DUE DILIGENCE – TOP TIPS FOR WORKING However, bear in mind the old saying ‘one man’s meat is another’s poison’. Endorsements are subjective, and you must check them out, judging not only the finished work, but also how the tradesperson handled the whole process, from running the budget, logistics, attendance, on-site facilities, and regard for neighbours in terms of noise, mess etc. Ask your potential trade for a list of previous clients – contact them direct and prepare in advance a list of questions to ask them. 2. Clarity of communication and how they present themselves When you’re interviewing trades, there are some simple things to remember. Be aware of how they present themselves and consider the quality and condition of their tools, vehicle and equipment. They should request a detailed spec to help them put together a quote. Most problems occur with variations from the original spec and the extra cost of implementing those changes, so be sure you’re happy with the spec before you hand In the third and final part of our series on Due them to your trade. Then agree on all the Diligence, we look at the professionals we details and costs upfront. Once you decide work with in our property businesses and give on a tradesperson, have a contract drawn up some Top Tips when working with Trades. specifying staged payments, never paid in cash, and only made at the stage completions How can I find a professional tradesperson, agreed in the contract. who’ll do a decent job, for a fair price and won’t let me down? 3. Worth the wait This is a really good question and one we get asked a lot. The answer to this question, unsurprisingly, is to ensure that you use only “A List Trades.” When you find these superstars, treat them well, recognise their worth and never let them go! We are not going to pretend that finding them is easy, it’s time consuming and, as the saying goes “… you have to kiss a lot of frogs.” Here are some of our top tips, together with some from our very own superstar builder Jason Mallock-Long, of Pearl Property Group, to help you, in your search for “A Listers.” 1. Word of mouth This is the best kind of referral, because it means that someone you know was happy enough with the end result to make a recommendation. 32
Most good trades will be busy, so expect to have to wait for them and schedule your project in. Be wary of anyone who can start immediately. We’ve often had to wait six months or more, and believe me, it’s worth the wait! 4. Buy cheap meat and smell what you save Don’t be tempted to buy solely on price – do your homework, know the value of the work, the cost of the materials (remembering that different types and qualities of materials will have different price points) and approach several trades, so that you will have different quotations to consider. When looking at different quotes, remember to check the Wquality and detail of the quote so that you know exactly what you are being quoted for and that the tradesperson has understood your brief.
