Feel Free to add any other jobs not mentioned – all in the name of research

Obviously the recession has played a major part in people thinking twice about filing up our landfills with unwanted items which is not been a bad thing. Many white goods can be fixed for a cost effective price.

Finding engineers is not always easy and I have struggled over the years to get tradespeople who do this – it’s nearly as bad trying to find decent chimney sweeps and window cleaners too!

Here’s just a list of some of the calls and emails we receive over the years

• Water related: leaks, filling or emptying and heating problems
• Programme faults
• Washing problems
• Washing machine functioning faults
• Oven Elements
• Thermostats
• Fan motors
• Clocks
• Door hinges
• Hot rings

and they are to name a few, if this sounds familiar and you are experiencing any problems like above instead of heading to your nearest shop, do try and see if its fixable it might just save you some cash and upheaval – please call us if you would like to talk about any of your white goods repairs or visit our recommended engineers page.

Have you got big plans under-way to transform and upgrade your house? (new kitchen, garden, bathroom)

Have you got planning permission but haven’t started building yet?

Do you plan to turn your current home into your much bigger ‘forever’ home?

Do you want a bigger house, but can’t afford to move?

If you would like property expert Sarah Beeny to give you invaluable expert advice on how to achieve a lot more space for a lot less cash then she would love to hear from you.

For more information about the show contact

According to property experts it should be 1% of the value on your home, which bearing in mind the national average is £162,109 (Land Registry fig) this can be a whopping £1,621 for each house holds to fork out.

Now living in a realistic world where money is not free flowing this can seem like a wish list but having read Sarah’s article you can see why you should spend some money on your home to keep it marketable. Like Sarah, if you’re re mortgaging it can come as a nasty surprise when the market value is less than you were hoping for. Be vigilant with your property if you have a leak – why have you a leak?  windows rotting – don’t leave it until its gets expensive to replace, dodgy electrics – well can you afford to ignore it?

I suppose the answer is no and with those those leaking gutters, old fashioned kitchen or that avocado bathroom comes at great cost. It’s really important the money you spend on your home is put to good use and is carried out by good reputable tradespeople; always ask for recommendation so you avoid any issues with rogue trades.

If you haven’t read Sarah’s article I would recommend you do as I’m sure we can always learn something.

If you have any issues with your home and you just want a chat in the first instance then do give me a call.

The average family spent approx £1,793 per year on home improvements but more than half had to get a tradesperson involved to put their disasters right costing on average £250 to get the job finished.

Top jobs which needed the professional in to start again or finish off are:

• Cutting through water pipes
• Cutting through power cables
• Dodgy shelving
• Tiling
• Painting and decorating

Over the coming months I am aiming to add other popular locations such as Bath, Wiltshire, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Cardiff and Newport – Judging by the customer emails and calls I receive its evident that this service needs to spread it wings and I hope to bring this recommendation service to more customers in the future. Thank you to all those customers who have supported and used this service since we launched back in 2004.

If you can bring home some samples from tile shops even better as you want to make sure the tiles you chose are the right ones – costly mistakes become a headache and after all you have to live with it. Vinyl is another option and there are some fantastic funky looking vinyl’s out there. Just remember laying vinyl is not for the faint hearted and you don’t want to get it wrong, always best to seek advice first and get a professional to fit it for you.

Measure the bathroom carefully - you might think this is straight forward but have you considered the position of the windows, doors and pipe work, sometimes its best to get a plumber in to sketch you a rough plan and always speak to your plumber before you buy any sanitary wear, he will give advise on what you need and measurements.

Lighting - Most people find the bathroom a relaxing retreat after a hard day, so choose lights which compliment. Lights positioned above wash basins and baths/showers are a must and must comply with bathroom safety. There are so many different designs on the market these days that you are simply spoilt for choice. Again inserting new lights such as spotlights will need the help of a qualified electrician.

Heating - Bathrooms need to be warm and toasty especially coming out of a bath or shower. Heated towel rails are an inexpensive way of making your bathroom look ultra modern and great if space is a premium not to mention the extra source of heat.  We touched also on under floor heating and is certainly a trend for spa type bathrooms and wet rooms this year. There are a couple of options when it comes to under floor heating whether you have a wet system which works as part of your central heating or dry systems - which are powered by your electric (which is the quicker and easier way to install) Don’t forget you will need a certified electrician to be able to do this for you.

Extraction - I must have a couple of enquires a week from customers who are suffering mould and condensation problems mainly from bathrooms – it’s important that the steam can escape from a window, extractor or both. My en suite is windowless so I had to ensure I had a super extraction system fitter or I was going to have an issue in a couple of year’s time.

If you follow some easy guidelines you will be able to achieve the bathroom of your desire, it’s really important to choose a plumber who comes recommended and is reliable. Ask to see recommendation and where possible speak to clients that have used their services.

For more information of Find Me A Tradespersons bathroom fitters please check out their profiles.

Happy planning!

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Rogue door traders are nothing new and sadly these individuals still think they can con vulnerable groups into pressurising them for unnecessary work for inflated prices and then playing on peoples conciseness.

Here are some useful tips I picked up from Martin Lewis Money saving Tips

• You have a 7 day cooling off period.Buy something when a salesperson calls at your home and the ‘doorstep selling regulations’ mean you have a 7 day cooling off period on all goods you buy over £35.

  If you want to cancel you’re entitled to get any money back, including a deposit, after which you need to return any goods in reasonable condition (although you may need to pay for the return delivery).

  Similar rights are available for buying online or by phone. See the Consumer Rights guide for info.

• Remember you don’t have to let them in.
• Ask to see the salesperson’s official ID and find out exactly where they’re from.
• Don’t sign anything even if they’re only offering a quote.
• A trader must advise you in writing that you can cancel any contract, if they don’t they can’t hold you to anything in the contract. 

  Sensible advice given above and remember you don’t have to deal with any rogue trader at all, just shut the door!

  If you are looking for work to be done in Bristol or Bath then ensure who ever you get you feel confident that you have vetted them and taken references.  If you don’t know any traders personally then always get a recommendation.

Is my dishwasher affected?

They are urging owners to check the affected dishwashers batch number range from FD 7901 to FD 8504.

Dishwashers can be identified by matching the model number and serial number with the items listed on the website using the online matching tool. The model and serial numbers can be found inside the dishwasher door panel on the upper left side. Alternatively call the helpline at 0800 561 0082 or arrange a call-back with BSH customer service.

Do remember that we do offer repairs on all dishwashers (new seals, mechanical breakdowns, non-draining etc…) in the Bristol Area. We are able to recommend local reliable White Goods Services Company.