8 January 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Rogue traders could be foiled by inspection plan
The Independent - money section
SUMMARY
Chartered surveyor e.surv has launched a property inspection service aimed at elderly or vulnerable homeowners who may be in danger of failing prey to cowboy builders and workmen
PRESS RELEASE
The annual inspection, called PropertyCare+, checks the fabric of the building, such as the roof – a common target for rogue traders – as well as giving advice on appliances such as boilers. It will highlight repairs that need immediate attention, point out areas that may cause problems later, and advise on routine maintenance, as well as offering guidelines on repair costs. It aims to ensure that the property does not deteriorate.
Richard Sexton, director of e.surv, said: "It should be particularly useful for the elderly and less physically able who might not get up into the attic as often as they once did and are therefore, for instance, less likely to notice problems with the roof. Hopefully it will stop people getting ripped off by unscrupulous tradesmen, too."
A survey from the website checkatrade.com revealed that one in seven homeowners have been targeted by rogue traders more than three times.
PropertyCare+ costs between £199 for a two-bed property, up to £269 for a five-bed
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
