Trades - moan!!
Discussion
DonkeyApple said:
Maybe it's a simple as half the UK's tradesmen have gone home due to Brexit and COVID and getting back in is harder, while the other half all built pubs in their gardens at the start the first lockdown and have been too pissed to answer the phone? 
In reality, I suspect the main drivers are a general knock-on from delayed projects from this time last year when few households wanted trades in their home and some materials and workers being more scarce, huge numbers of people all sitting at home and suddenly finding time to think about extensions and refurbs and a burst of people moving that was all pento up and needing work on new homes along with people staying put but wanting to change things having been trapped inside for a year.
And as you also mention, millions of consumers have ended up with more money in their accounts than they ever believed possible and are suddenly able to make much bigger purchases than ever before while some of them will have realised that when they don't spend 24/7 going to the shops to buy tat they aren't actually on the poverty line but have good salaries and that making one's home environment as good as it can be is smarter than buying this week's latest must have object.
It will probably all eventually revert back to people pouring all their money into Primark, Dunelm and Miller & Carter but if for the moment it's pouring into the pockets of tradesfolk then long may it continue.
it is simply another policy failure from tony blair,sending everyone to university and it will take decades to right itself,athough the loss of skill set that cant and hasnt been passed on cannot be measuredIn reality, I suspect the main drivers are a general knock-on from delayed projects from this time last year when few households wanted trades in their home and some materials and workers being more scarce, huge numbers of people all sitting at home and suddenly finding time to think about extensions and refurbs and a burst of people moving that was all pento up and needing work on new homes along with people staying put but wanting to change things having been trapped inside for a year.
And as you also mention, millions of consumers have ended up with more money in their accounts than they ever believed possible and are suddenly able to make much bigger purchases than ever before while some of them will have realised that when they don't spend 24/7 going to the shops to buy tat they aren't actually on the poverty line but have good salaries and that making one's home environment as good as it can be is smarter than buying this week's latest must have object.
It will probably all eventually revert back to people pouring all their money into Primark, Dunelm and Miller & Carter but if for the moment it's pouring into the pockets of tradesfolk then long may it continue.
lizardbrain said:
Market forces should sort this out, no?
If a trades person is consistently over subscribed, they are not charging enough. A frustrated client should be able to price themselves into contention? If not why not?
Then supply should catch up. Youth unemployment rate is 15% or so. I'm not devaluing the trades. (My attempts at DIY devalue the house). But remember all these reports of little jobs going wanting, it can't be hard to find a trainee position... but not worth getting out of bed for.... where is the equilibrium?
Market forces may be part of the problemIf a trades person is consistently over subscribed, they are not charging enough. A frustrated client should be able to price themselves into contention? If not why not?
Then supply should catch up. Youth unemployment rate is 15% or so. I'm not devaluing the trades. (My attempts at DIY devalue the house). But remember all these reports of little jobs going wanting, it can't be hard to find a trainee position... but not worth getting out of bed for.... where is the equilibrium?
Take an electrician for example. Start as an apprentice then work your way up to be a licensed/registered electrician.
This takes a lot of time, effort and money and understandably you want to recoup this money so you charge a premium rate.
Unfortunately a customer will get the quote for work and immediately deem it too expensive, and so goes looking for the cheapest unlicensed 'electrician' he can find on Craigslist.
The exact same thing happens in the auto repair industry, where you have spent about $100,000 on specialist tools and training courses, but are competing with shade tree mechanics working illegally out of their house.
Triumph Man said:
mart 63 said:
Gad-Westy said:
It can't just be me that suffers from this. It seems like every builder/plumber/electrician etc that I ever engage with is utterly hopeless!
In the past we've eventually found some core people that we can rely on 'enough'. But having recently moved, I'm starting from square one and I could do with a little bit of building work doing, some plastering and I need some electrics sorting. I've had a few recommendations for all. I must have called 10 different people now. Of the ones I've managed to speak to, I have had the usual, I'll call back with a time. Haven't heard a thing. Have been following up.
2 weeks of this crap. Not one person has got as far as even coming to quote. It's driving me nuts how much effort I'm having to put in just to get someone to take a look and give a price.
My standards are now so low that I would probably give a 5 star google review to anybody who just returns a call!
Rant over. Not asking for any advice. Just frustrated!
Most trades are very busy, all the good ones are flat out. You seem to want small jobs doing, which to a busy tradesmen are not worth getting out of bed for. I certainly wouldn't entertain bit work.In the past we've eventually found some core people that we can rely on 'enough'. But having recently moved, I'm starting from square one and I could do with a little bit of building work doing, some plastering and I need some electrics sorting. I've had a few recommendations for all. I must have called 10 different people now. Of the ones I've managed to speak to, I have had the usual, I'll call back with a time. Haven't heard a thing. Have been following up.
2 weeks of this crap. Not one person has got as far as even coming to quote. It's driving me nuts how much effort I'm having to put in just to get someone to take a look and give a price.
My standards are now so low that I would probably give a 5 star google review to anybody who just returns a call!
Rant over. Not asking for any advice. Just frustrated!
Another thing that used to piss me off about private work is after you finished the job, they want to pay cash with no VAT. Another reason why I stopped private work.
Little jobs are the best earners by far but you need multiple jobs every day to make them worthwhile. Its no good having 3 light fittings to put up on Monday and a socket to wire on Wednesday when instead I could do a re-wire lasting the whole week.
If I had 5 small jobs a day at £50 each that would be great but you need to be a bigger firm to generate that sort of work and they usually dedicate one lad to do all those little jobs, I should know as I used to do it years ago, it was a pain in the arse as I only got paid the same as others tossing it off on a re-wire somewhere.
If I had 5 small jobs a day at £50 each that would be great but you need to be a bigger firm to generate that sort of work and they usually dedicate one lad to do all those little jobs, I should know as I used to do it years ago, it was a pain in the arse as I only got paid the same as others tossing it off on a re-wire somewhere.
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