How to spot a cowboy builder: the red flags to watch for
The red flags that give a cowboy builder away, before and during the job, and how to keep your money safe.
Michael Oladele|4 min readHomeowner Tips
Michael Oladele|4 min read
What insurance should a builder have? A homeowner's checklist
The insurance and guarantees every UK builder should have, and how to check them before you hire your next renovation.
Michael Oladele||5 min read
Builder won't finish the job? Your options and how to protect the money
A builder who won't finish leaves you stuck and out of pocket. Here are your options as a UK homeowner, and how staged, protected payments stop it happening.
Michael Oladele||4 min read
Extreme weather is becoming a renovation problem: why building delays are getting more common
Heat, storms, heavy rain and hard frost all disrupt building work, and they are happening more often. Here is how extreme weather delays renovations, why it is now a planning variable rather than bad luck, and what keeps a delay from turning into a dispute.
Michael Oladele||6 min read
Can builders work in a heatwave? What hot weather does to your renovation timeline
Can builders work in a heatwave, and what does hot weather do to your renovation timeline? What actually happens on site, why a pause is a safety call rather than laziness, and how to keep a heat delay from turning into a dispute with your contractor.
Michael Oladele||5 min read
Cold drinks, hot building sites: what the Amsterdam heatwave teaches us about renovating
The Netherlands is living through one of its hottest weeks on record. Here is what extreme heat does to a renovation timeline, and why it so often ends in a dispute.
heatwaverenovationconstructionproject delayshomeownercontractorAmsterdamclimaterenovation disputesmilestone payments
Michael Oladele||6 min read
How to find a contractor you can trust: the seven checks to do before the first meeting
Seven pre-meeting checks for UK and NL homeowners. Company registration, references, accreditations, insurance, and what a good first meeting feels like.
Alexa Kaminsky||8 min read
How much deposit is normal to pay a contractor, and how to pay it safely
Your money stays protected from the moment you pay it until the first stage of work is delivered.
Alexa Kaminsky||6 min read
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