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The recent spell of bad weather and high winds has left many householders with damage to their properties, from broken roof tiles to fallen fences. Such extremes of weather are predicted to continue into the weekend, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. Unfortunately, weather conditions like these present an opportunity for the unscrupulous to prey on people wanting to get repairs done quickly. They will go door to door offering their services. More often than not, they will charge an extortionate fee, demanding payment in cash, for what invariably turns out to be substandard work.  Kevin Byrne, founder of Checkatrade.com vividly remembers the chaos rogue traders caused after a devastating tornado ripped through his former home town of Selsey, West Sussex.

Kevin advises householders to take the following precautions before hiring tradesmen:
• Never entertain any “traders" that knock on your door without a prior appointment
• Use tradesmen recommended by friends and family or use the Checkatrade.com website to find a recommended, vetted and continuously monitored trade.
• Always make sure that before you use a trader they are prepared to give you the details of at least 3 previous "local" customers for you to contact.
• Look for a genuine address with a landline telephone number, rather than an accommodation address with a mobile number.
• The biggest advertisements in a telephone listings book do not guarantee reliability; larger companies often employ sub-contractors who are paid on commission. The bigger the bill - the more they get paid. 
• Make sure you agree a basis for charging before the work is started.
• If the work costs more than £100, try to pay using your credit card because you will then have extra protection legally.
• Always keep an eye on what they are doing. 
• Keep replaced parts - it means you've got the evidence if they turn out to be cowboys.
Checkatrade.com takes the hard work out of searching for a trade. The Checkatrade.com website lists trades who have been interviewed face to face, had their identity and address verified, had a credit check and are then continuously monitored via public feedback. All feedback and vetting results are clearly displayed on the Checkatrade.com website.
If householders follow this advice they have a far better chance of having a good job done right, first time.

Checkatrade helps combat the UK's rogue trader problem by continuously vetting and monitoring local traders such as builders, plumbers and electricians. The idea was born in 1998 after a tornado hit the small West Sussex town of Selsey. Traders poured in from as far away as Liverpool and Manchester. Unfortunately, some ripped off the inhabitants of the town. Local businessman, Kevin Byrne, realised there was nowhere to check out the traders’ credentials and the company that became Checkatrade was formed.

Since then, Checkatrade has grown to include over 6,300 genuine trade members, growing by an average 120 new members every month, and, via the Royal Mail, distributes 5.9 million directories a year into communities throughout Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, Dorset and Berkshire, while the website includes traders from across the UK.

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