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Which home improvements add the most value to your property

2nd December 2019

best home improvements

A conservatory is best home improvement to add value to your home

Adding a conservatory is the most cost-effective way of adding value to your property, research from tradespeople comparison site HaMuch.com has revealed.

Christmas can be a tough time to sell in a quieter market and ensuring your property stands out from the crowd can cost money.

HaMuch.com looked at the percentage value added by a number of home improvements on the average house once you’ve accounted for the cost of the work and found that installing a conservatory costs £6,675 but increases the price by £14,062, or 6.0%. read more

Let’s ditch reviews for builders

6th June 2019
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positive feedback
  • Reviews and stars tell customers little about actual quality or reliability
  • HaMuch.com to start deleting stars and reviews for tradesmen
  • Tradesmen game reviews by offering cash discount for positive feedback
  • HaMuch.com boss says review sites may suffer same fake reviews as TripAdvisor

We have all become used to reading online reviews of tradesmen and tradeswomen before hiring them. But these reviews have now become worthless and should be done away with, says controversial builder-pricing website owner Tarquin Purdie.

Purdie’s HaMuch.com site shows details of how much tradesmen charge in your local area and had previously accepted reviews and stars out of five. These will now be deleted from the website.

Many popular websites who charge builders for job leads offer feedback and a marks system. But Purdie believes that customers can end up being fobbed off with poor tradesmen who game the system. He also believes that good builders who stick to the rules can be punished by unscrupulous homeowners. read more

Never mind the rogue builders: Pricing website starts rogue customer list

19th January 2019
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builders tools
  • HaMuch.com to compile list of debtor customers, complainers and con-men
  • Builders report increase in non-paying customers, rogue complainers & cancellations
  • Some customers hire tradesmen with no intention of paying quoted price

We are all used to seeing rogue tradesmen on early morning television shows, BBC’s Watchdog and regional news shows, but what these programmes never portray is the number of rogue customers that builders and other trades have to deal with.

Are customer who fail to pay up rogues too?

Building work-pricing website HaMuch.com is now attempting to redress the balance by compiling a list of customers who have failed to pay up, cancelled major jobs at short notice or consistently made unjustified complaints to get significant discounts. This list of nightmare customers will be compiled via feedback from plumbers, electricians, roofers, bricklayers and other tradesmen and tradeswomen who use the unique pricing website, before being made available to trades who sign up for the service. read more

Builders and Plumbers in the southeast 25 times more expensive

16th January 2019
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Regional / local: The UK’s cheapest tradesmen are in Birmingham / Nottingham / Nuneaton / Blackwood / Doncaster

  • North-south divide in builder costs as much as £240-per-hour
  • Surrey and London most expensive for tradesmen/women
  • Midlands offers best value to homeowners, according to HaMuch.com

A new data survey by building work pricing site HaMuch.com has revealed the stark differences between the southeast and the rest of the UK when it comes to the cost of building work. The divide appears to be drawn at Watford Gap, with the Midlands offering best value, whilst Surrey and London have the most expensive tradesmen.

The spread of prices for common household jobs across the recently-launched website’s 12,000 tradesmen ranged from £10-per-hour to an incredible £250-per-hour, with builders in Surrey charging as much as 25-times more than their counterparts in Nottingham. Plumbers in Surrey also charged an eye-watering 20-times more than those in Caerphilly. Meanwhile, hiring an electrician in London could cost you £250-per-hour, compared with a bargain basement £10-per-hour in Birmingham.  read more

Banish Builder cash-in-hand payments for trades

2nd January 2019
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money
  •  HaMuch.com announce New Year’s resolution is no more cash-in-hand for builders
  • Portable card machines have revolutionised payment for tradespeople
  • Does away with the industry’s reputation for tax-dodging

Building work pricing website HaMuch.com is set to put a cat among the building site pigeons by calling time on cash-in-hand payments for plumbers, electricians and bricklayers alike. 

The bundle of used notes was once standard payment for tradesmen, but the website’s founder Tarquin Purdie believes that abandoning cash payments for 2019 will allow builders to fully embrace the 21st century and rescue the industry’s reputation in one fell swoop. He is now calling for home-owners to reject calls for cash payment, even if that comes with a discount. read more

Over 75% of builders have charged extra to homeowners with a ‘posh’ name

17th October 2018
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Posh customer with builder
  • Pricing website HaMuch.com survey shows 75.5% have charged customers more when hearing their ‘posh’ name.
  • 81.5% of tradesmen charged more after realising a client lives in a fancy house
  • 79% of builders have charged more when working in an upmarket area

A new survey by tradesman-pricing website HaMuch.com has uncovered bad news for those called Tarquin, Rupert or Quentin, as more than three-quarters of builders admitted to charging them far more than Daves, Mikes and Deans. A slice of class war set in brickwork and cement. 

75.5% of the tradesman questioned said that they have given a higher quote when the customer is a Henrietta, Harriet or Cassandra, with 51.5% saying they have added their ‘posh name tax’ many times. 24% said they had boosted their prices once or twice. read more

Upgrade Your House: Build an Extension

31st July 2018
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Building extension

As a home owner you are always looking for ways to improve your property and increase the value of your home. One way to do this is to build an extension to your home. Larger homes are generally more popular and it can be a great way to add value to your property.

Many homeowners agree that the rising costs of houses make it easier to rather spend money on your existing home and improve it, than selling it to find a better property. That’s why you can consider doing an upgrade in terms of an extension.

Popular extensions that homeowners often choose include bathrooms, kitchens, and loft conversions. No wonder the number of planning applications has risen by 25 percent during the last five years. But always keep your budget in mind as you need to do a renovation that you can afford. Get accurate estimates from builders first, before you decide to go ahead.

If you want to build a home extension, keep the following in mind:

  • Call in a professional to get the job done properly. Ask friends for recommendations or visit HaMuch to find a local expert close to you.

  • Make sure that the extension you choose will suit the style of the house. Modern extensions are always desirable but if it’s a very old house, it may not look as appealing and may influence your property value when it comes to selling.

  • Always be realistic. Extra bathrooms and kitchens are often very good choices for family homes and a garage can also add value.

  • Lofts are always a good idea. They add value to a home and allow you to maximise the space you have available, for the whole family to enjoy.

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    Upgrade Your House: Turn Your Office Into a Place Where Work Gets Done

    31st July 2018
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    home office

    If you want to work from home it’s essential that you ensure you have the right working environment. Designing your home office conversion for productivity is a great benefit and also a great way to add value to your home.

    Many people work from home but not everyone has the right space to utilize, which is why you should make the most out of what you have. With a few great tips you can turn even a small working space into a productive environment.

  • First, start by choosing the right space. You may not even realize but you may have plenty of unused spaces that you can turn into an office. This can be a basement or attic, a corner in a spare room, an open place in a hallway, or even an unused closet or alcove. The most important thing to remember is that the space is private.

  • Next, pick a productive colour combination. Some colours are just better than others when it comes to setting a productive mindset. For e.g., yellow is optimistic while blue is soothing. White is neutral while a drop of red can get you energized. Green is one of the best colours and many professionals will agree that it’s perfect for productivity.

  • Lighting can be a great way to make any space look larger than it really is. Choose your lighting carefully as you want natural light that is stimulating, but you can use softer lights as well, such as table lamps, desk laps and standing lamps. Fluorescent lighting may seem like a good option but it’s a bit too harsh and bright.

  • Always consider ergonomics. Consider things like adjustable chairs and ergonomic training to significantly reduce soft-tissue injury over time. It will also increase your productivity. For e.g. when you work on your computer your monitors should be eye level and your elbows should be at right angles. If your body is properly aligned you’ll feel much better while working.

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    Upgrade Your House: Convert Your Garage Into a Place You Love

    31st July 2018
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    garage converted to an office

    Your garage can be much more than simply an outdoor storage space. A garage has so much potential and you can really choose a garage conversion to turn it into a space you love. This is definitely a valuable space you can use.

    If you have a double garage it can take up a lot of space, especially if you do not use the space at all. If it has a solid foundation, walls and a roof, you can turn it into an enjoyable space that can offer you a great return on investment. This is especially for those home owners who park their car in front of the garage and leave the garage empty. read more

    Upgrade Your House: Turn Your TV Room into a Cosy Space

    31st July 2018
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    tv room

    If you have a dated TV room that you want to spice up and utilize, there are many ways in which you can turn it into a cosy space that everyone can enjoy. We look at a few great tips from experts on how to turn your TV room into a cosy space.

  • Choose your colours. Consider adding a fresh coat of paint and choose two-tone walls for a great effect. Choosing just the right colour will make a huge difference in the look and feel of the room so using two tone paint will automatically draw attention away from the ceiling and allow for a cosier effect.

  • Exchange coffee tables for ottomans. If you have a large seating arrangement it can feel a little strange to have too much space between a coffee table and your sofa. Exchange your coffee tables with ottomans and make the most out of your space. It’s also a much more comforting choice to make.

  • Use tall potted plants. If you have large spaces available and high enough ceilings, use potted plants to fill vertical spaces perfectly. Just make sure that you have enough light in the room to support the plants.

  • Add a room divider. You can even add a daybed as a room divider, especially in large TV rooms. This can also help you to create two seating areas while keeping the flow between the two areas.

  • Add an L–space sectional. If you have a large, modern TV room you can add a big L-shaped sofa that will definitely add a lot of comfort to the room.

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