Everyone knows somebody who had a bad experience with a builder, turning their home improvement project into a nightmare. Therefore, don’t let yourself get trapped in this position too! When using your savings on these works, ensure you maintain control through a comprehensive homeowner building contract.

Congratulations on committing to developing your house into the home you have always dreamed of. This is an exciting but huge commitment! During the build, you will experience some stress as your house becomes a building site. Furthermore, you will face inconvenience as your existing property is refurbished or extended. This involves works such as removing walls and having bathrooms and kitchens out of action for a period. Although you cannot avoid this, with a homeowner's building contract and careful planning, we can help you through this process and manage the stress and inconvenience on your behalf.

We highly recommend thoroughly reviewing all bids before committing to a builder. Very often, the cheapest quotation is not the best proposal. Consequently, you may incur extra costs throughout the works.

As stated by social critic John Ruskin:

"When you buy on price, you can never be sure. It is unwise to pay too much, but it is worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money — that’s all. But when you pay too little, you sometimes will lose everything because the thing you bought is incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. It can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is as well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do this, you will have enough to buy quality."

Ruskin. Circa 1895

Citizens Advice Article - Getting Builders Work Done

As soon as you give a contractor the go-ahead, you’ve made a contract with them, even if it’s not written down. Always try to get a building contract in writing before you give the go-ahead. If the contractor doesn’t do what you agreed, a written contract can help you get what you paid for, or at least get some of your money back.

If your contractor won’t provide you with anything in writing:

Be wary of contractors who won’t put anything in writing - it’s a sign they could be dishonest.

Never Pay Cash

Tradesmen play many tricks on their clients. For example, making you believe that you are getting a better deal “if you pay cash, thereby avoid paying VAT”. This is usually untrue as the builder will have to pay VAT on materials purchased and will have included these costs in their quotation.

If the builder is offering a cash option, it is likely that they are not VAT registered. Therefore, no VAT will be due on the associated labour costs. The builder is simply trying to convince you that you’re getting a better price.

Either during or after the works are completed, you may have paid a tradesman in cash. How can you prove that you have made payment? If issues occur with the works, proving payment is crucial. Without proof, it is very difficult to get the tradesman to return and rectify the work. Documentation ensures they need to return to your property to repair or redo the works.