Homeowners risk safety by cutting home improvement corners
Nov 03, 2006
Homeowners are risking their safety by asking friends and relatives to help them with home improvements rather than qualified tradesmen, government-backed scheme TrustMark has claimed.
Research from the organisation, which aims to protect householders from rogue traders, found that first-time buyers were the most guilty of this, with 58 per cent of those surveyed admitting to calling on friends and family for work such as electrical, roofing and plumbing jobs in order to save money. However, homeowners who call on their nearest and dearest for home improvement help are putting themselves at risk of botched jobs, wasted cash, injury and ruined friendships, the scheme claims.
With home improvements a common reason for remortgaging and taking out loans, experienced homeowners were more cautious about saving money by employing friends, with only 56 per cent of them choosing professional tradesmen to carry out work.
TrustMark chairman Ian Livsey said that while asking family to help out was all very well, it was unlikely most people would have a qualified electrician as a father. Selecting a reputable tradesman was the best way to get a quality job at a fair price, he added.
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