hiring professionals

At some point, we all have to admit that we can't do everything. In fact the risk to ourselves and our families should dictate the consultation and hiring of professionals such as electricians and plumbers. Make sure the electrician is NICEIC registered and the Plumber (if handling gas installations) is CORGI registered (UK only). Apart from the safety aspect you should consider hiring time served plasterers to carry out any large plastering jobs as this is beyond most DIYers ability. There are people who've been on a 4 day course and advertise themselves as tradesmen. Ask for references and DO follow them up. Don't be tempted to hire somebody because they're cheap. Shakespearean quote: "The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten". If you're buying a house or other investment, you should really consider getting a professional surveyor to go over the property. If he finds no problems, then it's money well spent because of the peace of mind you'll get. If on the other hand it's found out that the property has some faults, this can be reflected in the final sale price. It really is a WIN-WIN situation. Other professionals to consider for those larger, more complex and possibly dangerous jobs are roofers, aerial riggers, glaziers. There's no shame in being sensible. I've been in the industry for more than 40 years and will still call on the services of other tradesmen. The best recommendation is word of mouth. Ask family, friends and neighbours if they could recommend anybody before you reach for the Yellow Pages.