subject: Cowboy Builders - When Are Homeowners Going To Learn From Their Stupidity? [print this page] Cowboy Builders - When Are Homeowners Going To Learn From Their Stupidity?
Cowboy Builders - When Are Homeowners Going To Learn From Their Stupidity?
The gullibility of homeowners never ceases to amaze me as they continue to pay out wads of cash up-front and hand over the keys to their home to strangers. When are they going to learn that their own stupidity plays a big part in the increasing number of dodgy builders
Stupid Homeowners or Cowboy Builders
I'm not sure if I should have titled this article Cowboy Builders or Stupid Homeowners because this article takes a look at some of the prevailing attitudes of UK homeowners when they get the builders in.
Clearly there is a growing trend in cowboy builders and one can't help posing the question "How the hell do the get away with it?" After all, this entire problem has been around for quite some time now and has prompted numerous articles, editorials and tv shows. I think it about time that homeowners stopped whining and started to take responsibility for their own stupid behavior.
Let's Take a Look At Some Prime Examples of Stupidity
90% of homeowners don't bother to check references;
They don't bother to check identity or to ensure that they have all the relevant contact details of their tradesmen or service providers;
They don't get enough quotes;
They don't ask about insurance or check to ensure that the builder has current public liability;
They don't check with trade federations to ensure that their claim to membership is valid;
They don't check qualifications.
That's just for starters. As soon as the builder arrives on site this is what you can expect:
They give the builders a complete set of keys quickly followed by the burglar alarm code and all their work details just in case the poor builder can't find the biscuits.
And wait for it yes, they give the builder a nice wad of cash to get the job started, after all, you wouldn't expect that nice man to use his own money after all.
Stupid Stupid Stupid
The next example of homeowner stupidity totally outrages me as it is never written about; it is never talked about in all the cowboy builder tv shows and yet occurs every day in thousands of homes across the UK.
So what am I talking about? Well, I'm actually referring to the amount of times the client says to the builder "can we do anything about the vat?" which is of course is an invitation to conspire against Customs & Excise and create an illegal contract that is unenforceable in law.
This form of homeowner greed is rampant within the building industry and the vast majority of homeowners try to avoid paying vat by offering cash to the builders.
Homeowners are not just greedy; they also suffer from complacency and are blatantly lazy when it comes to doing their bit with regard to home improvements. It doesn't mean however that they should be exploited by unscrupulous tradesmen for exhibiting this behavior but one can't help feeling that in some cases they invite the sort of problems we so frequently read about and deserve everything that they get
About The Author
Tom Norris is the Managing Director of the QFJ Media Price Comparison Network and writes passionately each week in the Compare Prices Supermarket Blog and Architects Supermarket about home improvement and renewable energy issues.
