Property Owner Guide

A lot of 'standard' issues arise in relation to building matters, often based upon a breakdown in communication between the parties or a mis-match of expectations to reality.  For very small projects, like the plumber coming round to service your boiler, most people do not worry about paperwork beforehand.  However, the bigger the project the more important it is that there is a written agreement setting out exactly what work should be done.  The most common issues we find are dealt with below.

		Are you employing a builder, architect, surveyor, engineer or tradesman to deal with works at your home?  We always recommend that you use qualified professionals who are members of a recognised trade body.  Most trade bodies have details of members available either on or through their website and you should check this information before entering into a contract.
		Have you been charged more than you were told the works would cost?  A lot depends on whether you were given an estimate, quote/quotation or tender. An estimate may merely be an indication of price and not binding. A quotation or a tender will generally be an offer to fix the price. If you are being charged more than this, often linked to a threat of removal of labour or demands for more money, you need to take prompt advice.
		Do you feel that the work has not been completed properly?  You should consider asking the original workmen back to correct the problem, but may not want them involved any more or they may be refusing to come back unless you pay them more.  You may not be prepared to hand over any more money without seeing the results first.  We can act as stakeholders to hold the money, giving you the assurance that it has not been handed over until you are satisfied and them the confidence of knowing the money is there.
		Do you think that the work is taking too long?  Unless you stipulated time within any agreement or it was made clear that time was of the essence at the time of entering into the contract then the work should be done within a reasonable period, but what that is may be unclear.  You should set out your concerns about the progress with the tradesmen involved and contact us if you do not get a satisfactory response.

If you are unable to resolve the matter yourself then please call us to discuss how we can help.