort all this work and you just have to open the door and make cups of tea, I would go back and tell 2020 me to bite their hand off.

oh yeah, Resi is for the OTP bike buyer

So much so that now I get hit with a massive wave of anxiety, verging on panic attack levels, when I'm handing over the money. I'm constantly doubting myself now if I've picked the right person (despite being careful about reviews and experience) or if they've fucked something else up that I couldn't possibly know about. And it feels like the only way to not get shafted, is to learn enough about the job you are paying to have done that you may as well get the cert yourself and DIY it.

I get this too. I start to feel sick every time a new problem crops up which I know I can't fix. There's this kind of anxious dread which comes with phoning around trying to get someone to even take my call. I feel like a little kid trying to be an adult and failing.

boomers are laughing at us !

But they also dont live in tiktok hype house with me and @cozey

...so anyone have a preferred plumber and sparky in Chiselhurst / Bromley / Orpington!?

So far Pimlico have been the best bet, albeit at a premium. In one instance, they were the only folk who would even come out to use (burst pipe).

Anyone got a dehumidifier recommendation? Something thin would be the dream as the ideal spot is on our landing.

Cheers.

dehumidifier recommendation

Meaco

https://www.meaco.com/products/meaco-dd8l-dehumidifier

500 x 351 x 188mm

We got this one. Is slimmer than my old delonghi

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B077GZ3TVS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00

Cheers.

Any reason for a desiccant?

It's for inside the house, and I thought condensers were meant to be more economic.

(it is very small which looks great)

This one is still going strong after a few years:
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0194MCV0G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Dessicant will be quieter but slower/pull less water from the air.

^^ thanks

^ I can imagine it's one of those things that isn't always straightforward. The one Howard linked says it does a periodic air check. So it's possible over a 24hr period it uses less electricity even if for the periods it's on it uses more.

I guess noise and size prob leads me towards dessicant.

We're at 60-65% humidity with me trying to be diligent on other measures. So I feel like I just need a bit of help to get it down to help clean up the air.

You would charge a premium similar to Pimlico Plumbers

The people I know that have used Pimlico Plumbers have been happy with the work and they now cover most building works so that route is available.

I should probably give them a go sometime.

I'm picturing your tiktok hype house like
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0App7QizQCU

This one is still going strong after a few years:
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0­194MCV0G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_tit­le?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Same here. 4 years of daily use over the colder months. Really should clean the filter actually....

I have a different (wider) Meaco that seems to do a good job and reasonably quiet!

I've got the kitchen to do at some point. Which I dread. I have asked people a few times here how to even start going about it, but it always boils down to "design the whole thing yourself, pick the stuff, find a good builder, micro manage what they're doing, and if it's shit you've only got yourself to blame."

I just want to point someone at the kitchen and ask them to tell me what it needs to make it a not shit kitchen. I have zero design creativity so would be easy to please in that regard. Then I want the same person to go away and arrange everything, just give me a ball park figure of what it will cost. Is that an architect? Interior designer? Kitchen company? Builder? Again, how do I know that whichever one of those it is are not going to end up in the 90% camp? I know there's a thread for this, but that's full of people who know what they're doing.

Any reason for a desiccant?

They are quiet, smaller and supply a bit of heat.

It REALLY gets on my tits that even when you try to be a responsible homeowner and get the right people in, pay them good money, on time without quibbling over every detail, you still get shafted. So much so that now I get hit with a massive wave of anxiety, verging on panic attack levels, when I'm handing over the money.

I feel the same whenever I'm looking for other trades I need to sub work out to. I have a group of people that I know and trust that I use for most things but if they're not available I have to look elsewhere. Recently the decorator that i have used exclusively for the last 10 years retired and I got stung several times trying to find someone decent to replace him, I now have no real choice but to undertake the decorating work myself which stings me in a different way - I'm slower than he was but can't charge extra because of that so I'm losing out on other work as well as paying myself less.

This is how I look at tradespeople that I'm considering working with:

1. What is their appearance like? I Don't expect them to be immaculate but if they make an effort to be presentable (and not wear the same clothes for a week without washing them - major bugbear of mine) then they are likely to take pride in their work.
   
2. Will they take time to explain to me how they will do the work? I am deeply suspicious of anyone who will not tell people how they intend to do a job as it makes me worry that they are not able to plan out their work and prefer to "just get it done". By the way the phrase "just get it done" is in my experience the most dangerous thing to say in construction and fills me with a sense of impending doom as it means all thought is abandoned and people start to rush when this happens people get hurt (or worse) or the work produced is dangerous. There are a number of tradespeople on here (as already mentioned @ColinTheBald), @Airhead, @Mr_Sworld and @Nef and I'm sure that there are others I've forgotten and if so I apologise. The guys I've mentioned are happy to give advice to people based on their area(s) of expertise they know that giving advice to people does not affect their chances of winning work (the opposite in my experience) and it shows that they have a good knowledge of their trade.
   
3. How detailed is the quote? (closely related to point 2) If the quote says labour £XXXXX, Materials £XXXXX then they have, more than likely, pulled a figure out of their arse and are likely to come back to you to say they've underquoted and the final bill will be £XXXX more than the estimate. When I quote I take the time to write out a scope of works figure out the exact amount of materials needed to do the job and cost these out.
   
4. What is there communication like? OK so everyone is busy and can't be expected to respond immediately but if you have to chase them for a reply every time then it becomes a problem.
   
5. Are they a limited company? I have no problem working with sole traders, I am however wary of limited companies as it is an easy way for bad actors to lose personal and financial responsibility for there mistakes or poor workmanship. If I'm going to work with a limited company I always check with companies house to see how long they've been trading. If they haven't been trading long I'll look and see if there have been other companies registered at the address given.
   
6. Where are they from? I know how this sounds but it is not brexit related. In general I find working with Kiwi and Aussie tradies to be a joy bcause in both countries you need qualifications to do your trade so they have a good working knowledge with no gaps and will take time to learn about the appropriate regs here too. I would love to see some kind of licensed builder scheme set up here.
   
   

I'm sorry you have had such a bad experience.

Do you have an idea or ideas of what you’d like your kitchen to look like? Material, cupboard style, worktops etc?

Thank you for taking the time to list all this out. Some of it I already employ, but some will definitely prove useful. Unfortunately, some of the bad ones ticked all the "what to look out for" boxes, but still ended up being cunts. To reiterate, I have had nothing but good communication and valuable advice from any of the trades I've met off here.

To your point 4 - the worst of the worst trades I've had in this year, have all been British. Interesting info about the Kiwis and Aussies, I didn't know that. They guys who did our door were Polish, and I love them (https://www.asashrepair.co.uk/). They even had their own wash kit with hand soap and towels, put up proper dust sheets/screens etc. and cleaned up at the end of each day, not just at the end of the job (makes all the difference when we're still living here - I know it takes time, but if you're onsite for 8-10 hours a day, we're still here for the other 14-16, I don't like tramping dust and muck everywhere). The roofers were a shower of shit, all except the Bulgarian dude who could not have been nicer or more considerate. The plasterer/decorators are Jamaican, and I have recommended them to Damo. Although, they recommended the plumber who fitted the unvented cylinder, so it's not all rosey.

Yes and no. I would want a stone worktop for ease of maintenance. I like the ply edge cupboards you see knocking about. Not averse to pinks/pastels. I can see all the things I like in various places, it's getting it all done, deciding on configuration etc that seems insurmountable to me.