How to find a good builder?

Morning!

Happy Sunday! How has your week been?

I’ve been running around like a bit of a crazy person this week, meeting builders for a new client project which kicks off soon, meeting lots of you lovely lot on Zoom for our consultations and putting together a very exciting Christmas shoot that took place yesterday. You may have seen some shots on Instagram? The videos will go live in the next couple of weeks, so keep your eyes peeled for that. I can’t wait to hear what you think!

If I can help you with any reno or interiors dilemmas, do have a look at my e-design and consultation options.

This week I want to talk a little more about vetting builders. I spoke about it briefly on my stories earlier in the week and I had a few questions from you all, hopefully the tips below help to answer your questions and prevent issues with builders for your projects.

1. Has your builder come from a personal recommendation?

The easiest way to find a reputable local builder is to ask your neighbours. It’s very likely they will have used someone recently, especially if you can see they’ve done an extension of some kind.

That way you’ll get honest feedback on their work and better still be able to see it for yourself if you go over to visit.

2. Have you been to see their work?

If your builder comes from further afield and hasn't renovated a neighbours house, you should still go and see some of their previous work. It’s all well and good being told they’re good, but what if their standards are different to yours? Any good builders will be delighted to show off their previous work. Look at the way they interact with their previous clients and see what the reception is like. This will give you a good idea of how the builder behaved in the past. Always ask for reference details, so you can contact previous clients yourself.

3. If you can’t get a personal recommendation, use a trusted platform.

While I was building up my network of tradespeople I relied heavily on trusted platforms to supply me with options that were of a fantastic standard and could be relied on to deliver good quality work, on time and in budget. One place I turned to over and over again was The Page who I’m now delighted to be partnered with. They match you with a pre-vetted tradesperson for the job you require. It saves so much time and worry that you’re investing in the wrong person for the job. Their focus is currently London and the surrounding areas so if you think they can help you, do get in touch with them.

As I’m working with them, make sure you give them the code OLIVIACAPLAN when booking a consultation so they know you are one of my subscribers. 🌟

Remember: vetting a builder properly in advance will save you a huge amount of stress int the future. Your future self will thank you! If a contractor isn’t prepared to show you their previous work, walk away!

I’d like to share an idea I’ve been working on to see what you think. I would love to be able to give more specific advice to those renovating in a more affordable format. I’m working on a monthly membership concept and it would be great to know what the interest is like. It will include things like regular seminars/workshops on the most asked topics such as layout and lighting. I also hope to have exclusive discounts from my favourite suppliers just for this particular group.

I posted another Christmas gift guide this week, make sure you check it out for any renovators or interiors lovers in your life.