Doing your home work on local tradies in Inner West Sydney

We have all heard a horror tradie story, and perhaps some of you may have had your own unfortunate experience. Most people will always reflect back and know they went in hiring the wrong professional. Many will say that had they done the right upfront checks, they would never have hired the particular tradesmen in the first place.

We list below some of the checks Inner West Sydney homeowners can do to prevent a tradie disaster from occurring.

Check the legitimacy of the tradesperson

Whether you plan to hire a plumber, electrician, painter or building inspection specialist, check they are operating a legitimate business with the right qualifications, experience and contracts in place.

Be careful of any tradesperson that is not prepared to provide you with a copy of these, or insists on only doing cash transactions.

Do local reference checks with other Inner West homeowners

According to Tradebusters CEO Laorence Nohra, as featured in News.com.au as well, tradie complaints often include professionals not showing up on time, failing to return quotes or not meeting expectations. Relying on a quality word of mouth referral is, therefore, one of the best ways to choose a tradie and avoid these problems.

“The bigger the job, the more homework you should do. So if a tradesman or builder is potentially doing an extension on your house, you will want to see some other projects first and speak to previous or existing clients.”

This should be easy enough if you are engaging an Inner West Sydney tradesman or builder, as he/she should be able to provide you with a list of names and addresses in your local area to either call or see in person.

Do everything in writing

Obtaining a detailed quote in writing tells you what to expect. According to Laorence Nohra, a tradie offering a quote without an ABN or licence number should be a red flag.

“By not being clear in the description, they could potentially hit the customer up for a little bit more halfway through the job,” she warned.

“Or painters, for example, might not include how many coats they’ll do … someone who’s trying to cut corners might only do one. Most tradies say what’s included, but really good ones, especially builders, will always include the exclusions – so what’s not included in the quote.”

Need help finding the best local businesses in Inner West Sydney?

If you want to find other reliable local businesses in Inner West Sydney to help you through the buying, selling or home improvements process, you can also try one from the Tradebusters Connect Inner West Sydney free local trade and business directory. The details of recommended Top 3 Local Choice businesses are listed on this website and you can contact them directly today.