Mr Skill is a well established web portal with a directory of skilled and highly rated tradesmen in London. These local tradesmen are experienced in most aspects of building, electrical, gas and decorating work and when you are looking to get a specific job done, the best way to get the right tradesman at the right price is to use the “Post-a-Job” facility available at the top of each page.

In order to use it to its best advantage, we have compiled a number of tips so that your specific job is seen by the right people.

Registration. There is no need to register before you “Post-a-Job” as the registration is integrated with the job posting and you will receive an e-mail with your log-in details for future reference. This is useful for the next time that you “Post-a-Job” on Mr Skill because it means that you will not have to enter your personal details again.

Job Title. Please be clear about the job you what doing. For example, the job description “Swimming Pool” does not distinguish between building a swimming pool, providing the plumbing and drainage for it, tiling the walls or just cleaning it. Although you have the opportunity to elaborate more about the job in the next section, a very well qualified and economic local tradesman might overlook your job posting because of its initial description. Please note this field requires a minimum of three words

Describe the Work that needs Doing. This section actually has the capacity for a small novel. The more you explain about the job you would like to be quoted for, the quicker a local tradesman capable of doing the job will get back to you and the more accurate their quote will be. For example, if your pool “needs cleaning”, does it just need the leaves skimming of the top with a pool net? Is the water looking murky, and you need a chemical specialist to visit and adjust the level of the Ph in the water? Are the filters completely jammed and consequently green mould is developing on the walls of your pool?

Other considerations in your job post should be the dimensions of the pool, if it is only accessible at certain times of the day (Ph treatment for example works better when the sun is not shining on the pool!) and if there are any other considerations that you feel our rated tradesmen should know about. You have the option of attaching up to four images to your job posting, so please use this opportunity to take photographs of your pool to assist our local tradesmen in giving you an accurate quote.

You may also want to use this section to include further details that cannot be included elsewhere. For example, if you are having a swimming pool built from scratch, you will need a project manager, builder, tiler, plumber, electrician (for the pumps and lights), possibly a garden landscaper and cleaner. The “Job Type” section does not allow you to choose multiple professions, so please account for that when describing the work that needs doing (and enter the “job type” as “General Builder”).

Please note this field requires a minimum of ten words.

Job Type. We have tried to make this as simple as possible and defined the categories as clearly as we can. We appreciate that there are many different fields in each trade, so if you cannot find one which exactly matches your job requirements, please select the closest and use the description field (above) to give more details.

Post Code. Please insert the post code of where you want the job done if different from your home address. For example, if you live in Barnet, but the job posting relates to a job you want performed in Harrow, it would be advantageous to insert the Harrow postcode to attract tradesmen local to that area.

Your Name. You need not insert your full name if you are unhappy to do so. We are all pretty friendly at Mr Skill, so just your first name will suffice.

Your E-Mail: It is important that you complete your e-mail address accurately as this is where your future log-in details are sent and how we will be in contact to inform you of any tradesmen´s quotes which are received.

Your Contact No. It is not important to enter a contact number at this stage because it will not be displayed on your job posting – initially all contact is done by email. However, it may speed things up when you have made contact with a local tradesman is he has access to a number straight away. If there are certain times at which it is inconvenient to talk, please note this in the job description section.

How do you know about Mr Skill? Please complete this part as it helps us with our marketing and enables us to attract the better rated tradesmen to our site as well. If none of the categories are suitable, please click “Other” and at least we know you enquiry was not generated from any of the other sources.

Before submitting your job, please review our “Member Agreement” (particularly section 7 regarding posting a job on Mr Skill) and our “Privacy Policy”. If you have any questions about either of these sections, please use our “Contact Us” link at the top of the page before clicking “Post Job Now”.

When the new page opens, you will see your job posted and a default period of 20 days available for local tradesmen to post their quote, which is then automatically emailed to you. If you want to extend the period beyond 20 days for receiving quotes, you can do so via your control panel (details of how to access this will be included in your welcome e-mail), and if you would prefer a shorter period, please mention this in the job description.

You will also see your name showing as “new-user XXXX”. You can change this to your name or other pseudonym through the user control panel. This window also displays any questions that have been asked by local tradesmen and any quotes that they have submitted.

Do not get anxious if you have not heard from a local tradesman within a day or two. Mr Skill features the highest rated tradesmen in London and their work diaries are often full. Thankfully, they are sufficiently responsible not to promise to do a job they know they cannot fit into their schedule. However, by following the above tips and posting your job carefully, you can be sure you will be receiving the fullest attention of the highest qualified tradesmen just as soon as they are available – and would you want your job attended to by somebody rated less than the best?

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Hiring Advice RSS

When hiring a local tradesman, there are a number of factors that you should consider to ensure you get the job done efficiently and economically.

Hire the Right Tradesman for You

One of the most important considerations when hiring a local tradesman is communication. For example, if you want a wall constructed which is 8 feet long and 4 feet high, you would be unhappy if what was built was twice as high and half the width you required.

Although qualifications and memberships of trade associations are valuable, recommendations – particularly through our tradesmen’s directory – can count for a lot more. Overall, select a local tradesman that you feel you can trust to competently get the job done in a satisfactory time frame at a reasonable cost.

Check Feedback and References

The recommended tradesmen which appear in our tradesmen’s directory are only given ratings by homeowners who have used their services through this web site, and therefore we believe that the feedback given to our recommended tradesmen is genuine and reflects on their good standard of work.

If a tradesman is not yet rated, it does not mean they are suitable for your job. They may be new to Mr Skill and could be able to supply references of their own. It is in your best interests to check the authenticity of all recommendations to ensure you are comfortable that the tradesman is able to do the job.

Insist on a Quote

As Mr Skill is a regionally based web portal, the recommended tradesmen featured in our tradesmen´s directory can be isolated by postcode. The benefit to the homeowner is that they can chose from local builders, electricians, gas fitters and other tradesmen who are immediately in their vicinity, and who will have no problem paying you a visit to offer their tradesmen´s quote.

In it is your best advantage to meet with, and get quotes from, three or more of your local tradesmen to help you make your selection. It is also beneficial to have local tradesmen visit your home in order that they can see the job at hand and any obstacles that may be presented to them. This will also give you the opportunity to establish communication, check on references and allow the tradesman to establish a level of trust.

Verify Information

Once you have provisionally agreed for a recommended tradesman to be awarded the job, double check on their public liability insurance and also on your own home contents insurance to ensure that any accidents that occur during the work are covered. In the case of a recommended builder subcontracting elements of the work out to other tradesmen, you need to be sure that their work is also covered by the builder’s public liability insurance and, if dealing with gas or electrical tradesmen, that they carry the right credentials.

You may also want to insist on a guarantee for their work, and go back over any references to determine whether that guarantee has ever been called upon. If you are responsible for supplying the materials for the job, your local tradesman cannot be held accountable for any faults therein, however, he should have advised you on the correct materials for the job before you went out to buy them – another reason why good communication is so important!

Get a Contract

For larger projects, and those which require you to pay a deposit or cover the cost of the initial materials, it is recommended that you agree on a contract with your local tradesman before work commences. This contract can cover a comprehensive explanation of the job, the timescale for the completion of the work and payment schedules. It is also advisable, for major projects at least, that a percentage of the total charge is withheld until such time as the work has been inspected and passed by the Local Authority Building Control or other authorised body.

A typical builder’s contract is available through the Federation of Master Builders web site, and although it may not be entirely appropriate for the work you require to be done in every case, it gives a good overview of what should be included.

Placing your Job Posting

Placing your job posting is the first step to hiring a recommended tradesman from the tradesmen´s directory. You need to make you requirements as clear as possible from the very beginning to attract tradesmen who are capable of doing the job and deter those with inappropriate experience from applying. Add as much description and measurements as possible.

An Example of a Poor Post

“Cutting back conifer trees and shrubs in small garden, and weeds.”

In this post there are no details of the size of the conifer trees, how many there are or whether the “weeding” comprises of light hoeing or removing deep rooted bindweed. The term “small” is also relative – small compared to Great Windsor Park maybe?

An Example of a Good Post

“I have just acquired a one-bed flat in old Edwardian house in Southborough, with high-ceiling rooms but very old fashioned decor. Want quote for stripping wallpaper off living room (17′ x 13′ approx) and bedroom (14′ x 12′ approx) walls only, filling & smoothing any minor cracks/blemishes, and then painting with high quality paint. Ceiling and woodwork all OK and do NOT need painting. Ideally, would like job done within next 10 days.”

This post contains exact measurements of the walls that need stripping, the fact that the customer requires a high quality paint finish and a timeframe in which he wants the job done.

Needless to say, the latter post received more quotes that the former and the client got a job well done at a competitive price.

Summary

Do not feel awkward about requesting references, quotes and checking the tradesman’s credentials. All of the recommended tradesmen on the Mr Skill tradesmen´s directory are aware that these items will be asked for and are accustomed to homeowners requesting them. Furthermore, a contract protects the tradesman as much as it protects the customer, and it is in both parties interest that there is a written agreement of the work to be done, with timeframe and costs included, before any work commences.

Posting your job on Mr Skill is the first opportunity for communication with our database of recommended tradesmen. By putting a greater amount of detail into your post (include if you wish that you will be seeking references etc) you will attract a greater amount of attention from local tradesmen. Thereafter, follow the remainder of our tips and advice for hiring a tradesman and you will find that your jobs are accomplished more efficiently and economically.