Builder approval schemes provide reassurance!

A construction industry source has hailed the added reassurance offered to consumers by approval schemes, saying they give a real indication of which professionals are trusted tradesmen.

Chris Doogan, managing director of paving manufacturer Brett Landscaping, explained to the Builders Merchant Journal that high standards of service are a priority for all good firms, so the success of such initiatives should be applauded.

In his opinion, the reputation of the whole industry is damaged by tradesmen who carry out poor work and 'recommended' status can set these people apart from more skilled workers.

"Approved installer schemes, be it installers of gas boilers or driveways, are essential in improving and protecting the reputation of the construction industries," said Mr Doogan.

Better technical advice, support and craftsmanship are among the benefits people can expect to enjoy from hiring a recommended tradesman, he added.

As well as losing money, being the victim of a rogue builder can be a hugely upsetting experience, with entrepreneur Harvey Ellingham recently telling the This Is Local London that it recently happened to his parents.

He described how it was "devastating" for them to realise they had been conned out of £23,000 and stressed that there are new reports every day of people being duped in a variety of ways by untrustworthy tradesmen.

Read company profiles and customer feedback for Builders working in your area at www.checkatrade.com.

Positive times ahead for home market!

By 2013, the home and garden market will have fully recovered from the recession, according to research from Mintel.

This may mean that professionals from builders to gardeners experience a rise in business, sparking a positive turn of events for their respective industries.

Mintel's recent British Lifestyles 2011 report revealed that over the next year and a half, growth will continue within these sectors, DIYweek.net reported. Although there may be a slight dip in 2012, it seems spending levels on home and gardens will reflect those seen pre-recession by 2013.

Mintel prides itself on provide "comprehensive" research, Mintel.com revealed, so it is thought industry professionals will likely trust the predictions.

Furthermore, the home and garden industries will likely welcome the positive outlook; particularly given recent reports suggested things might get worse before they can get better, correlating with Mintel's findings.

Alexandra Richmond, a lifestyle analyst for Mintel, confirmed this, stating: "The cost of living is rising and we are changing the way we shop as a result. Half of us no longer [want] to pay full price for anything."

Despite this, if electricians, locksmiths and other professionals can hold out for just 18 months longer, then they will probably experienced increased profits. In order to achieve this however, they may have to put extra effort into retaining their existing customers - as Richmond added brand loyalty had effectively gone out the window during the recession.

Read company profiles and customer feedback for Builders working in your area at www.checkatrade.com.

Taxman offers tax amnesty to plumbers!

Chartered Institute of Taxation said that there was a risk that too many amnesties might be counter-productive.

Under the terms of HMRC scheme plumbers with undisclosed tax liabilities have until May to own up or face hefty penalties.

The taxman is to offer plumbers an opportunity to come clean on their tax affairs, outlining a tax "amnesty" for tradesmen.

HM Revenue & Customs today set out what it called the Plumbers Tax Safe Plan – a scheme whereby plumbers can admit to undeclared income and pay a lower penalty than would otherwise apply.

"This is the first step in enabling those with undisclosed income or gains to avoid a full tax investigation with much higher penalties. The message is clear: contact us before we contact you," said Mike Wells, HMRC's director of risk and intelligence.

A plumber who had been hiding income from the taxman would have to pay income tax on those earnings, national insurance contributions, interest going back six years and also a penalty under the scheme – but the penalty is likely to be 10% and a maximum of 20%, rather than the up to 100%, and threat of prosecution, which can apply. Plumbers have until 31 May to take advantage of the scheme.

VAT owed by plumbers will be dealt with "separately", Down said. A spokesman for HMRC said however that a VAT disclosure, while handled separately, would "be part of the PTSP disclosure".

Read company profiles and customer feedback for Plumbers working in your area at www.checkatrade.com.

Thieves targeting trademen's vehicles "at place of work"!

The Elmbridge Community Safety Partnership has warned that the theft of equipment from trade vehicles parked close to properties being renovated is a "growing problem" in the borough.

Thieves are now targeting tradesmen's vehicles in Elmbridge at their place of work, the borough's community safety partnership has warned.

The organisation described the theft of equipment from vehicles close to properties being renovated as a"growing problem".

The thefts, it added, are primarily taking place during daytime hours, while workers are busy inside the properties.

Elmbridge Community Safety Partnership manager Peter Kipps said: “Tradespeople have suffered from thefts from their vehicles for some time and many now remove items when parking vehicles overnight.

“The thieves are now changing their tactics and targeting them at the place of work.

“It’s fairly easy to spot premises under renovation and building sites and keep an eye out for when people such as electricians carpenters and plumbers are working.

“Police Community Support Officers are handing out warning flyers when on patrol and we have requested Check a Trader to issue reminders to their members.

“However, it’s not just the builders who live locally that this will effect so everyone who employs a tradesperson can do their part by at least reminding those people who are working for them that added security measures need to be considered.”

The community safety partnership has issued the following security advice for workers:

- Whenever possible, any tools required should be offloaded from vehicles and taken into the property rather than being left in the vehicle and taken out as and when required.

- Lock your vehicle and keep the keys with you whenever you leave it, even if only for a few minutes.

- Fit and use an alarm system.

- Security mark all your tools so they can be identified.

- Consider where and how you park your vehicle.

Reversing into a drive way will make the rear doors less accessible.

Parking alongside a wall, hedge or other vehicle will prevent access to a side of the vehicle and reduce the opportunity for a forced entry.

Read company profiles and customer feedback for Builders, Plumbers and Electricians working in your area at www.checkatrade.com.

Pensioner stung by scam builders !

A WIDDOWER who suffers from cancer has been left reeling by cowboy builders who scammed him out of £2,800.

And Charles Hilliard, 82, who lives in Ruffs Furze, Oakely, believes that it is pensioners that have been targeted by the unscrupulous firm.

He said: “I actually feel like I have done my neighbours a favour because I was able to tell them not to get any work done.

“We are all over 80 and we have all been approached so they are obviously looking us out.

“I have a daughter in her 50s who lives a few doors away, her guttering needs doing and they never bothered her.”

On September 30, men claiming to be from a company called J and B Building Services, attended Mr Hilliard’s property and told him that work needed to doing on his roof, but police claim that name of the company could be a front because there are many reputable companies registered under that name in the area.

Mr Hilliard, who is currently being treated for cancer and is disabled after a tumour was removed from his leg, said: “I was out in the garden and they pulled up in a multi-coloured transit van and one of the men called out of the window did I know that my chimney needed work.

“He got out of the van and came up to me and claimed that he would do it for a reasonable price.

“I was thinking straight because of all the worry regarding my health, he said he could clear all the guttering, downpipes and facias for £120 and I agreed.”

But when work began on the property the next day the gang claimed that more work needed to be done and the estimated price began to escalate.

Mr Hilliard said: “They helped me to climb up onto the roof and showed me a piece of it and said it was all loose.

“Then one of the pieces that I think they had loosened fell down and smashed on the patio.

“They’d opened up all the roof, if I said I didn’t want it doing they would have just left it or wouldn’t have put it back properly. They told me it was going to cost £4,200.”

Further alarm bells started to ring for Mr Hilliard when the workmen claimed that they could no accept a payment by cheque for £2,800 as the first instalment for the works.

He said: “He said that is how builders work, they wanted the full amount in cash but the bank would only let me draw out £2,800 which I gave to them.

“I had to go to hospital in the morning of the next day but before they arrived I got up on the step ladder to check the work and they hadn’t even touched the gutterings.

“I sat down and worked out the costings and I felt like such a fool, I had been paying them about £200 an hour.”

Mr Hilliard immediately rang the Office Of Fair Trading and the police who are investigating the incident.

A spokesman for Bedfordshire Police said: “We are investigating this, even though they had J and B on the side of the van it is a common name used by reputable builders and it is highly unlikely that this is their name.”

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City West Housing Trust skills programme provides 140 jobs!

A scheme designed to break down barriers for Salford people interested in working in the construction industry has led to the creation of 140 jobs since its launch two years ago.

Operated by social housing landlord City West Housing Trust, the City West Works' Skills Programme is aimed at providing a “pathway to employment” for the long term unemployed, women and ethnic minorities.

Participants undergo a short training scheme with City West and are then helped to find permanent employment with a company in the construction sector.

 “To date, 31 per cent of the trainees are women, which is way above the national average of 10 per cent.

“The skills programme has provided the trainees with a renewed sense of self-worth, career aspirations and a positive attitude about what the future holds.

“The trainees are now working in a range of roles from plumbers and electricians to quantity surveyors and trainee tenant liaison officers.”

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Army returns to finish eco village!

Twenty-six soldiers from Linton Military Camp have begun their three-month stint at Mistletoe Bay Eco Village to finish building the campground their predecessors started in 2006.

An advance group of nine soldiers arrived last week to start laying the foundations for the camp kitchen and conference room, while the rest arrived on Monday.

The group is made up of qualified builders, plumbers, and electricians, as well as chefs, and men from the signals unit.

They will build a new conference centre and camp kitchen area  including a science laboratory, shop, laundry and storage space  extend the ablutions block and add a disabled toilet to the existing kitchen.

Corporal Ricky Kernohan said they had been planning the project for five months, and enlisted the manpower from units based at Linton, south of Palmerston North. 

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HSE campaign aims to fill in knowledge gaps!

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a new campaign targeting joiners, plumbers and electricians who are not aware of how to deal with asbestos.

Karen Clayton, a representative from the industry body, described how the key is to minimise the risk to workers, particularly younger tradesmen who may not be aware of the lethal effects of the substance, reported the Mirror.

She said: "We want to help tradesmen understand the life-saving fact that asbestos exposure is not just a historical problem. Our initiative is about tradesmen finding out exactly what they need to do to protect themselves by taking advantage of free training."

Ms Clayton pointed out that there is little that can be done for those who have already suffered from the effects of asbestos, but a series of free classroom-based training sessions should help prevent problems in the future.

The HSE training will be available in October and November, according to gazettelive.co.uk. Bob Stephenson, co-ordinator of the Northeast Asbestos and Support Awareness Group, told the publication the scheme must be given a high priority.

He noted that even short periods of exposure can lead to mesothelioma, which is the asbestos-related cancer that has claimed so many lives over the years. In the north east alone, 1,446 people died of the disease from 1998 to 2008.

Read company profiles and customer feedback for Builders, Plumbers and Electricians working in your area at www.checkatrade.com.

Business information portal for builders launched!

DIY chain Wickes has launched a new website to assist builders with the business-side of running their own company.

Noting that builders want to go into the trader to work with their hands - as opposed to sit indoors filling out forms all day - Wickes has launched its Wickes Trade Builder platform, to assist with the management and business side of owning a building firm.

Set up as part of a collaboration with the government's Business Link resource, the site aims to give the sector a boost; helping trusted tradesmen establish their business and distance themselves from any rogues working in the same area.

The site contains content written specifically for tradesmen relating directly to their business. It aims to cover everything from legal issues, hiring employees, taxation and the taking of of apprentices. It came about after research showed that as many as 35 per cent of builders claimed they could not find relevant business information pertaining to their sector, diyweek.net reports.

Speaking to buildersmerchantjournal.net of the new platform, Wickes' marketing director, Rob Murray, explained: "It's imperative that tradesmen understand how to protect and grow their business effectively, but our research has shown that many tradesmen don't know where to find this kind of advice easily.

"Wickes recognises that it has a responsibility to provide the essential information a tradesman needs to run a successful business, from tax return dates to managing money. This means that tradesmen get exactly what they need to know in just a couple of clicks."

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Five million Britons 'suffering from oikodomophobia'!

London: It may sound a bit strange, but some five million men in Britain are suffering from oikodomophobia -- a fear of tradesmen, a new study has revealed.

Researchers have found that British men suffer symptoms such as sweaty palms, breathing difficulties and breaking into a cold sweat when negotiating work with builders, plumbers or electricians, the 'Daily Express' reported.

The men worst affected by oikodomophobia tend to be those who themselves work in advertising, recruitment and banking. More than 30 per cent of men admitted feeling intimidated and confused when speaking to tradespeople. The main reason is their lack of knowledge, particularly about technical terms and whether the price they were being quoted was fair

A third said their minds went blank when talking to tradesmen and that they felt nervous when dealing with them.

One in four men admitted to needing help with do-it-yourself projects, but many turned to friends rather than professionals, the study for 'thomson-local.com' found.

The researchers said these men suffer from oikodomophobia -- a term coined in 2006 from the ancient Greek oikodomo for building.

Jill Pringle, the company's marketing director, was quoted as saying, "As many as 25 per cent of men admit to not being able to change a light bulb properly."

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Builders want VAT reduced!

The government should reduce VAT to 5 per cent for energy- saving measures installed in homes and businesses under its flagship "green deal" scheme, it has been urged.

More than two dozen organisations, including the British Property Federation, have called for an across-the-board 5 per cent VAT rate for the green deal, instead of 20 per cent, which they say is needed to ensure take-up of the programme to reduce carbon emissions from buildings and cut fuel bills.

Read company profiles and customer feedback for Builder working in your area at www.checkatrade.com.

Tradesman fined for shoddy work!

A kitchen and bathroom fitter has been prosecuted for shoddy work.

Colin Jones of Newton-le-Willows, admitted an offense under the Companies Act when he appeared at St Helens Magistrates’ Court

The 58-year-old was prosecuted by St Helens Council Trading Standards officers following sub standard kitchen work at a house in Nutgrove.

Jones was fined £300 by a district judge, last Thursday, September 1, and ordered to pay £300 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Cllr Alison Bacon, cabinet member for environmental protection, said: “When people have work done by tradesmen they have a right to expect it to be done competently, safely and to a reasonable standard."

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