Estate agents warn not to cut corners
Estate Agents - 30/10/2006 15:09:04
Estate agents are warning homeowners across the country not to cut corners by hiring friends and family to do DIY jobs.
In a bid to avoid being caught out by rogue traders, a number of people are asking parents or even neighbours to carry out roofing, plumbing or electrical work on their homes.
First-time buyers are the most likely to ask help from non-professionals as they often have the least amount of cast to spend on hiring builders.
A survey by TrustMark revealed that 56 per cent of first-time homeowners admit to getting their friends to carry out repair work – a decision which estate agents say could cost them dear in the long run.
Miles Shipside, commercial director of rightmove.co.uk, said that because people are paying more for their property, there is the temptation to "call in a favour".
But he warned: "If you do any electrical work on your property then you have to get a certificate to say that it's been done and test properly.
"So if it came out when they were selling the property that they'd had some work done and they haven't got a certificate and the work's badly done, then that can damage the property value."
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