Without trying to appear like a middle class, middle aged, ranting spinster,
Anyway; I have a two bedroomed flat that has been rented out for almost 20 years. Structurally, I haven't done a thing to it, but over the years, I've added double glazing, have redecorated more times than I care to remember, and have done umpteen other bits & bobs to it. It's been rented out quite successfully.
However.................... I have come to a stage in my life where I have to either sell it, or do a major refurbish on it.
I'm choosing to refurbish it because:
1) It's in a city and it has a lift and it's near shops & hospitals & when I get old & decrepit (OK older & more decrepit than I already am), I may want to live where I'm nearer to more amenities.
2) Emotionally, I can't bear to get rid of it because it would be like removing everything from my younger life. I bought this flat in 1991, when being as old as I am now, seemed like a distant memory away???
Anyway, this post is called 'Tradespeople' so 'Tradespeople' is what I must focus on and RANT about. Because after all, I am a 'Ranting Middle Aged Spinster'.
Way back in September of 2015, I decided that once the current tenants moved out I would totally refurbish the flat - knock down a wall between the kitchen and the living room, rewire the flat & install new heating throughout, new lighting & flooring throughout, new kitchen, new bathroom, new everything.
Spoke to a 'Refurbishment Company' who the Letting Agents, 'Quote'; 'couldn't recommend highly enough.'
Gave my tenants notice to move out at the end of Feb and asked 'highly recommended refurbishment company' to give me quotes for knocking down walls, re-wiring, etc, etc, etc, Spoke to them at the beginning of the year and told them I would like the work to begin in March and could I please have some quotes for the varying works????
After about a week I got an email back from the guy I'd been dealing with............ (& this was only because I'd chased him up) saying, 'My project manager, is dealing with this. Here's his email address, he's trying to gain access into your property.'
Oh and he also said that once the flat was vacant things would happen pretty quickly. Well, actually things won't actually happen pretty quickly unless I know how much I'm going to be paying??? And also................. just how long does it take to gain access into a flat????????????
I was so fed up with the 'can't recommend them highly enough company' (that my letting agents seem to love), that I've done my own research and found the most fabulous people on 'Checkatrade.com'
Emailed them around 7pm-ish in the evening. A very, very, very, lovely guy phoned me half an hour later. Contacted the letting agents the following day. And then visited the property the day after. So obviously there's no problem getting into the property then????
So all in all, things are moving forward. Yay!
They've visited the property, they've given me quotes, they've got engineers/electricians, etc, etc, etc, on board, they want to meet me when I visit the property once my tenants have moved out. Yay!
'I can't recommend them highly enough'........................... I'm in love with them all??!!
But what is really, really, really, annoying me is..................... the original company (who my letting agents said, 'we can't recommend them highly enough') still haven't bothered to contact me???
And that's why I'm ranting about 'tradespeople'????
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr......................................
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