When you have to get some work done on your house, it can be a bit intimidating. We’ve all heard the horror stories about rogue tradespeople. To avoid falling victim to one of these dodgy dealers, here are some tips to follow:

Get a quote, not an estimation
While quotes are a fixed price, estimations are just a guess, which means they’re probably giving you a rounded down version of the actual cost. Don’t get a shock when the bill comes and it’s twice as much as what they said it would be – be vigilant about getting a quote instead, on paper!

Don’t use the guys that go door to door
If a guy comes knocking on your door offering to put in some double glazing for you, politely decline his offer. Usually, if a tradesperson is any good, they won’t need to knock around looking for work. This is your first warning sign!

Look for references
Ask the person doing the job for references, and call them up. You could even ask to see the job they did depending on what it was.

Ask friends for recommendations
If your friend has gotten work done on their house and they were happy with it, ask them who they got to do it. A bit of good old fashioned word of mouth is always a good way to go!

Ask about a warranty
Good tradespeople will come back and fix things if something goes wrong, because they are relying on your recommendation for future work. Make sure to ask about a warranty, and how they usually deal if something needs to be changed or fixed later on.

Get it in writing
Once you’ve decided on who you want to do the work, make sure to get the job in writing. Include how much the job is costing, payment methods, how long it’s going to take and whether or not you are paying for the materials used yourself.