Kichen and Bathroom DISASTER

[Doggit]

If he does come asking for more money, first tell him you're spoken to the police over your concerns, then tell him you'll speak to you're local newspaper, and that you'll finally mailshot the whole village for good measure. Most bullies shout and threaten, but won't do much when stood up to.

 

[commando3]

Not much to add really, the standard of work is shocking, at best.
One thing though is the money you have already given to him sufficient to cover the kitchen units and major bathroom suite parts that he has supplied, just to cover yourself. If it went to court I'm sure you would have no problem justifying not paying any labour due to the obviously substandard work and the fact that things like the tiling would have to be done.
The bloke is achancer and I'm sorry to say found a live one in you. How he could justify, for example, charging £500 to lay such a small area of floor tiles in the bathroom.

Yes the money I gave him has covered the kitchen units by a few thousand pounds and on top of that I gave him £2000 cash.
My brother who is a project manager has spoken to him now and the builder has agreed not to come back to the house and to just walk away.
I'm not 100% sure what my brother discussed with him but it may have involved calling in HMRC, Building Control and others?

My brother has photograhed and listed all the faults cabinet by cabinet and the other concerning areas such as the electrics.
He believes the units are salvageable but will all need to come out so the walls can be assessed and the electrics installed properly with additional sockets if need be.
The worktop will not be used again but will be replaced by granite.
The cost of taking the units out, getting granite and getting the work done professionally will be cheaper than the extortionate amount of money the builder recently requested for the next payment.

This means I am back to square one and that I need to find the various professionals to carry out the work BUT at least I am a lot more aware now of what I did wrong and what to do now to prevent allowing the wrong type of so called builders into my home.
It has been a costly mistake but I'm so thankful for all the help and advice everyone has given me on here. I cant express how grateful I am.
I'm also really grateful for my brother to drive all the way here and to intervene before I handed over more money.
He is now going to oversee the installations of both the kitchen and bathroom.

A lesson learnt....

 

[chappers]

Indeed but now with your brother on board at least you can now employ some decent individual trades and get things done how you want. and to your satisfaction before getting the next trade in.

 

[AGAS]

sorry to read about your situation , absolute bast-rds , no wonder people are alway paranoid about tradesmen . please don't be put off about all tradesmen thou , just make sure you do your homework before doing big works . but i feel for you very easily done to be honest. hope you get your project completed to your liking . all the best

 

[roboughton]

Do keep us updated on this!!

I have been lucky enough to never fall foul to losing my money but have fallen for bad builders. I will never ever pay "them" (Builders) up front even for materials (I would pay for the materials myself). Not much help to you I know sorry.

Lets hope you can find a good tradesman to fix the issues. You may of said but what area do you live in?

EDIT added context to my text.

 

[commando3]

The builder has been back in touch with me and has said he would like to put things right and that he kept his eye off the ball by allowing his builders to get on with the work without him checking each stage.
He has said it's the worse job he has done in 40 years.
He has even sent his wife around to apologise!

However, there is no way on earth I will allow him and his so called professionals back into my house.

I am currently left with a kitchen that needs to be reinstalled and the electrical wiring checked and the sockets put in the place I originally asked them to be put in to.
I am thinking that being the laminate worktop has to come off - I might put a granite work top on.
The bathroom is just a mess.
Half the tiling has to come off on the walls. The floor tiling needs to be completed.

To add insult to injury- the dishwasher has now broken down.
The oven is dripping water underneath - just where the electrician put the sockets.
I've been into my garden and found my lounger seat ripped to pieces. Apparently according to my neighbour the electrician brought his dog here everyday and allowed it to roam free in my garden and the dog tipped the furniture.
Thats £250 torn apart.

It's all a nightmare.

I'm in Wiltshire not far from Marlborough off the M4.

I'm finding it very difficult to find anymore tradesmen and to be honest I've lost trust now.
However, my brother knows many tradesmen but they wont be able to start on my projects for a few months and I will have to accommodate them being they live so far away.

I will keep you updated.

 

[honda]

If your builder wants to put things right then ask him for your money back. In my opinion he's concerned only with his reputation.

 

[Mikefromlondon]

OMG! I feel absolutely gutted for you, keep well clear of such builders, what you have lost so far you probably won't get a penny back, just don't let him in near your property and look for someone whose work you have seen in progress.

 

[roboughton]

If your builder wants to put things right then ask him for your money back. In my opinion he's concerned only with his reputation.

I agree here, if the builder really cared about this having made as you say £4000 off the cabinets then he would be round sorting it out for FREE and would of stated that fact to you over and over again. I didnt quite follow your break down of costs on this job but it all seems very high to me in the first place.

Sadly you are to far from me to recommend people that only want paying when the job is done and to a good standard.

One thing I have noticed in my time getting guys in, the ones that say supply your own materials or we will set a side account to theirs at builder merchants so you get their discount but you pay for the stuff seem to be the good builders/trades.

I have never used it but this is a site I hear people talk about for getting decent guys in http://www.ratedpeople.com

 

[lostinthelight]

http://www.ratedpeople.com[/URL]

If its anything like My Builder experience of hiring a plasterer, I would be very cautious.

 

[nortonj]

Shocking workmanship, and prices are ridiculous, I'm not surprised he's retiring to spain.

 

[AGAS]

or running

 

[noseall]

I will never ever pay them up front even for materials.

How do you get on with those that insist that you pay for your own goods up front? Not all companies will afford potential clients 100% credit on goods/materials. Not all materials are obtained from a single company or account and certainly many require up front payment.
Builders are not credit companies nor are they obligated to be. A project of any size would grind to a halt with your reasoning.

 

[roboughton]

How do you get on with those that insist that you pay for your own goods up front? Not all companies will afford potential clients 100% credit on goods/materials. Not all materials are obtained from a single company or account and certainly many require up front payment.
Builders are not credit companies nor are they obligated to be. A project of any size would grind to a halt with your reasoning.

I guess I don't use big firms and no builder has ever said I cant supply the materials myself or I pay direct for them, in fact most like it that way.

Maybe I have been lucky but its worked for me so far in life. I guess I get so involved that I know it inside out and have researched anything I need prior to starting work.

I am a pain in the backside for tradesmen, but then they always come back for the next job.

 

[noseall]

I guess I don't use big firms and no builder has ever said I cant supply the materials myself or I pay direct for them, in fact most like it that way.

Paying for materials yourself is paying up front.