Home sweet home. A dream come true for many, there’s nothing like owning your own little piece of heaven on earth. A place where you can put your feet up, let your hair down and totally unwind! But it doesn’t take long to realize that home ownership is not all sweetness and light, especially when you are having home improvement works undertaken.

A large percentage of the home-owning population has had the misfortune to encounter a contractor from hell, and for those that haven’t yet statistics indicate that they will at some point either be affected themselves, or know of someone who has fallen prey. Unfortunately for those reputable companies out there that provide an honest service, the rouge trader element of the home improvement market is making their jobs all that much harder to secure business and win consumer faith. Do you know what you are looking for when hiring a trade?

“Modifying your home can be expensive at the best of times, but when you have not properly looked into the contractor you are hiring you could be left high and dry, facing severe financial losses,” comments director of the Consumer Protection Association (CPA) Jeremy Brett. “Despite being inundated with television programmes, magazine articles, not to mention the internet warning us about the perils of hiring a rouge trader and what to look out for, the number of consumers not fully exploring their options and researching a contractor before hiring them is startling. Don’t gamble and choose a contractor on hearsay alone, this is not enough to go on.

“At the CPA we work to regulate the home improvement industry by working with contractors that deliver excellent customer service and standards of best practice across the board. Only the best companies are eligible to join our membership scheme where we thoroughly and continually vet all members over the course of their time with us. For consumers looking for peace of mind, using the CPA to find an approved firm to carry out repairs and improvements to your home should be the first port of call.”

The CPA was established to fulfil two functions: to assist in the elimination of unscrupulous trades from the home improvement market and to protect the consumer by regulating and raising standards of operation. Members of the CPA secure consumers piece of mind, by having the essential guarantees in place from the word go as soon as work is undertaken.

“It is always nice to know that you are covered when something goes wrong. Protecting yourself from hidden risks secures total peace of mind and confidence from the outset. But if you are not covered up front by way of business when having home improvement works carried out, you could end up becoming another statistic. We have all heard horror stories about corrupt contractors leaving their customers in financial turmoil, but this situation could be easily avoided by choosing a company that has guarantees in place to protect you instantly.
“There are a whole host of insurance backed guarantee (IBG) offer schemes for contractors to choose from within the market place, but the benefits the consumer receives from these schemes are minimal to say the least and in many cases will be offered to you at the wrong time after the work has been completed, making them worthless. Insurance backed guarantees offered in this way will leave you wide open and unprotected when you need it the most, not to mention will cost you extra to take out. So many consumers taking out these offer scheme policies think they are protected from the outset and this couldn’t be further from the truth!

“At the CPA, our members do not offer the consumer IBGs, but give them, covering the consumer instantly at the point of sale on every job. This means that a consumer choosing a CPA member is fully covered for every eventuality should anything go wrong. Contractors giving a policy are demonstrating their responsibility and commitment to you, because they are giving it to you as an inclusive part of their overall service and not offering it to you as an extra add on (which comes at an extra cost) like those choosing lesser schemes. So many consumers do not realise that what it is they are being offered in term of IBGs is exactly that…just an offer and does not necessarily mean they are covered at the right time, if at all. Always make certain you are covered instantly, by way of business!” concludes Jeremy.

What should I be looking for when hiring a trade:

- When trying to decide on a firm to carry out work in and around your home, find out as much about them as you can.

- Are they used to doing the sort of work you want?

- Do they work quickly and tidily?

- How reliable are they?

- What certification credentials do they carry?

- Are they signed up to a code of practice scheme, such as TrustMark?

- Does the contractor have proof of good health and safety practices and customer care?

- What insurance policies do they have in place?

- Make sure their policies are given by way of business. This means that it will be included at the point of sale and you will not be incurring any extra costs. Any policy offered to you after the job is complete is worthless.

- Ask for examples of similar work they have done - and have a word with the owners of the property to see if they would recommend that contractor.

- Don't be rushed into committing yourself and your money to the first firm you approach - or which approaches you. Spell out exactly what you want doing.

- Always get estimates in writing from at least two firms, three if you can, and compare them.
Before work starts, the firm must be able to inform you about the building regulations you must meet and be able to provide you with the necessary certificates needed.

- Get a contract drawn up in full detailing what exactly is to be done, the materials to be used, the price and starting and completion dates.
All Consumer Protection Association approved scheme operators have to meet strict criteria to ensure they are thoroughly professional in their chosen field.

-Just look for the Consumer Protection Association and TrustMark logos!