Difficult Trades People

In January this year my Top Tips blog was about working with trades people and unfortunately due to a recent bad experience this Top Tips blog is about how to deal with difficult trades people.  A cabinet maker* I was working with was 99% finished on a project and did a ‘runner’ he disappeared for weeks, with no communication, didn’t reply to emails, calls or texts.  I know many people have experienced unprofessional trades people so here are my top tips to keep your sanity and move the project forward;

1)      Time is money and one of the many reasons people have a difficult time with trades people is that the project is not completed on time.  So have a time contingency, the maximum before you can’t wait any more and have another reputable trades person at the ready to come in and complete the job.

2)      Communication is critical therefore, ensure your brief is thorough and understood, ask a lot of questions throughout the work and keep the trades person accountable.

3)      Don’t be afraid to move on without your trades person, check any contracts signed and seek advice from a solicitor.

4)      For larger jobs engage a qualified, experienced project manager, they will solve problems directly with the trades people and alleviate your stress.

5)      And my final top tip is to seriously consider recommendations made by your interior designer.  An interior designer has more experience working with trades people than most clients, use this experience to your benefit, it will save you money and ensure a quality job in the long run.

Not all trades people are difficult or unprofessional and problems can be mitigated if you do your homework from the beginning and choose the right people and remember to implement stress relieving strategies such as engaging an interior designer and project manager for larger jobs.

*Cabinet maker was chosen by client.