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Tommy G

Builders

By Tommy G, in General Chat

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Tommy G

Tommy G

Posted
Posted

Planning a moderate extension, had plans approved etc - anyone had any experience trying to get a builder to;

 

  • Quote properly (i.e not wishy washy and give you ball park figures)
  • Find a builder that isn't VAT registered (impossible)
  • Come back to you in a semi decent timescale

I get the impression there is a lot of work about and a lot of builders either are too busy or price the work high knowing if they get it they will make some nice £££ profit out of you. 

 

Navigating this is a pain in the arse, if anyone can hook me up with a trust worthy builder who isnt a rip off merchant I'd be grateful 

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Bayfox

Bayfox

Posted
  • Popular Post
Posted
8 hours ago, Tommy G said:

Planning a moderate extension, had plans approved etc - anyone had any experience trying to get a builder to;

 

  • Quote properly (i.e not wishy washy and give you ball park figures)
  • Find a builder that isn't VAT registered (impossible)
  • Come back to you in a semi decent timescale

I get the impression there is a lot of work about and a lot of builders either are too busy or price the work high knowing if they get it they will make some nice £££ profit out of you. 

 

Navigating this is a pain in the arse, if anyone can hook me up with a trust worthy builder who isnt a rip off merchant I'd be grateful 

Personally wouldn't go near a builder who isn't VAT registered. Isn't the threshold 85k, I mean that's a couple of jobs to a decent builder. Of course they will want to claim VAT back on materials anyway even if they were only doing small jobs. 20% soon adds up. 

 

But a builder who isn't VAT registered would ring alarm bells with me. 

  • Like 6
Tommy G

Tommy G

Posted
  • Author
Posted
14 hours ago, Bayfox said:

Personally wouldn't go near a builder who isn't VAT registered. Isn't the threshold 85k, I mean that's a couple of jobs to a decent builder. Of course they will want to claim VAT back on materials anyway even if they were only doing small jobs. 20% soon adds up. 

 

But a builder who isn't VAT registered would ring alarm bells with me. 

Thanks for the VAT education - what about a good builder who has recently gone semi retired and only looking to do a few small jobs a year but doesnt want the hassle of being VAT registered or running a Ltd Co. Thats the situation I'm talking about, that wouldn't ring alarm bells with me - what does ring alarm bells is throwing 10K away in VAT if I can help it. Cheers 

Nalis

Nalis

Posted
Posted
23 hours ago, Tommy G said:

Planning a moderate extension, had plans approved etc - anyone had any experience trying to get a builder to;

 

  • Quote properly (i.e not wishy washy and give you ball park figures)
  • Find a builder that isn't VAT registered (impossible)
  • Come back to you in a semi decent timescale

I get the impression there is a lot of work about and a lot of builders either are too busy or price the work high knowing if they get it they will make some nice £££ profit out of you. 

 

Navigating this is a pain in the arse, if anyone can hook me up with a trust worthy builder who isnt a rip off merchant I'd be grateful 

 

download.jpeg.jpg

  • Haha 4
CosbehFox

CosbehFox

Posted
Posted

If you want to skim on VAT etc, if you are self employed take a look at Capital allowances. 

 

You'll struggle to get any builder charging zero VAT who isn't part of a workmanship/registration scheme (which are increasingly important to safeguard yourself). 

  • Like 1
Bayfox

Bayfox

Posted
Posted
48 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

Thanks for the VAT education - what about a good builder who has recently gone semi retired and only looking to do a few small jobs a year but doesnt want the hassle of being VAT registered or running a Ltd Co. Thats the situation I'm talking about, that wouldn't ring alarm bells with me - what does ring alarm bells is throwing 10K away in VAT if I can help it. Cheers 

Fair enough I was only pointing out a fact that most builders are likely to be VAT registered and let's be honest if they aren't they are still charging you VAT on material's anyway just not showing it as a separate figure.

 

All though your example is  a little flawed. As you must be his only job for the year if the VAT equates to 10k doesn't leave him much scope to do much else that year.

 

Maybe you could find someone who as you say is VAT exempt pay for materials yourself and only pay them labour. I know a few people who are happy to do that, however they do then tend to charge a higher daily rate as they lose the mark up on materials and the 20% they can claim back.

  • 9 months later...
Strokes

Strokes

Posted
Posted
On 07/02/2020 at 12:23, Tommy G said:

Thanks for the VAT education - what about a good builder who has recently gone semi retired and only looking to do a few small jobs a year but doesnt want the hassle of being VAT registered or running a Ltd Co. Thats the situation I'm talking about, that wouldn't ring alarm bells with me - what does ring alarm bells is throwing 10K away in VAT if I can help it. Cheers 

Honestly mate, I work in construction and you might get decent electricians, plumbers, carpenters etc who don’t need to be VAT but a builder it’s unheard of if they are legit.

Heathrow fox

Heathrow fox

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, SemperEadem said:

Not sure if the best thread however will still ask the question.

Does anyone have any experience with soundproofing/insulation?

Are you trying to insulate a party wall or something?

Bellend Sebastian

Bellend Sebastian

Posted
Posted (edited)
5 hours ago, SemperEadem said:

Not sure if the best thread however will still ask the question.

Does anyone have any experience with soundproofing/insulation?

When I had problem neighbours years ago, my carpenter screwed some sheets of fibreboard usually used as underlay for laminate floor to the wall. A sheet of plasterboard on top, then skimmed. Lost about an inch of space along the wall, and it didn't cut out the noise completely, but it made a massive difference, so it was well worth it.

 

When the neighbours moved out not that long after, it was still worth it as I could play guitar and music without being as worried about pissing off the new, much nicer, neighbour too much

Edited by Bellend Sebastian
  • Like 1
CosbehFox

CosbehFox

Posted
Posted (edited)
14 minutes ago, SemperEadem said:

No a few internal ones. Stud walls I'm sure have not been insulated properly.

If they are existing stud, be able to take the plaster off, re insulate and then replaster to the stud.
 

They are plasterboard products which are more sound absorbing, so you could even retro fit those over the top of your existing stud but you’ll still need to thread out the wiring to switches and plugs 

Edited by Cardiff_Fox
  • Like 1
  • 3 months later...
Chiltern Fox

Chiltern Fox

Posted
Posted

Hi all - After some advice and or recommendations. My folks have a double width tarmac drive. It has a grassed area to one side. Size of 1 large parking space. Want to change the grass to tarmac so it matches the rest of drive.  Any idea of rough cost? Would this be cheaper than block paving? Thanks.

Strokes

Strokes

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, Chiltern Fox said:

Hi all - After some advice and or recommendations. My folks have a double width tarmac drive. It has a grassed area to one side. Size of 1 large parking space. Want to change the grass to tarmac so it matches the rest of drive.  Any idea of rough cost? Would this be cheaper than block paving? Thanks.

From memory, we looked about 5 years ago and it was £80-90 per m2.

We never bothered in the end.

  • 1 year later...
Paninistickers

Paninistickers

Posted
Posted

Not quite builders, but anyone here  a joiner/kitchen fitter? Or know one who's decent AND (and this is the big hurdle) reliable? 

 

I've had the kitchen scoped out so i know what units I need. I've got them.lined up from Howdens. But cannot find someone to do the job. Nobody cba to come and quote let alone do it. 

 

Any FTers who can help?!

Big Dave

Big Dave

Posted
Posted
On 03/03/2021 at 23:42, Chiltern Fox said:

Hi all - After some advice and or recommendations. My folks have a double width tarmac drive. It has a grassed area to one side. Size of 1 large parking space. Want to change the grass to tarmac so it matches the rest of drive.  Any idea of rough cost? Would this be cheaper than block paving? Thanks.

May need to look at Planning Permission. I believe there are some restrictions in place for moving from a permeable surface to an impermeable surface.  All to do with rain / surface water etc.

FoxFromCoalville

FoxFromCoalville

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Paninistickers said:

Not quite builders, but anyone here  a joiner/kitchen fitter? Or know one who's decent AND (and this is the big hurdle) reliable? 

 

I've had the kitchen scoped out so i know what units I need. I've got them.lined up from Howdens. But cannot find someone to do the job. Nobody cba to come and quote let alone do it. 

 

Any FTers who can help?!

Where are you based? If south Leicestershire I can recommend a bloke who’s mustard but he charges out at £400/day maybe a little more now as we had ours done last year 

Paninistickers

Paninistickers

Posted
Posted
12 minutes ago, FoxFromCoalville said:

Where are you based? If south Leicestershire I can recommend a bloke who’s mustard but he charges out at £400/day maybe a little more now as we had ours done last year 

Opposite side of town - Groby/Anstey...There's 5 days work (Inc rip out of old, install plus tiling) max....and I'd budgeted 2k for it

Sly

Sly

Posted
Posted
On 03/03/2021 at 23:42, Chiltern Fox said:

Hi all - After some advice and or recommendations. My folks have a double width tarmac drive. It has a grassed area to one side. Size of 1 large parking space. Want to change the grass to tarmac so it matches the rest of drive.  Any idea of rough cost? Would this be cheaper than block paving? Thanks.

It’ll never look the same unfortunately. It’ll looked like a patch.

 

You’d need to dig out the grass, drop a load of type 1 in, then some 20mm dense binder course, followed by whatever topping you’ve already got to match. 

Kinowe Soorie

Kinowe Soorie

Posted
Posted
13 hours ago, Paninistickers said:

Not quite builders, but anyone here  a joiner/kitchen fitter? Or know one who's decent AND (and this is the big hurdle) reliable? 

 

I've had the kitchen scoped out so i know what units I need. I've got them.lined up from Howdens. But cannot find someone to do the job. Nobody cba to come and quote let alone do it. 

 

Any FTers who can help?!

Have you got anyone yet?

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