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Having the builders in ranks as one of the most stressful times of your
life- almost half the population say its as stressful as arranging a wedding,buying a house or even having a baby- and,would
you believe,worse than spending a week with the in-laws!
Top of the irritation list are builders who don't finish on time, ones who
don't turn up when they say they will and those who run over budget.
"Its a massive invasion of your
personal space. It means you have to adjust your private life to fit in with these strangers and this can put real strains
on the family," says psycologist Donna Dawson. " the key is to keep cool, keep talking and keep it freindly."
Some
of us, though, have sorted the stress- around 20% of us move out during building work, 16% go on holiday, 22% use a recommended
builder and 11% use a written contract.
Asked about other ways of finding solace from the stress, 40% say they would
visit the gym, 14% say they would turn to alcohol and one in ten say they would get counselling
The best
way of getting a good builder is through word of mouth.
1. Do some home work, have a look at previous work the builder has
carried out, Talk to their customers. 2. Provide
a detailed specification and make sure the estimates cover everything. 3. Completely clear the building area 4.
Ensure children and pets are kept away from the building area 5. If you don't want builders sharing your loo or kitchen,make other arrangements 6. warn your neibours,let them know the details of the work to be done 7. Seek any necessary permissions 8. If you are unhappy , talk to your builder as soon as you can 9. Make sure you are on hand for any quick decisions 10. Once you are happy with the work, pay them promptly.
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