TrustMark Blog

Whether you’re looking to get your garden ready for the long summer evenings or your thoughts have already turned to weatherproofing your exterior before the temperature turns. Now’s the ideal time to shift your attention to your external projects.

Lots of us have different interpretations of the word ‘handyman’ – fixing a light bulb, stopping a leak or doing some simple garden maintenance are all typical jobs associated with a handyman. But when it all gets a bit complex, how do you know if you’re hiring the right person for the job?

We’re in the midst of one of the biggest heat waves that the UK has ever had. Dog owners have been warned on the news not to walk their canines after 9am due to the extreme temperatures we’re seeing for the majority of the day. After waiting for what seems like an eternity for summer, the reality is that for many of us it’s just too hot to enjoy being outside.

If you’re having some major building work carried out on your property such as an extension, the chances are that you will use a variety of tradespeople to carry out the work. A builder will sort out the brickwork and the roof, an electrician will wire you up, a plasterer will finish off the interior walls and ceiling and a plumber will sort out any water supply and waste pipes. It is quite unusual to find someone who will be competent at doing everything that you need to a high standard.

Many customers who have done their research or perhaps been burnt at the hands of a rogue trader in the past come to us saying that they want a TrustMark tradesperson because they know they are reputable and want someone trustworthy. Others may not know where to turn to find a quality trader which isn’t surprising when there are so many possible places to look – and how do you know you can really trust someone anyway?

If you’re in the powerful position of being a first-time buyer after saving hard, perhaps for many years then you’re now able to move quickly when you spot the right property. But having the luxury of choice is both a blessing and a curse. Knowing when to take the plunge and commit to the biggest financial decision of your life so far might mean you keep putting it off, meanwhile the housing market could be getting stronger and you can no longer afford what you were looking at all those months ago.

When I first came into a career in Trading Standards over 30 years ago – in fact, well over 30 years ago – a fair proportion of my work was based around the enforcement of the Weights and Measures Act. In actual fact, the Trading Standards profession was born out of the role of Inspectors of Weights and Measures, originally appointed by Acts of Parliament way back in the 1830s. Their work was mainly concerned with checking the physical weights, measures and scales used by traders.

With the internet at our disposal, we have full reign for finding tradespeople at the click of a few buttons. Time is scarce and finding someone quickly and cheaply Is often high on our priority list. But what could save you time and money at first could end up costing you much more of both, taking months or even years to rectify if you become the victim of a cowboy builder. With some simple steps you can save yourself time and money with the reassurance you have found someone fit for the job.

Over the last few years, my blog has provided advice on what to do when things go wrong with a home improvement or repair contract that you may have entered into. The main theme of my advice has always been about communication – being clear with the trader about the nature of the problem, what you would like them to do to put it right and when it should be completed by.

On 3rd June, 7 of us will be throwing ourselves out of a plane at 10,000ft in aid of a great cause. We’ll be raising money for our local charity of choice, FareShare. Their efforts are spent redistributing surplus food that is of perfectly good quality but would otherwise go to waste, to those who need it most.