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Posts Tagged ‘quote<’
A leak anywhere in your roof is more than just an irritation. That is because if the source of the water intrusion is not quickly and smartly fixed, you could soon face problems that are more serious. Most conventional roofs are a latticework of timber beams, brandering and protective membrane over which the tiles align to offer protection from the elements. What starts out as a small leak can turn into something expensive if not quickly fixed.
 Find a roofing-gutters-and-drainage expert on Mr-Skill Mr-Skill correctly states that a problem roof left unrepaired could end up as a major roof job or even a replacement. He says you should not take a chance – rather find a roofing expert to come and assess the extent of the problem. Water has a strange habit of running wherever it likes, so quite often the source of the leak may be tricky to locate. Roofing experts are skilled and trained to know all that there is to do with issues in your attic space.
The Challenge
Roof repair is not something you should take on lightly yourself. Apart from working in a confined space, it is also dark and airflow is restricted too. One false move could lead to a serious injury or damage to a ceiling in your home. Looking for the problem is quite in order though, because this will enable you to relay your findings, so that a roofing quote or estimate can follow. However, most experts are going to want to check themselves just to make sure they are quoting correctly.
Check the Roof outside First
Sometimes a leak can be as simple as a cracked or broken tile, and it may be possible to see this from outside your home. You will already have an idea roughly where the leak is in your roof, so a sight check may confirm the problem area without too much trouble.
Climbing on the Roof 
If you feel confident enough to get up on your roof, you will have a chance to observe the leak area from close quarters. Remember to wear non-slip shoes and to position your ladder safely, preferably with someone to hold it for you while you climb up. Fred is one of our regular London roofing experts, and he has been on more roofs than most of us have had hot dinners. He has always been cautious though, and that is because he treads carefully while up on a roof checking for problems.
Tags: brandering, broken roof tile, cracked tile, estimate, find a roofing-gutters-and-drainage expert, ladder, latticework, leak, london roofing-gutters-and-drainage specialist, membrane, quote, repair, ridge tiles, roof leak, roofing-gutters-and-drainage quote, safety, tile, timber beam, water
Posted in Project Advice, Roofing, Gutters & Drainage | Comments Off
About the only way to save money on plumbers is not to have a need for their services in the first place. We are of course talking about those easy DIY jobs such as drain clearing and unblocking your loo. But there are some jobs that only a qualified plumber can attend to, and it’s for these kinds of jobs that we are offering free advice on how to go about choosing one.
The Seven Most Important Considerations
When requesting plumbing services, don’t be shy to ask these important questions before selecting them: 
- Are they qualified and currently registered?
- Do they come across as professional on the ‘phone?
- Are they willing to reveal their charges once they know what needs doing?
- Are they loading the costs when it comes to replacing broken or worn parts?
- Do they come across as friendly?
- Ask if they clean up properly when finished.
- Do they offer a guarantee?
Let’s analyse the above in more detail before you go about selecting your preferred plumber. Remember that Mr-Skill has an impressive list of pre-screened professionals, so you could find a plumber right here without further ado!
Qualifications
Skills in the plumbing trade take several years to develop, starting with a proper apprenticeship under the experienced watch of a mentor. Skills alone are not sufficient, because plumber need to prove they have what it takes. This they do by studying and passing several exams set by City & Guilds. 
Responding to Your Call
If you have a concern after speaking to a plumber about your problem on the ‘phone, picture them in your house!
Charging
Plumbing is a highly competitive sector, and quoting should be straightforward and simple once they know what needs doing. Estimating time and materials is part of any plumber’s training. You could easily compare by getting a plumbers quote right here on Mr-Skill.
Parts and Spares
Ask your plumber if he has a problem with you shopping around for the parts he thinks you need. If he’s cagey, then the chances are that he is loading prices.
One of our London plumbers wraps up with this advice. Any well turned out plumber should clean up nicely when he’s finished as part of the service. It’s a simple matter of being proud of what they do and how they do it, and don’t forget to ask about guarantees too.
Tags: apprenticeship, City & Guilds, cleaning up, DIY plumbing, experience, find a plumbing-heating-and-gas expert, friendly plumber, guarantee, knowledge, london plumber, plumber, plumbing-heating-and-gas quote, professional plumber, qualified plumber, quote, training
Posted in Plumbing, Heating & Gas | Comments Off
Posted in Handyman Services on Feb 29
It’s not always a simple matter to prepare a handyman quote. Think about it from the service-person’s point of view. You ask them to quote to repair a dripping tap. How are they to know whether it’s a question of the washer, or whether the entire unit needs replacing?
 How about assembling an Ikea cupboard? Some are simple open structures while others include a complicated set of drawers. So there’s no simple answer to what either job could cost. And that’s because neither the time to do the job, nor the cost of the materials are self-evident up front.
Materials – There are two ways to deal with this. You can buy the materials yourself or you could ask your handyman to source them for you. This is not as easy as it sounds though. Many tradespeople make their money by marking up on special offers, and bypassing this can cause resentment.
On the other hand, there will always be some things that you like to choose yourself, like paint colours and bathroom fixtures. We recommend that you allow your handyman to supply the more basic materials like rendering and tile cement though. You can always negotiate if the price seems a little high.
 Labour – Many London handymen these days prefer to quote a rate per hour, which includes both themselves and their assistants. To control this, it’s always best to request an hourly estimate to do the job, on the basis that the service-person motivates the over-run before it happens.
While the above tips represent a good start towards a solid working relationship, they only really work well when you’re dealing with an honest person too. More and more people every day are finding it simpler to find a handyman on Mr-Skill. And that’s because they already come recommended.
Tags: find a handyman, handygirl, handyman, handyman quote, handyperson, london handymen, quote
Posted in Handyman Services | Comments Off
Well, let’s hope you get all your maintenance chores finished before you move. If not, you’ll never know how the bathroom might have worked out, and that’s half a shame. But never mind about all that. It’s time to start evaluating Removalist Quotes. Wait a minute! You first need to plan your move don’t you, and  there are three ways to do it.
DIY MOVING
This one’s the easiest in theory, but the most frustrating in practice. You just hire a van, pack everything in and then transport it. How long do you think that’s going to take you with just one pair of arms? And who will give you insurance at both ends? It’s a bad idea – unless you are a glutton for punishment.
PROFESSIONAL MOVERS
This is the simplest solution, although also by far the most expensive. A surveyor writes everything down and prepares a quote. On moving day a team arrives with a mountain of packing materials. Once they’ve got everything in the truck they’re off to your new home. It’s so easy you could go off and watch the  soccer while they move you back in. You can Find a Mover here.
MAN WITH A VAN
This is the middle of the road solution many people are learning to prefer. Every suburb in the City has a London White Van Man now. When you have wrapped everything up or stuffed it into boxes the van arrives with a couple of strong lads who deliver it to your new home. Just make sure the price includes offloading too, and watch out for insurance issues.
Isn’t it handy to have a Website like Mr-Skill where you can source all your service requirements in one place? They have stacks of plumbers, electricians, builders, gardeners, handymen and much more. And they don’t charge the consumer a single penny in commissions for their service.
Tags: box, cost, deliver, DIY, do it yourself, expensive, find a mover, hire, home, insurance, london white van man, move, mover, moving day, pack, professional, quote, removalist, removalist quotes, stuff, Survey, team, transport, truck, van, wrap
Posted in Moving Homes & Hauliers | Comments Off
Posted in Tiling & Flooring on Dec 26
Floor tiles are often set for life, if for no reason other than that taking them up again is such a noisy, dusty business. Here are some things you need to consider carefully before you Find a Tiler on Mr-Skill. We call them rules because they can dictate how you feel about the finished job.
 Rule No.1 Colour
A lighter-coloured floor tile makes a room look spacious while it also shows the dirt and dust. Darker colours add warmth, and hide the dirt. Go for neutral colours to show accessories off best.
Rule No.2 Texture
Wet tiles are slippery and that’s almost a rule in itself. There’s only one way to make a tile suitable for outside use in wet conditions, and that’s to add a gritty finish to the surface. Best to buy yours already done, because the paint-on solutions wear away.
Rule No.3 Size and Shape
A London Tiler worth his money will always determine your overall goals before recommending tiles. Large ones create a sense of spaciousness, while smaller ones may look busy over larger areas.  Rectangular tiles make a room seem wider when laid across the width. Lay them in the length though, and you’ll get the opposite effect
Rule No. 4 Thickness
When you obtain a Floor Tiling Quote it’s a good idea to specify the thickness of the tile. This is because this makes them heavier and more difficult to cut. As a general rule, a medium thickness floor tile is adequate for domestic use, unless you are planning something different.
The 5th Rule is perhaps the most important principle of all, and that’s Choosing the Right Tiler. And that’s where Mr-Skill comes in. We’ve searched high and low for the finest tradesmen across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom, and we’ll not charge a single penny to introduce you to them.
Tags: accessory, choose, cut, dark, deep, dirt, domestic, dust, find a tiler, finish, floor, grit, heavier, length, light, london tiler, medium, neutral, quote, rectangular, rule, select, shape, size, slip, slippery, spacious, texture, thick, tile, tiling quote, warm, wet, wide, width
Posted in Tiling & Flooring | Comments Off
Posted in Handyman Services on Dec 22
Mr-Skill exists to help its UK customers find skilled and competent craftspeople working in just about every postcode. These skilled artisans pay us a modest fee for listing on our website, and to get access to enquiries. Our customers pay us nothing for the service.  And that’s the way it ought to be. That’s because customers are the people that keep the wheels of business moving.
When a customer posts an enquiry for work that’s needing doing, every related tradesperson on our lists gets to hear about it from us. When they quote directly back to customers, they know that theirs is not the only quote. What better incentive could there be to keep rates down? Moreover, we act as intermediaries in the unlikely event of a dispute arising.
Out of interest, the following jobs are currently out there waiting for Handyman Quotes:
- Clearing gutters and hanging up Christmas lights outside. Happy Noel!
- Attaching a television wall-mount and putting up a kitchen cupboard
 Drilling a hole in a concrete ceiling. This customer needs to Find a Handyman to put up a hammock.
- Putting up a roller blind and curtain rail. No further information given.
- Installing a washing machine. The customer needs hot and cold water and is on a tight budget.
- Assembling a plastic shed. That’s an unusual one we’ve not seen before!
We have all kinds of Handypeople available to do jobs like these. They range from London Handymen who sometimes have a trade but prefer variety, right through to traditional country lads who turn up on bicycles. Why not give our free service a try right now?
Tags: artisan, ceiling, christmas light, concrete, craft, curtain rail, customer, dispute, drill, find a handyman, gutter, hammock, handyman quotes, hole, job, kitchen cupboard, lad, light, london handymen, quote, rate, roller blind, shed, skill, television, trade, wall mount, washing machine, work
Posted in Handyman Services | Comments Off
Posted in Tiling & Flooring on Dec 14
For some peculiar reason that I don’t quite understand, bathrooms in UK homes are seldom fully tiled. Personally I think developers are being mean. How much can it cost to Find a Tiler to extend a run of wall tiles once the levels have been set?
Here’s a neat way to integrate a mirror on a painted wall with tiles elsewhere in the room.  Let your imagination loose here. The choices are endless!
- Buy the mirror and install it plumb and level with concealed mounts. Obtain sufficient wall tiles of a suitable finish and have them cut to size. If need be, you could get a Tiling Quote to have the cutting done.
- Mark out the area around the mirror where the tiles will go, and mask it off for at least the width of the tiles. Mask the frame of the mirror carefully too.
- Apply a layer of tile-keying liquid between the two runs of masking tape. Attach a batten to the wall to support the bottom run of tiles.
- Glue on the bottom run of tiles using pre-mix tile cement. Allow this to dry for twenty-four hours.
 Return the next day to complete the job, making sure the tiling spacers keep the joints between the tiles neat.
TIP A London Tiler I know well uses epoxy to secure the tiles. This may add a little to the cost, but at least he can complete the tiling on a single day, and get the money back that way.
- After waiting another day for the glue to dry properly, remove the batten and the masking tape, grout the tiles and tidy up the wall.
Little details like this can make all the difference, and add DIY pleasure to a weekend. Aren’t you glad you found a handy website like this? What’s more, you can Find Tradesmen for all larger jobs right here. And it will not cost you a single penny more!
Tags: bathroom, batten, cement, cut, dry, eopxy, extend, find a tiler, frame, key, level, london tiler, mark, mask, masking tape, mirror, mount, plumb, pre mix, quote, set, spacer, tile, tiled, tiling quote, wall, width
Posted in Tiling & Flooring | Comments Off
Posted in Handyman Services on Oct 23
I was looking around my yard the other day and just couldn’t believe the number of odd-jobs waiting to be done. It’s not the lack of wanting that’s holding me back, it’s the lack of time. I think I’m going to take my own advice and get a London Handyman estimate. And then I think I’ll accept it and then get on with things.
•  Clear out the gutters on the house. They’re full of leaves again! I’m fortunate to have a bungalow but just don’t feel like climbing up a ladder. Besides, how much can this cost?
• Clean the outside window frames. These looked so crisp when I had them put in a few years ago. They’re UPVC. They’ll just need a good wash with detergent.
• Tidy up the back porch. Five years of muddy boots have taken their toll and the spiders have done the rest. That’s one Handyman Quote I’m definitely going to accept!
• Tidy up the path around the back and sides. Paths under the eaves provide a valuable service by handling rainwater run-off. My house is hardly new, and I think it’s time to sort out the cracks before the weeds take hold. Don’t you too?
•  Sort out the garage. While I’m at it, I think I’m going to Find a Handyman to give the garage roof and door a make-over. I’m planning a new car next year, and I’m sure it will appreciate a near-new place to sleep at night.
That’s enough for now. I’m really looking forward to getting in a Rated Handyman from Mr-Skill to catch up on my backlog. The twin advantages are that I’ll be getting a better price, and will be able to review feedback from other previous customers too.
Come on all you Handymen. I can’t wait to see my garage door looking half as smart as this again!
Tags: backlog, block, car, clean, detergent, door, estimate, find a handyman, frame, garage, gutter, handyman quote, handyperson, house, job, ladder, leaves, london handyman estimate, mud, odd job, oddjob, path, porch, price, quote, review, roof, spider, tidy, time, want, wash, water, window, yard
Posted in Handyman Services | Comments Off
Moving between homes is traumatic enough without being involved in a moving scam too. The difficulty is that most us move seldom and have little experience. Follow these suggestions and increase your prospects of a seamless move. Find a Mover on Mr-Skill and you virtually guarantee it.
•  Don’t choose the first person who walks in through your front door, and be put off, not impressed by a smooth act. Start by asking standard questions on the phone about professional registration and how many years in service. There’s a lot more to a successful move that accepting the cheapest Removal Quote.
• Your next step is to pay a visit to your shortlisted moving firms at their local offices. No Local offices? We suggest you move on because buying local means getting local support in time of trouble too. There’s little point in dealing with a London Moving Firm unless you live in London or are moving there.
Look out for the following warning signs as you make your visits:
• Shoddy premises and dirty vans and trucks
• Phones ringing unanswered off the hook
•  No decent reception and waiting area
• No license displayed and no advice about insurance
• A firm that offers to quote without visiting, on the basis of the number of rooms involved
When the representative comes round to quote ask detailed questions about what exactly is included. Do they supply packing materials and what exactly do they pack? Do they load your goods into their vehicle, and do they deliver them and unpack them at the other end in the right rooms? You’ll soon find out why removal quotes vary so much.
When you have chosen your removal firm (and we have many good ones listed here), our advice is to leave them to get on with it, and to try to stay out their way. Leave one member of the family to answer any questions they may have. The rest of the family should be elsewhere preparing their new home. That’s how you Find a Mover and have a successful move.
Tags: cheap, choice, choose, deliver, difficulty, dirty, experience, find a mover, guarantee, home, insurance, licence, load, local, london moving firm, material, move, mover, moving, office, offload, pack, phone, prepare, professional, question, quote, reception, registration, removal quote, removalist, remover, scam, select, service, shortlist, suggestion, support, truck, van, visit
Posted in Moving Homes & Hauliers | Comments Off
Posted in General Building on Sep 20
According to consumer group “Which”, as many as 2.6 million people may have had a dispute with a decorator or a builder in the UK in the past 2 years. While clients who Find a Builder on Mr-Skill seldom have a similar problem,  we thought the salient features in the Consumer Group were still well worth repeating.
o The most common disputes reported include late starts, delays and sites left untidy after completion.
o Another common complaint received was builders still expecting full payment up-front, and many consumers not even being given written Builders Quotes.
o In extreme cases there was not even a written agreement regarding what the customer might expect.
o  As a consequence of these glaring oversights, two out of every five UK consumers felt bad done by, with a quarter of these feeling short-changed by at least £500. These statistics were as common among the customers of London Builders, and those working in the countryside.
Given that this is such a common problem it is hardly surprising that Mr-Skill has such a growing customer base. We believe that this is largely because we insist that our builders provide a written quotes and agree a formal contract. As a result of these and other rigid standards that we apply, it has been a while since we received complaints along the lines of those reported by consumer group “Which”.
Find a Builder on Mr-Skill. The project partners you can trust. Get good value. Be fully satisfied.
Tags: agreement, build, Builders Quotes, Building, client, common, consumer, contract, customer, delay, dispute, expect, find a builder, formal, full payment, late, london builders, oversight, payment, problem, quote, standard, uk, untidy, writing, written
Posted in General Building | Comments Off
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