How to Hire A Reliable Tradesperson: 3 Tips

When I hear from people who are undertaking decorating projects around the home, one of the issues that comes up the most is tradespeople…

Firstly, they might be anxious about hiring a tradesperson in the first place, in case he or she turns out to be a cowboy or a rogue trader (remember that show?). Secondly, they might have already hired a tradesperson, but they’re taking a long time to complete the project, or the price quoted might be escalated.

So, to help ease you through this step, I thought I’d created a quick post with 3 tips for hiring a reliable tradesperson.

1) Friend referrals are gospel

You really can’t beat the recommendation of friends and family. If you trust a friend’s opinion, and they say they’ve had a great service from a certain builder, plumber or tiler, the chances are, you’ll have that same great service.

One thing to be wary of is if the friend is recommending their friend or family member. They might be drumming up business for that tradesperson as a friend, without quality of service in mind.

2) Use a trade comparison site

You’ll probably have heard of sites such as Checkatrade. These sites are pretty efficient in pointing out the best local tradespeople, based on reviews from past clients. Often, you can find photographic examples of their work on these sites, too!

3) Be wary of a light workload

As a rough guide, highly reputable tradespeople will often be booked up for at least the next couple of weeks. Be a touch wary of any tiler or builder that can book you in tomorrow – there may be some reason why their workload is light.

There you have it – 3 basic tips for helping to ensure you wind up with a great, reliable tradesperson.

Try doing it yourself

If you’re not a confident DIYer, you should always bring in a professional, to ensure you don’t end up with a bodged job. For plumbing, electrics and building, a professional is always a necessity. However, if the task at hand is decorating-related, and if you’re partial to the odd spot of DIY (and you don’t mind saving a bit of money, either), then you might benefit from our step-by-step decorating guides!

If you’re painting one of your rooms, check out our guide: How to Paint Without Making a Mess of it.