How Much Deposit Should You Pay a Builder?
Wondering about the deposit to pay a builder? Learn why there is no fixed rule, how staged payments work, and how to pay safely and protect your money.
Hiring tradespeople
Checks, questions and warning signs before you hire a builder, plumber, electrician or other trade.
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How to Check a Gas Safe Engineer Before Work Starts
Learn how to check a Gas Safe engineer before work starts, from reading the ID card front and back to using the register and matching the job.
How to Choose a Kitchen Fitter and Avoid Costly Mistakes
Working out how to choose a kitchen fitter? Learn which checks matter most, who should do gas and electrical work, and how to avoid expensive errors.
How to Choose a Roofer: A UK Homeowner's Guide
If you want to know how to choose a roofer, check trade body membership, insurance, past work, safety practices and a written quote before any work starts.
How to Choose an Electrician in the UK: Checks and Questions
Learn how to choose an electrician in the UK with checks on competent person schemes, Part P, certificates, insurance, quotes and the questions to ask first.
How to Find a Reliable Builder in the UK: 12 Checks
Learn how to find a reliable builder in the UK with twelve practical checks on insurance, references, written quotes, trade bodies and payment stages.
How to Spot a Rogue Trader: 15 Warning Signs
Learn how to spot a rogue trader with 15 warning signs, from doorstep pressure and cash demands to fake accreditation, and the steps to take next.
Locksmith Scams in the UK: How to Hire One Safely
Locksmith scams in the UK often start with a low phone price. Learn the warning signs, agree a total price in writing and hire a locksmith safely.
Plumber Call-Out Charges in the UK: What to Expect
Learn how plumber call out charges work in the UK, from call-out fees and hourly rates to fixed prices, out-of-hours uplifts, materials and VAT.
Quote vs Estimate: What's the Difference for UK Customers?
Quote vs estimate explained for UK customers: learn how fixed prices, estimates and provisional sums differ, and what a written quote should contain.