1 July 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Five-minute guide to avoiding DIY disasters
Moneywise magazine
SUMMARY
British people love a spot of DIY, but sometimes our reluctance to call in the professionals causes more harm than good. The average home DIY disaster cost £145 for a tradesperson to rectify.
PRESS RELEASE
Although some cosmetic jobs are suitable for the adept DIY-er other tasks such as electrical problems should always be carried out by a professional. But even when we do employ tradespeople to do the work for us, things can still go badly wrong: government figures show that over a million homeowners have to spend money fixing work carried out by people without the correct qualifications or training each year, so it's important to find someone reliable. Websites such as www.checkatrade.com will help you to find trusted tradespeople in your area.
Check their credentails
If you need any gas, electric or plumbing fittings, look for tradespeople with the appropriate accreditation. For instance, electricians should be Part-P registered (which means they are certified to carry out work) with one of the following organisations: NAPIT - National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers: NICEIC - National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting: BRE - an independant testing and training organisation: BSI - British Standards Institute: ECA - Electrical Contractors Association; Corgi - the tradespeople registrar scheme.
For Plumbers and Gas Fitters only ever use a Gas-Safe registered engineer to install appliances.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
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.
CONTACT INFORMATION
PR / Marketing, Checkatrade
5 - 6 Sherrington Mews, Ellis Square, Selsey, West Sussex, PO20 0FJ
Tel: 01243 601234
Fax: 01243 601246
info@checkatrade.com
