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Caring About Our Tools

Shane Preece April 5, 2013 Leave a Comment

symfony man

You don’t need to be a tradesman to know that having the best tools makes doing a good job a lot easier. You might be able to drill a hole in a piece of timber with a crap drill from a DIY shop, but when you’re trying to get through some tough masonry, it’s a different story. Rubbish tools don’t last very long either, so it’s actually cheaper to pay for quality.

So that’s what you say to your missus when she finds out how much your paid for your new router. But admit it, there’s a bit more to it. It’s subtle, but very real. Don’t you find that it’s a lot harder to take pride in your work when your tools are rubbish? Think about how it feels to use your favourite tool. That’s what I’m talking about.

That idea is something we take very seriously at MyBuilder. I don’t just mean with the website, but the tools we use internally. A good example of this turned up this week. We received a new batch of white, postcard sized cards. And then we sent them back immediately. I can imagine the stationery shop when they get them back. “The ink is just smudged on the top line, they still work! How petty.” To them, they’ll just be small cards. To us they’re much more.

One of the workflows we have is that when we have an idea for the website, we write it on a card. The card is put up onto a wall for Jeff, our product manager, to look over and decide what to do with next. If the idea is worth working on, it’ll get put onto a sort of “to-do” board. You could say that our business’s success is tied very closely to these cards – these ideas.

Of course we could still write on them, but we’d feel a bit like we’re using a dodgy drill. Our tools are important.

Symfony2

Sometimes working with good tools means putting in a bit of effort to keep them in shape. On the tech team, for the last half a year that’s what we’ve been doing.

Symfony is the framework we proudly build the site on top of. I’m not planning on getting too technical, so I’ll just say that it’s basically the foundation of all our code. Many websites are built using Symfony – it takes care of the basic mechanics of a website, so we can focus on the features. Symfony1 was released seven years ago, so you can imagine that technology has moved on a fair bit since then. And so we decided to upgrade to Symfony2 when it was released earlier last year.

Hopefully, you won’t be noticing much different about the site (except some shiny new buttons). That’s very much how we in the tech team wanted it. But underneath the web pages that you see, the code that generates them has all been changed. Almost every line of the code has been touched since the last version of the website.

All this new code, on top of Symfony2, will help us write better features, faster. And with less chance of any of you bumping into any bugs. We’re also hoping that whilst we’re hiring the idea of working on shiny new Symfony2 will be more appealing than working with a dinosaur of legacy code. (I’m a relatively new hire, and I’m certainly happier for it!)

So yes, just like you, we take enormous pride on our work and our tools are an important part of this. Nothing makes us feel better than a job well done. This is one thing we definitely have in common with our customers.

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DIY You Thought You Could Do… But Can’t!

Ben Bailey March 19, 2013 3 Comments


As Spring draws closer we can hear the sound of shed doors opening and tool boxes creaking back into life… but alongside DIY comes the inevitable difficulties and horror stories.

At MyBuilder we’ve come across a lot of botched DIY over the years and in every case it was clear the job could have been made easier and safer with the intervention of an expert. We present to you MyBuilder’s DIY You Thought You Could Do… But Can’t!

Tiling

Tiling seems quite straightforward. It’s the familiarity that does it – all that time spent staring at the tiles while in the bath or by the wash basin. How hard could it be? After all, it’s just sticking some tiles to the wall, right? The first challenge is that the surface needs to be perfect. A wavy or bumpy wall looks much worse when tiles are covering it. Secondly, laying tiles is not easy – it takes a lot of practice to get it right. Lastly, once you make a pig’s ear of the tiling, the professional tiler will likely break the tiles trying to get them off. Buying the tiles twice won’t be a nice end to your DIY experiment.

Carpet Fitting
Carpet laying can’t be that hard, right? Just roll it out, measure around the fireplace and.. uh oh, it’s too short! Remember, once you’ve cut the carpet too short there’s no attractive way to fix it and replacing the whole thing is an unnecessary cost. A skilled fitter has the experience of measuring and cutting awkward shapes; they are also much more likely to have all their fingers left after using the troublesome stanley knife!

Building Garden Walls
Everybody knows that bricklaying is a proper building trade. But when it comes to garden and boundary walls, somehow it changes in our mind from building to tinkering in the garden. What gives? It might not seem too important because it’s just in the garden, but white mortar smeared all over the faces of your crooked bricks won’t impress the other half, or your guests. It will also (hopefully) annoy you for the rest of your life and remind you of the value of a professional job. If that doesn’t convince you, think about the time spent. A good bricklayer can lay 1,000 bricks a day to perfection whereas a good DIYer will be lucky to lay 100!

Hanging Doors
Hanging a door is a lot trickier than it sounds. If you screw the hinges into the door frame and it’s slightly off, it’s practically impossible to adjust it. In addition, planing the door is a difficult business; too long and you’re dragging it across the carpet, too short and you’ve got a draught. Getting it wrong will remind you every time you walk through that door why you should have got an expert in. Your hopes of a quality doorway all hinge on a seasoned carpenter.

Tree Surgery
Chopping down trees is lots of fun. It might seem tempting to buy your own toy, errr – chainsaw for the price you’d pay a tree surgeon, but you might regret that decision once you cut your leg off. Chainsaws are seriously dangerous and even trained professionals use protective clothing and special helmets. Even if you’re just pruning a tree with a hand saw, you might do more harm than good to your tree. Knowing where and when to prune is the key – which is why tree surgeons go to college to learn their trade!

Wallpapering
Redecorating is an often underestimated task, taking a lot longer than most of us anticipate. One of the trickiest tasks is wallpapering, especially if you want the patterns to look seamless. In a way, wallpapering is an art form, after all it will be adorning your walls for years to come. The last thing you want is a drunk-looking floral pattern or scruffy ends – have a painter and decorator help you with your fancy feature wall.

Cleaning Gutters
Sunday morning in the rain, with a ladder on a rooftop – something tells us this isn’t going to end well! Heights can be dangerous and any kind of roof work should be left to experienced roofers if at all possible. Yes, it may ‘just be a few leaves’, but is it really worth a tumble from a ladder? We don’t think so!

Laying Turf
You stand there with rolls of turf and a vision of Wembley stadium’s pitch in your back garden, but the outcome looks more like a field after a festival. If turf is not laid correctly you risk uneven surfaces, yellow grass or even bald patches – not a good look for impending summer barbecues. Let a professional take care of the planning, preparation and laying – then you won’t be looking at your neighbour’s lawn ‘green’ with envy.

Demolition
Demolition is not just ‘fun with sledgehammers’. Well, it might mostly be fun with sledgehammers, but dangers lurk in every corner. From broken glass to electricity to smashed fingers, it’s definitely a skill to know which tools to use, when to get people to stand clear, and how to dismantle something. Let the tradesmen have some fun for once!

Architecture
OK, this one might seem a bit unlikely. It would seem that there aren’t many DIY architects. But architecture isn’t just designing a new building. Any changes to the layout of your home is by definition architecture. Many people don’t think of consulting an architect for en-suites, loft conversions or even extensions. Even a badly planned en-suite bathroom can ruin a bedroom by creating dead space and an awkward layout. Builders are usually more than happy to build whatever you ask them to, but you’re going to be the victim of your own bad decisions. A good architect need not be too expensive and what’s the good of having that new extension if you hate living in it?

Do you have anything to add to our list? We’d love to hear your stories.

 

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Back to school – how further education could benefit your career

Ben Bailey March 6, 2013 Leave a Comment

Knowledge through further education
Many of us consider going back to education later in life, but it can seem a daunting prospect. There are many benefits to further education such as learning new skills or trades which could improve your career options. But you may ask, is it right for you? The answer seems to be a resounding yes. There has been a 14%* rise in vocational learning over the past year and nearly 30% of all university applicants last year were over 21**.

This week I spent some time with one of our tradesmen, Stephen Courtney, who has decided to take the plunge and head back to university.

Tell us about your background
I worked at the Home Office for 15 years. I started out as a labourer, worked my way up to foreman until I was eventually managing projects up to £1/2 million in value. I thought I’d be there for life and then all of a sudden they shut a lot of the buildings and I was made redundant.

Why did you choose to go back and study?
I was trying to find a project management job, but I couldn’t get anything because I didn’t have the relevant qualifications. I chose to go back into education so I could get back into project management of some sort.

How are you funding your course?
I’m taking an accountancy course, so to help me through I applied for a student loan. I’ll get my tuition and living allowance paid for and will be required to pay it back once I start earning a certain amount.

And what about the future?
I’m open-minded about what path I’m going to take. I’m not looking to become an accountant; it’s project management I’m looking at long term. The degree begins by covering a wide range of topics then later on you decide what to specialise in.

How are you going to balance your work with your studies?
It’s going to be difficult, but I chose a university local to me, which is also where a lot of my customers are. Study times are varied; I might have a day off in the week or start at midday so I should be able to fit some work in.

What effect do you think this will have on your career?
Hopefully massive. A good mix of experience and qualifications is vital. There’s not a lot I don’t know about building, but it’s difficult to get them to agree to give you the work without the right piece of paper. I have qualifications, but the work is so competitive that it’s always great to get another qualification – it adds another string to the bow really.

View Stephen Courtney’s MyBuilder profile 

If you are interested in getting back into education follow the links below for more information.

City & Guilds Vocational Qualifications
UCAS Mature Students Advice
Student Loans Company

Sources: *City &Guilds **UCAS

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Diary of a Home Improvement Enthusiast – Finding the Right Builder

Peter Wellock February 7, 2013 1 Comment

Decor Builders
I posted my first job on MyBuilder in 2008.  My experience with personally recommended builders up to that point was not great, so I didn’t know what to expect from MyBuilder. Within no time at all we met and hired David, a true craftsman who made a fireplace surround that we talked about until the day we moved out. I remember writing to Ryan shortly after posting my first feedback comment, enthusiastically telling him why he should hire me as head of customer service.

I’ve hired lots of tradesmen through MyBuilder in the time I’ve been here and learned a lot about home improvements. I hoped to put my knowledge to good use as we embarked on the most ambitious project to date: buying our first house.

As anyone on the London property ladder knows, unless money is no object and you’re paying someone to do the legwork for you, finding and buying a flat or house is a process that consumes your life. At the time we were looking, demand greatly outstripped supply and prices were so high that most houses were simply beyond our reach. We had two options: move out of town or try to find a wreck and do it up. Moving out simply wasn’t practical and in any case, we were up for a challenge – despite the fact that my wife and I work full time and have two young children.

The problem with viewing refurbishment opportunities is that you need a builder who is willing to come along for the ride. This is a punt for the builder and while some are prepared to accept the risk, others are not. So long as the builder is made aware before he gives up his valuable time, I think this is a reasonable request. I made a point of declaring our position when posting our job.

I shortlisted Jacek, a builder who had no previous experience through the site to speak of, but whose references were very complementary. He spent a good chunk of time at the house with us and followed up a few days later with his estimate. Unfortunately, our offer on that house was unsuccessful. We thanked Jacek for his time and parted company. I appreciated the effort he made though and wanted to return the favour at a later date. So, when our offer was later accepted on a different house, we posted another job on the site and, along with other builders, invited Jacek to quote.

Make no mistake, organising quotes for a big job takes time. Three builders each spent around 90 minutes at the house, gathering information and discussing options with us. Factor in at least two rounds of revisions and then waiting to receive the amended quote (yes, good builders normally work during the day and most don’t have office staff who are on hand to prepare quotes). As Ryan once wrote on this blog, builders are providing a service from the moment they walk through the door. I would have gladly paid to receive a detailed quote as part of the service we received from all of the builders who tendered for our job.

A word or two on price. When the first quotes came in our faces dropped. Friends had once warned us of what to expect but we laughed it off at the time. Over the next few days, our original plans changed dramatically as we battled to keep the job within budget (who needs furniture anyway?) Getting a range of quotes is essential, if for no other reason than to confirm that your expectations were wildly misplaced.

In the end, we chose Jacek. Why? He wasn’t the cheapest, appeared no more qualified and had less feedback than the others. Yet, of all the builders we met, Jacek was the person with whom we felt most comfortable and trusted. In my opinion, these are the most important factors to consider when deciding who to hire – it’s not just about the quote. Did we make the right choice? Watch this space to find out how the refurbishment unfolds.

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Interview with a damp proofer

Peter Wellock January 25, 2013 1 Comment

MyBuilder talks to Annabelle Webster of South East Timber and Damp

Damp proofer at work

During certain damp works you may expect a small amount of mess and disruption to your home.


When would I need to call a damp proof specialist?
You might need a full Timber and Damp survey prior to purchasing a property or if you have a specific damp or timber issue that requires an inspection.

What does a survey involve?
To carry out a full damp report, the surveyor will need to take moisture readings from all internal and external walls. Heavy items may need to be pulled away from walls ahead of the visit to allow for access.

Before a full timber inspection can be carried out, carpets must be pulled back and floorboards lifted to allow the surveyor to inspect the timbers below. Loft areas should  be accessible and cleared of items to allow a full inspection. If the property is occupied, a limited inspection may only be possible.

If remedial timber or damp works have been carried out in the last 20 years, certification documents will help the surveyor determine if any of the works have failed.

How much mess and disruption can I expect?
If the work involves removing internal plaster and render from the walls then dust is unavoidable. Covering furniture and taping doors shut will help somewhat, but dust carries in the air and will settle in all rooms. Timber treatments can also be disruptive.  We would always suggest rooms are cleared and not used during and after works for a few hours to allow the air to clear.

Should I expect you to be a member of a trade body?
If you are looking for a specialist damp proofing or remedial timber treatments company, we recommend that you choose a full time member of the Property Care Association. PCA members have passed a series of stringent checks, and are regularly audited on health & safety procedures, complaints handling, training and much more. Members are also required to abide by high standards with certified surveyors in place.

Can I expect your work to be guaranteed?
All our specialist remedial works are guaranteed unless specified in the surveyor’s report.  As a PCA member, we can also offer a limited insurance policy to cover the guarantee. If a PCA company ceases trading and the works fail, another PCA contractor will carry out the works under the guarantee.

A “guarantee” can be printed by any firm. If the contractor goes out of business though, or if the works fail and the contractor refuses to return, their guarantee is worthless. We regularly get called in to assess failed damp works because the original contractor no longer operates and the guarantee cannot be honoured.

Are there any common scams or cowboy behaviour I should look out for?
There are some basic checks that you should carry out before choosing a damp proofing contractor:

  • Research the contractor online and read any feedback that has been written about them.
  • Be wary if a contractor ONLY has mobiles and 0800 numbers or does not have an office address.
  • Look out for “post box” addresses in central London or local towns as these may be mail drop addresses.  Ask if the contractor has an office you can visit.

Do you provide an estimate or a quote?
An estimate is an educated guess at what a job may cost – it is not binding, however.  In this case you may receive several estimates covering various scenarios.

We provide a fixed quotation which cannot be changed once accepted by the customer. This quotation relates to the report which clearly specifies the exact works that are to be carried out along with a sketch plan of the area.

In the damp proofing industry we generally work to quotations and specify the exact works that we would carry out.  Additional works may be needed that could not be accounted for at the time of quoting. Extras will be appended to the report and quoted as a variation. Generally the quotation will have an expiry date.

Do I need to pay a deposit? What about money for materials?
As a rule of thumb, we ask for a 25% deposit upon acceptance of the works. Deposits allow the contractor to cover some of the initial material costs.  For waterproofing works, this could amount to thousands of pounds of materials that need to be pre-ordered. If you hand over any money, you should either have signed an acceptance form detailing the agreed quote or received a receipt detailing the monies paid.

How do you take your tea?
Lots and mine’s strong, no sugar!

If you are a tradesman or tradeswoman and have a view or topic you’d like to share then please contact us.

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The Hero Project

Ryan Notz January 15, 2013 Leave a Comment

It started out with our offer to help a homeowner in need by paying for a small project as a Christmas gift. We got so many moving requests from homeowners in our initial blog post, that we decided to go beyond a single project and try to find a way to help more people.

So we asked our tradesmen if they wanted to help and got an amazing response. We decided to call this the ‘Hero Project’ and offered to pay the materials cost for every project that had a tradesman hero volunteering.

We’re now coming to the end of the Hero Project, with several of them wrapped up. We thought we’d share a few of the completed jobs with you.

Emma Hazlett and her mum

MyBuilder Hero Project

Emma Hazlett’s mum’s bedroom before the work

 

“My mum is a wonderful person, and has worked hard and been a great mother all her life. She suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (similar to M.E.) and depression and bi-polar, especially after losing her husband (and dad to me and my sister). Since then she has struggled with illness as a widow, living on an extremely low income, she can’t work any more and spends a lot of time on her own since me and my sister have grown up and moved out, and has now developed ‘frozen shoulder’ which means she is not only in a lot of pain but she also can’t drive, which isolates her even more.

Her house is tiny and my dad pretty much built the inside himself before he died but it’s falling apart and for years she has lived in the tiny box room which just about fits a bed in it, while mine and my sister’s old room has been filled with stuff that we have just managed to clear. Our plan is for mum to move into the bigger room and try and make her surroundings better for her, but the room’s walls need a tradesman – they are peeling chip board and dreadful children’s nursery colours, it’s a depressing sight, and I wish for someone to help give the walls a make over and a lick of paint, to give mum a happier place to live. I wish, for Christmas, I could fix the bigger problems, but I’m afraid I can’t, and for now this would be an amazing step towards helping her be happier.”

MyBuilder Hero Project Jan 2013

The same bedroom after Homecraft UK completed the project


After the transformation, Emma expressed her thanks: “Homecraft UK offered to do a ‘Hero’ job for me and my mum and I couldn’t believe their kindness. John Black sent his team round and in one day they transformed the bedroom and did a great decorating job in rather difficult circumstances. The guys were so polite and nice, too! It was an incredibly quick response and turnaround, and we are very grateful.”

John Black from Homecraft UK said “I would consider helping others and yes, the job was a little harder than first expected but that’s life. One day every now & then it should not be hard to help anyone in need. Who knows, I might need help one day.”

Harriet Shepherd

“I am Harriet, Mum to baby Poppy, 7 months, and George, 3, and wife to Steven. We recently moved house and have lots of home improvements to do but the one that is the most pressing is we have no kitchen! We have managed to buy a kitchen online but have run out of money to pay someone to fit it. Steven has put together the units and had some help to hang a couple of cupboards but that is as far as it goes. I have a camping stove to cook and that is it, we don’t even have a microwave! Washing dishes in the bathroom is getting very tiresome and I am really struggling to cook nutritious meals for the children and us. The thought of Christmas with no kitchen is too much to bear, to have the kitchen put in for us would be the best present I think I could ever receive, in my whole life! Steven and I both work really hard, me from home, but struggle with all the debt and bills of modern life, this really would be a dream come true!”

After the kitchen was completed, Harriet said “I am so pleased to say, I have a kitchen!! Thank you so much to MyBuilder for organizing the whole thing it really has been a god send. Paul and his team were lovely and did the job in no time at all! Many thanks again for making our Christmas.”

MyBuilder Hero Project Jan 2013 Feature

Harriet and George with KitchensFit4U

 

Paul from KitchensFit4u who undertook the work added “As a family man I understand how difficult the Christmas period can be, and how important a kitchen is for preparing those festive feasts. My team and I decided we would love to take this opportunity to make this special time of year a little easier for someone using our knowledge and skills. It made sense to do the two things that we are passionate about which are our workmanship and our ability to help out where possible at once. As KitchensFit4U grow, we hope to be able to do more for people who need a helping hand. Fortunately the job went very smoothly, due to the hard work and Steve (Harriets husband) had put in, trying to provide his family with a kitchen in the home they have only recently moved in to. Minor mistakes were easily rectified with our professional experience and the kitchen was completed and fully functioning.”

Trudi Borsberry

“Hello I am a single mum on a serious budget and I have a hole in my bedroom ceiling where water is coming in through the roof. I simply do not have any money to fix it – and I know it will only get worse and worse. My daughter was unwell the other day and lay in the bed with me and the water starting to drip through. I also have a front fence which is down and the neighbours and understandably unhappy. I know there are people with worse things, but I thought it was worth a try. Thank you for listening.”

Trudi wrote to us after the work was finished: “Neil and Joseph were totally fantastic. Friendly, efficient and genuinely nice chaps. They have helped me so much and went above and beyond to repair a hole in my roof and a broken fence. Without their help I would still be putting towels under the hole when it rained! I would recommend NW Building without hesitation. The Hero scheme is wonderful and I cannot thank you all enough. I cannot explain what a difference their work has made to myself and my young daughter. As I write, it is raining and windy. Before the work my fence would have blown down and the rain would have been coming through the roof and through the hole in my ceiling and now I can finally relax. The gentlemen from NW Building were fantastic and I can never ever express my gratitude in my circumstance I could never have got these jobs done. Thank you again.”

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