Is this builder dodgy?

[anonymous-user]

Hi People,

Can someone please point me in the right direction/give advice so that i hopefully make the right decision

I have a tenant who let a property based on the fact that it required redecoration so the rent was cheap to reflect this. Since the tenant has moved in, she has had more than an acceptable number of problems with the property however the landlord has accepted that there are issues and asks for them to be fixed.0

The works required are;

1 - New boiler and radiators (back burner system not effective)
2 - New bathroom with shower (no shower previously)
3 - New wood conservatory roof (rotten frame + leaking)
4 - New rear windows (rotten frames)

I have been struggling to find a contractor/firm who can carry out all the work in-house so that i have only one person to call for any queries etc.

Tenant has recommended a builder who lives across the road from her mothers. The builder has given me his flyer with no address on it at all and a '10% off with this flyer' coupon. I have googled this builder as he claims he is very big and does a lot of 'big' work but i cant find him at all. He has been established since 1999.

Anyway Mr Builder has been round and provided quote of just over £5k for all the works. I have the authorisation from the landlord to go ahead too. However this is were things start to go wrong.

I ask contractor for a quote and i get a written quote on a blank piece of paper not on letterhead.

Contractor asks me to set up some sort of agreement between him & landlord so everything is on paper and just in case we have any problems. I have no experience of handling works to this sort of scale before so i google some info and eventually find a 'domestic works contract' to download, this basically covers everything. Although i would have thought that anyone who carried out works to this scale should already have some sort of paperwork system on place.

I pass this onto contractor and ask him to give me a copy of his liability insurance cert or policy number along with any trade membership numbers. At this point contractor gets very defensive up to the point of aggressive. He states that £5k is pocket money for him and the job is not worth his while as he is only doing it as a favour for the tenant. I tell him that i need these details in case something goes wrong. I'm trying to get the work done too and he isn't helping. Contractor then begins to spiel off how professional he is and continually threatens to withdraw if i 'get funny' with him. Please note that he does not answer my phone calls or return my messages and expects me to communicate with him through the tenant if he is not available. He states that he is very busy but that can never be an excuse not to get back to someone.

Due to the time of year and landlord going on holiday soon in a couple of weeks i'm desperate to get this work done so tenant has a nice Xmas and lives happily ever after however at the same time i do not want to expose landlord to getting ripped off by this contractor.

For example if he is too busy to answer the phone what guarantee do i have that if the radiators he installed start leaking 2 months after the works he will be back to repair. If the bathroom he installs somehow falls through the ceiling what comeback do i have other than an angry landlord who will probably want to sue me for hiring a cowboy.

Contractor keeps pointing out repairs to the tenant which landlord just says get them done, however i'm increasingly finding him and his attitude as 'another problem' rather than a solution. Shall i just tell him to get lost and find someone else?

Any thoughts/comment would be appreciated.

Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 15th November 01:11

[dirkgently]

Read through what you have written then tell us what you think

[grumbledoak]

I doubt he'll get more than half way. I didn't.

Shaid, go and get a quote for each of the jobs individually, add them up, and see how they compare with his quote for all the works. I suspect you'll find yourself thinking of this guy

[D14 AYS]

Shaid GTB said:

The works required are;

1 - New boiler and radiators (back burner system not effective)
2 - New bathroom with shower (no shower previously)
3 - New wood conservatory roof (rotten frame + leaking)
4 - New rear windows (rotten frames)

5k ! Be afraid VERY AFRAID!

[theaxe]

dirkgently said:

Read through what you have written then tell us what you think

+1, this is like those "Is this a scam?" posts. The answer is always, YES!

Hope you can get it sorted by Christmas but better get it sorted in the new year than have £5k disappear or be left with a half done job.

Edited by theaxe on Sunday 15th November 09:44

[UpTheIron]

You're having problems with the guy before work has started. Isn't it obvious? Get out while you can.

[Davel]

If you can't get the answers now then you've got no chance when things start to go wrong.

Simples - go elsewhere now!

[fido]

Shaid GTB said:

I ask contractor for a quote and i get a written quote on a blank piece of paper not on letterhead.

I wouldn't have proceeded at this point. Even my roofer writes me a proper letterhead quote for a small job e.g. painting or replacing a gutter - with a breakdown of tasks and VAT.

[Tony 1234]

OP, unless you are aged 6 it is obvious he is a 'cowboy' big time.


1/ No address on letter head

2/ Cannot get hold of him, wait until something goes wrong (and it will)

3/ Bad temper, read item 2

4/ If he ever finishes the job, origianal cost will rise see 2 and 3 above.

Run as fast as you can far away from him!

OR, post again when work completed i.e Builder ripped me off and did a s*it job what can I do?

[GreenV8S]

How are you involved in this? You're referring to the landlord and tenant in the third person. Are you an agent for either of them?

[anonymous-user]

GreenV8S said:

How are you involved in this? You're referring to the landlord and tenant in the third person. Are you an agent for either of them?

Yes...

Thanks for the input guys, reading through what i wrote the answer is blatantly obvious. I think i just needed a slap of reality!

Tomorrow is going to be a fun day indeed. I think i'll be able to get most of the work done by contractors i trust i'll just need to sweeten them to carry out the works asap.

However the wood conservatory roof is going to be an issue so i'll have to shop about for it, get various quotes and present all my finding to the landlord for him to make the decision.

[GreenV8S]

Shaid GTB said:

GreenV8S said:

How are you involved in this? You're referring to the landlord and tenant in the third person. Are you an agent for either of them?

Yes...

So just to clarify: Somebody is employing you to arrange maintenance on their property; you're doing this professionally?

[Nolar Dog]

GreenV8S said:

So just to clarify: Somebody is employing you to arrange maintenance on their property; you're doing this professionally?

Allegedly.

[anonymous-user]

GreenV8S said:

Shaid GTB said:

GreenV8S said:

How are you involved in this? You're referring to the landlord and tenant in the third person. Are you an agent for either of them?

Yes...

So just to clarify: Somebody is employing you to arrange maintenance on their property; you're doing this professionally?

I manage small scale maintenance on a large number of properties (such as leaks, boiler breakdowns etc) for a letting agent. A landlord has asked me to get to the bottom of his 'investments' maintenance issues so naturally i want to help him iron out all these issues yet i do not want to risk his money either. I am not taking a cut in the contractors bill either.

[anonymous-user]

Please don't tell me you're doing this as a profession, or have i misread this?

It's your tenant, yet you have a landlord?

[anonymous-user]

digimeistter said:

Please don't tell me you're doing this as a profession, or have i misread this?

It's your tenant, yet you have a landlord?

It is not my tenant, it is a landlords tenant. Tenant has issues with the property (lots). Landlord has asked me to get to the bottom of them. I am trying to do just that.

Why do you say 'don't tell me you're doing this as a profession'?

If i was negligent and just told this brute to go ahead and carry out the work just because he and tenant are being pushy then i would be doing wrong however by asking this guy simple questions which a contractor should be able to answer and refusing to allow him to start works until i have such answers in my eyes is the right thing to do.

Granted after re-reading the post its pretty obvious what the answer is however sometimes we all need a little re-assurance and what better way is there than to ask PH. The guaranteed way to get the most obvious answer weather one likes it or not.

I am not charging the landlord anything extra for arranging works at his property neither am i taking a cut from any contractors final bill. It is hard enough to convince a landlord to spend large amounts of monies without them feeling as if your trying to rip them off.

Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 15th November 18:04

[Tony 1234]

Shaid GTB said:

GreenV8S said:

How are you involved in this? You're referring to the landlord and tenant in the third person. Are you an agent for either of them?

Yes...

Thanks for the input guys, reading through what i wrote the answer is blatantly obvious. I think i just needed a slap of reality!

Good man.

[anonymous-user]

Thanks Tony.... and PH

I'm all excited now. My first call in the morning is going to be to said contractor.

[eliot]

Shaid GTB said:

I am not charging the landlord anything extra for arranging works at his property neither am i taking a cut from any contractors final bill. It is hard enough to convince a landlord

So where do you fit into this then? - you work for free?

As others have said - walk away from said builder.

[Slagathore]

D14 AYS said:

Shaid GTB said:

The works required are;

1 - New boiler and radiators (back burner system not effective)
2 - New bathroom with shower (no shower previously)

3 - New wood conservatory roof (rotten frame + leaking)
4 - New rear windows (rotten frames)

5k ! Be afraid VERY AFRAID!

Indeed.

That seems ridiculously cheap.