The Magical Building Company

Building Issues

It is generally agreed that the 3 most stressful things in life are Moving house, Divorce and Death. Unfortunately Building Work is often a close fourth.
The main reasons for this are:-

• 1. The clients have not been properly advised from the beginning and either have not thought out properly what they want to achieve and or have not been advised of the most cost effective way of achieving it. For example clients who ask a builder to replace wooden flooring throughout the house after just decorating it - resulting in additional costs from the inevitable damages to the decoration.
  Before starting a job we take great care to ensure that we have fully understood our clients requirements so that we can manage the work cost effectively and minimise and unforeseen extras.
  
  
  

• 2. The builder does not point out to the client from the beginning the "extras" which will inevitably result from the work. A classic example is builders who quote just for re-decorating a wall when they know that the plasterwork is "live" in some place. Halfway through the job they ask for more money to make repairs to the wall which are carefully excluded from the wording of their estimate.
  By taking time and care to fully understand our clients requirements we are able to allow for all extras in the job. The only additions will therefore be new work requested by the client unforeseen problems exposed in the course of the work.
  
  
  
• 3. The builder is oblivious to the fact that the client has no kitchen and is living in a building site in and proceeds at a snails pace, taking men on and off the job according to the demands of other work.
  We understand the huge inconvenience and disruption even the best organised building work can cause to our clients. Before undertaking a job we agree a timing schedule with our clients and we will do whatever we can to keep to that as closely as possible.
  
  
  
• 4. Some of the tradesmen used on the job are clearly not qualified to do the work they have been given and matter are often made worse if their command of English is so poor that they don't properly understand the clients instructions.
  All our workers and sub-contractors are experienced building professionals irrespective as to whether they are Corgi registered boiler engineers or plasterers labourers.
  
  
  
• 5. The builder quotes low to get the job and then constantly looks for "extras" which the clients assumed were covered in their quote and then charges for these at three times the rate of the main job. Its hard to argue with a builder or risk the hassle of him walking off the job if you don't have a useable bathroom and your kids are sleeping in camp beds in your bedroom.
  As explained in 2 above we take pride in keeping any necessary extras to a minimum and many of our jobs have no extras at all.
  
  
  
• 6. The clients change their mind half way through the job. At the end of the day the client is the client and a builder is not a normally a professional designer but a good builder will advise the client from the beginning if they feel that some of the clients choices may not work on practical or aesthetic grounds. Any changes after a job has been planned will invariably be disproportionately expensive.
  As explained in 1 above we can normally avoid this by taking time at the beginning of the job to understand our clients full requirements and make sure they have thought them through properly.
  
  
  
• 7. The builders finish is obviously sub-standard but he insists on being paid in full before completing the job.
  We agree with our clients at the beginning of the job stage payments which reflect the amount of work done. We only expect payment for a stage when it is completed to our clients satisfaction.
  
  
  
• 8. The clients make a stand against the builders unjustified extras and poor finish and the builder walks off the job before it is completed.
  We mimimise extras, have never left a job uncompleted and our finish speaks for itself.

Sadly the list goes on and on...... the biggest mistake made by so many clients is to select a builder on the basis of quoted price alone. The cheapest quotes can often end up being by far the most expensive and can often also involve continuous hassle and bad feeling throughout the project.

But if both parties ensure from the beginning that they fully understand each other's requirements so there are no misunderstandings about:-

• The cost of the work (including likely extras)
• The full scope of the work
• The likely duration of the work
• The stage payments needed for the work
• The standard of finish expected
• Then a building project can be a happy experience for both parties which can beneficially transform a home.

So how do you spot a Poor Builder?

Unless a company comes recommended by someone you can trust its often very good to sort out the good guys from the bad guys. A few of tell tale signs may be:-

• A very cheap quotation. Remember these guys make money from the "extras" they will help create through-out the job so they will normally undercut everyone else on their quote secure in the knowledge that many people will always accept the cheapest quote.
• A vague estimate that does not properly specify every stage that you have asked them to quote for.
• Minimal questions asked of the customer when quoting and no discussion of potential complications and how and on what basis they would be resolved.
• Glib answers to all questions as opposed to more considered answer from a more honest builder. Nothing is a problem and everthing can be easily done until the work actually starts.
• Estimate given very quickly with minimal preparation or consideration and or poorly presented.
• Reluctance to give phone nos of recent clients or clients in the area who can be used as references.