Aug 31
With only four weeks to go until the start of The National Home Improvement Show, we thought we should give you the low-down on what DIY Doctor will be up to during the show.
DIY Doctor will be hosting the Tricks of the Trade Theatre for the three days (28th – 30th September) and the timetable of presentations by the DIY Doctor himself, Mike Edwards, for each day is:
11.00 – How to skim plaster your walls
This presentation takes you through preparing the wall for plastering, mixing and applying the plaster and finally how to get it flat and smooth. You will also find out how to mend holes in plasterboard.
12.30 – How to avoid cowboy builders
There is a lot of news in the media about ‘Cowboy Builders’ and how they ruin lives – but there is very little advice given to help you avoid them. This presentation will give advice on how to find reliable tradesmen and cover how to make sure
· you obtain accurate references
· your builder is adequately insured during the work
· you are covered against accidents
· the finished work is satisfactory
· follow-up snagging is completed
14.00 – How to skim plaster your walls
This presentation takes you through preparing the wall for plastering, mixing and applying the plaster and finally how to get it flat and smooth. You will also find out how to mend holes in plasterboard.
15.30 – How to tile your bathroom
Often the smallest room in the house but the most difficult to decorate! Learn how to get tiles to fit perfectly around toilet, basin and bath with minimum wastage and maximum effect.
Don’t forget you can get two FREE TICKETS to the show, being held at Olympia, just by clicking here or on the banner below!
Aug 27
Here at DIY Doctor, we know that some of you Home Improvers and DIY’ers cannot get enough of the subject and that you read, listen and watch anything that comes out. If however you are too busy doing it to watch it you may be unaware of Dom Littlewood’s series on BBC1 ‘Don’t Get Done, Get Dom’.
We were pleased to see TrustMark Chairman, Liz Male on episode 6 where she detailed some of the key things householders need to do to protect themselves and how best to work with contractors who use sub-contractors. She was keen to point out that if a member of the public uses a TrustMark firm which in turn uses sub-contractors they remain protected as detailed in Trustmark’s core Criteria. The member firm remains liable and responsible for any work done.
In case you were not aware of how Trustmark works you should watch again if you can.
Check out our HIPS page (Home Improver Protection Solution), for more information on Trustmark and other ways of avoiding the cowboy builder.
Aug 22
DIY Doctor is a staunch supporter of the Trustmark scheme to help homeowners find honest, qualified, insured tradesmen when they need work done on their homes.
As the brand grows in popularity and gains kudos with the public Trustmark has become increasingly aware of dishonest tradesmen taking their logo and mis-using it to gain the trust of consumers.
It is easy for these tradesmen to illegally use the Trustmark logo, and it is difficult to stop it. However Trustmark is working hard with Trading Standards to monitor any unauthorised use of the TrustMark logo by any UK firm which is not a member.
They warn that they will take swift legal action against any offenders. Initially they will receive a letter notifying them that they do not have the right to use the logo and must remove all references from their website or company documentation within 14 days.
After that if the offender continues Trading Standards will get involved to take enforcement action.
You can check that the tradesman you intend to use is legitimately approved by Trustmark by going to their website and putting the name of the company or tradesman in the box on the bottom left hand corner of the home page.
Trustmark say “At the moment we have a number of on-going cases that are being actively investigated, pursued and dealt with.”
Cowboy builders beware!
For more help on avoiding cowboy builders click here.
Jul 26
The National Home Improvement Council (NHIC) are calling for VAT to be removed from all Home Improvement work.
The NHIC claim the 20% rate is proving a deterrent to many homeowners when it comes to employing workmen. They will soon set up a petition to gauge public reaction to this proposal, and we will keep you informed when they release details.
In DIY Doctor’s opinion this would stimulate the building industry; even if the rate of VAT was cut to 5% for Home Improvements it would make the cost of legal works more affordable. This would help to stop the trend of the unsuspecting public employing rogue traders who often carry out cash jobs to evade paying VAT. Customers avoiding VAT are exposing themselves by effectively signing away any guarantees on materials and workmanship when they pay this way.
The other consequence of a lower VAT rate would be that reputable builders would be operating on a more level playing field, so that the many honest and responsible builders are not excluded from the bidding by homeowners who are cutting corners in this way. This could help squeeze out Rogue Traders from the marketplace entirely. Mike Edwards from DIY Doctor says “It is much easier for a homeowner to see that paying a little extra for peace of mind is good value for money, a Cowboy Builder offering to save them nearly a quarter of their bill in taxes sometimes proves too much temptation, especially in the current economic climate”. For links to reputable tradesman through Trustmark please click here, and read more about the Trustmark scheme.
It must be preferable for the government to collect more taxes at a lower rate than to accept the current black market which is costing the country in non-payment of taxes; honest builders in employment; and the public who are unwittingly employing the Cowboys to save money.
You can find out more information on how to avoid Cowboy builders by clicking through to the DIY Doctor Home Improver Protection Solution (HIPS).
Jul 17
BBC Rogue Traders presenter Dan Penteado has been jailed for 12 weeks for council tax and housing benefit fraud worth more than £24,000.
Ironically he was spotted by a Housing Benefit Officer who was watching Rogue Traders and recognised him as a claimant.
The 40-year-old, who chases down bogus workmen with Matt Allwright on the television show, had previously admitted eight offenses of dishonestly or knowingly claiming the benefits while not declaring he earned more than £56,000 from the BBC.
He was told by the Chairman of the bench “This is not a victimless crime, it is actually a crime of stealing from the public purse. It was planned over four years and it was calculated and we consider it so serious that only a custodial sentence is appropriate – you knew exactly what you were doing.”
I doubt we will see him on our screens again, although we are hoping this doesn’t affect the programming for the show, which offers some helpful insights into possible scams and we approve of their aim to protect the consumer.
For help in avoiding Cowboy Builders please visit our Home Improver Protection Solution area.
