Kitchen renovation is one of those changes to a home that requires a lot of thinking and planning. It is by far better that when considering kitchen renovation that you get a professional to do it and not just attempt a ‘do-it-yourself’ approach. There are far too many things that can go wrong unless you are yourself a professional kitchen renovator. For example, if you are considering an extensive and major kitchen renovation then you will need to know what to do about the gas and electricity supplies to the kitchen and if these will require adjustment. Only specially trained gas fitters and electricians can legally deal with these.
Once you have given this some thought, essentially there are a number of ways to renovate your kitchen. These are basically on the basis of the amount of money you are willing to spend and range from being a budget (spending just several hundreds of pounds) through to a large renovation (spending many thousands of pounds)! Which kitchen renovation budget is the right one for you?
Should you go for high quality wood and high quality hinges, and should you go for high quality granite worktops or stick with a lower grade material? Are you going to redesign the shape of your kitchen? Will this mean knowcking down some walls or changing the shape of your house in some way? What about cookers, fridges and dishwashers etc?
Simply put there are two key issues you should take into consideration when thinking about a kitchen renovation. These are:

1. Your budget – how much money would you like to commit to the project?
2. The reason for the renovation – to increase house value or improve practicality

Bear in mind that the amounts of money you will need in an average family house will be roughly as follows:

Low budget: £500-1000
Average budget: £3,000 – 6000
Premium budget: £20,000 +

It’s critical when spending money on a kitchen renovation to consider how much your house is valued at. You will not want to spend £20,000 on a kitchen if the property is worth less than £160,000 unless you are not worried about getting your money back. If you are looking to add value to your house as well as practicality then aim for an average budget. What you spend over this is likely to diminish in terms of the value you get back when you sell.

Once you have decided what you want and what you think your project involves, post your job on our website and wait for a kitchen renovator to respond. Click here NOW!

In this short article on ‘how to’ plumbing we aim to help you understand a number of issues relating to certain plumbing problemsand the culture of online articles attempting to help people solve problems themselves. Essentially, this is not about how to fix plumbing problems because no article really has enough space or time to get in to the detail of a particular problem sufficiently to help you to fix it. Nor is it an attempt to discourage those with the knowledge, skill and talent to attempt to fix plumbing problems themselves if they want to. But the problem with how to plumbing articles and books is that they can be time-consuming, inaccurate, and expensive. You can save time,energy and money by getting a professional here.

For example, leaky taps are very commonplace and there are plenty of how to plumbing articles that aim to help you fix it. But that’s assuming they cover it from the perspective you are dealing with. Fixing a leaky tap because of a worn washer is different from fixing it because of a broken seal. There may be other reasons why your tap is leaking so be careful you know the cause before you try to fix it. You may need to find lots of articles

Also, a radiator that doesn’t heat up may have a blockage somewhere. Or it may be that the thermostat is broken. A how to plumbing article would need to be fairly detailed to fully cover both of these and other causal scenarios, so unless you have a good idea of what it is then we recommend getting in a professional.

Toilet cisterns are notorious for going wrong. A how to plumbing article on this would also have to cover lots of different possibilities and types of cistern (they’re not all the same) to be helpful in assisting you to fix it. A ‘have-a-go’ amateur can do more damage than they’d wish to contemplate. There are plenty of professional plumbers here that could fix that fast. Find one here!

Non-draining drains occur for all kinds of reasons too. Usually, the cause is simply a blockage. But what if that blockage can’t be easily shifted? What then? A how to plumbing article could certainly help you to deal with this yourself but what if the blockage is way down the pipe and requires specialist equipment? How would you know which it was. You could waste a lot of time, energy and money and not resolve the problem at all.

Boiler problems are common and fairly critical if they occur in winter. Urgency is what you need rather than a how to plumbing article and a day or two to do it yourself. A single boiler problem (because they are so complex) could be caused by either electrical, gas, pipe or water problem. Which article are you going to read while you slowly freeze to death?

Leaking pipes are a topic that are often covered in how to plumbing articles. Some do well to cover all possible causes and all possible solutions. But a comprehensive one which covers everything will probably take you day to read and they another to implement its instructions.

You know where we are going with this right. DIY fixes are ok if you enjoy it and you know what you are doing. If you don’t, then we recommend professionals.

You can post whatever plumbing job you need doing here:

How to find electrical solutions for an electrical problem seems like a simple question with a simple answer.  But it can be more complicated than it seems. Whether you need to find electrical solutions in your home or you need new electrical work in your business, its critical to find a skilled electrician that you can trust. Electrical work that is not done right can be very dangerous and become a serious problem later. You can short cut the whole process for an electrical solution by registering your request here.

Start by asking neighbours and friends – how did they find an electrician? Do they know someone? They may even have a number. However, the problem with is that you may feel obliged to go with their advice and if you don’t they might wonder why. Also you may just not feel comfortable asking a neighbour. Also they are unlikely to be able to give you a decent choice or number of possibilities. They may have electrical solutions but are they the ones you want?

You can look in Yellow Pages – there are usually lots of ads there for you to look at. Make sure they list the kind of work you want doing otherwise you can waste a lot of time and money calling and emailing.

Your Local Newspapers are likely to have some adverts posted by local electricians in the ‘classifieds’ section. The only difficulty with this is that you can’t easily check their credentials prior to inviting them around to your home and once they are there they can easily persuade you that they are the person you want – without you being entirely sure.

Look For Credible Review Sources – There are a number of credible review and rating sources which can help you find electrical solutions in your area. Paid review sites are usually good because they have their revenue go to staff and have the technology available to really monitor the review process properly so that it is accurate and avoids unethical and biased postings.

Do Some Online Searching – Make sure that you research how to find electrical solutions in your area first before you call someone to come and do the work. There are many resources online that can help you find the best one for the job. Obviously, we recommend www.comcero.com because it takes out all the hassle and you can check their credibility quickly and easily. You just post a description of your work and they respond.

Click here to post your job and find electrical solutions now

‘Free Advertising’  has a nice ring about it if you’re a business or provider of professional services, doesn’t it? In fact, in an economic downturn the thought of free advertising should make most of us take notice.

The obvious difficulty is you don’t hear about it much and there aren’t many places either on the internet or elsewhere that you can find free advertising opportunities. Here at Comcero we offer just that.

Unlike many other platforms that help you find customers and clients we don’t charge. All it costs you is the time and energy to register – that’s it!

You see, when you register on Comcero, there is no seeking and searching for potential customers, you simply wait for people to post a job that they want doing (building, plumbing, electrical, legal services, accountancy, etc.) and as soon as they have posted their need you will receive an automatic email to your inbox inviting you to make a bid for that job.

There is no charge to do this, there is no charge to engage with clients and customers, there are no sneaky charges that kick in when you have won a lead or a job. It’s just all FREE… no catches… no scams…no bombarding you with offers.  JUST FREE advertising to targeted leads.

Also, don’t worry about potential clients entering their job specs, because they don’t have to pay either. They just have to register, explain their job, post it, and it will be sent to all the relevant providers of that kind of service… that could mean you! How many of those would you like in a month? You could get 1, 10 or 50 – it’s still free.  We tried to find something out there that beats this.

We couldn’t! If you can, we’d love to hear from you!

Free advertising anywhere would be great for any business but free advertisingto warm, targeted leads is one of the hardest (but most desirable) things to come by, but here at Comcero we offer precisely that opportunity.  Take it while its here – you have nothing to lose except more new leads… every day, every week… every month, slipping through your hands…

Register now…

Avoiding cowboy builders is not easy. Just to illustrate this, in the UK alone there are over 100,000 complaints a year against what we call ‘cowboy’ builders. It is so bad that TV programmes have even started to be made about them. The problem is you do not need any official qualifications to be a builder in the UK. So the profession is littered with people who are unprofessional and not skilled – they operate in a grey area of the law much like cowboys did in the late 19th Century USA – hence ‘cowboy’ builders.

So how do you avoid these cowboy builders?
Cowboy builders are a fact of life. But there are lots of things that you can do to avoid getting one. Here are 12 top tips you can do to avoid being caught by people determined to exploit others:

1. Avoiding cowboy builders for one thing means don’t just accept the offer of the first builder you come across. Look for at least 3 quotes from reputable businesses.

2. Find out about them. For example, get the builder’s actual business address as well as their phone or email details.

3. Check out their professional credentials. Do they possess ‘competency’ certificates or qualifications, and are they members of an accredited association? Rogue and cowboy builders are usually not.

4. Ask for references and check them out. Reputable service providers will collect testimonials and examples of their work. Check that these are genuine. Most are proud and only too willing to produce evidence like this.

5. Keep detailed notes of all conversations you have with a builder, including dates and prices etc. and document any important matters you agree in writing.

6. Insist on a quotation. Get a written detailed quotation from potential providers

7. Avoid cowboy builders by documenting any changes to the quotation and insist on receiving a new amended version each time a change is made.

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8. Ask your builder for a timetable of events for completing the project and agree any changes to this together. Always have in your possession the latest agreed project timetable.

9.Try and pay for each stage of the building work as it is completed. Never pay a builder up front all of the cost. Agree payment terms and installments in advance, and avoid paying any money upfront.

10. Price and quality. Remember, when choosing a business there is often a trade off between price and quality — the better quality work and/or materials the higher the price is likely to be. Don’t expect to get the best quality for the lowest price

11. Examine progress. As the work proceeds, personally inspect each phase as you go and don’t pay for it unless you are satisfied with it

12. Project Manager. If the project is particularly large consider employing a project manager. They will charge you for managing the work on your behalf but will relieve you of the day-to-day management and hassle.

To avoid cowboy builders means you have to be very very careful. There are plenty other things we could advise to avoid cowboy builders and suggest but these are the main points to consider. If you keep to these you shouldn’t go far wrong and should be protected from anyone trying to exploit or cheat.

Get a safe and quick quote from a reputable builder here

Whether it’s a builder, a plumber, an electrician, a glazier, a roofer… even you’ll not only find the service that you want but you’ll be able to get a quote, find out who the provider is, what they’ve done recently and all their credentials – without committing yourself to them or even them knowing who you are!!!

Search, locate, and hire with confidence and privacy.

Request a service here…

It is true that some home renovation can  not only help you turn your home into a much nicer place to live but also seriously increase its value over the shorter and longer terms. Whether you are planning on a large home renovation like gutting all the rooms and building an extension plus full re-wiring etc, or simply redecorating a few rooms, you will need to think through it and make some decisions as to what is required and how much to spend, and so on.

When considering a home renovation there are a few things you want to consider before you go ahead, so we’ve provided 10 Top Tips to help:

1. Plan with the person/people who will be making use of the renovations (this saves arguments later). Unless of course you are renovating simply with the intention of improving the value of the property in order to sell it.

2. If you are renovating your home with the sole purpose of selling it, then do a search on which kinds of home improvements add the most value as a proportion of their cost. For example, a nicely renovated front porch or bathroom can add significantly to the value over and above the cost of having the work done.

3. During the planning process ask yourself if the home renovation is one large job or several smaller ones, or both. This will help you to organize your planning accordingly

4. List what you want doing as soon as you can and get the priority renovations down on paper first. Then you can deal with the smaller ones. This helps you to save on costs while getting the fundamentals done.

5. Decide how much you want to spend then add some in for extra costs –there are always extra costs. 20% is a normal amount to add in.

6. Decide on a clear timetable – add in extra time, like costs, projects often go over time.

7. Get a range of quotes for the renovation work before you decide who to choose to do it for you. There may be several types of services you require. You can probably find them all here in Comcero.

8. When you get quotes ask about possible extra costs etc. and when the provider can start.

9. Don’t necessarily choose just one provider of a service for all the work. Diversify this so that you don’t put all your investment eggs into one renovation basket.

10. If the project is large and covers both large and small jobs, consider getting a building project manager to source your providers and manage the delivery. You can find one of these here on Comcero.

Our concluding advice is that if you are doing home renovations – do it properly and get it done professionally. It will undoubtedly save you on time and money in the long run than trying to do it yourself. That’s what Comcero is all about. Go here to start your search for the services you want.

We recently published a blog post on ‘How to find a builder’ and presented some ways you could do this easily and safely. While many still use traditional ways to find a builder such as newspapers and directories, it is certainly the case that more and more people are seeking to hire services (including finding and hiring builders) online.

So, we decided to give you a short guide on how to find a builder online.  There are many courses of action you could choose – even on the internet! Here are a few to help you get started:

1. You could always start by going into a search engine and typing: ‘how to find a builder’  or ‘how to find a builder online’. You are likely to get a lot of results but it is unlikely that you will get a satisfactory search since this term is more likely to give you advice and information rather than direct access to a builder – basically, it’s too broad!

2. You could do a search that includes you local city, town, or village. For example, ‘find a builder online in Manchester’, or ‘find a builder online in Barnham’. This way builders that have a website with their local area on it are likely to come up.

3. Our view at Comcero – in fact the whole purpose of setting up Comcero, is to make the problem (how to find a builder online) much easier, quicker and safer. So we recommend you post your job here to find a builder quickly and easily.

4. Whatever you decide, make sure you make a note of the builders you find online that you think can do the job, then contact them for a quote.

5. After this, all the other checks and considerations that we discussed in the previous blog post should come into play. We’ve included a couple of the more critical of these again in case you haven’t seen that post.

6. You might want to think about getting a couple or three bids for every job. Compare the bids to make sure they offer the same scope of work, similar quality of materials, provide warranties, and can do the job in the same period of time.

7. Once you have managed to find a builder online, don’t forget to ask if the builder has done any projects similar to yours. If so, do your best to check them out as that will give you a first-hand view of a similar project.

8. Make sure you can get access to the builder’s licensing information. Talk to them about how long they’ve been in business and how large their staff is and what building jobs they have done that are similar to the one you want doing. You should also find out what you can about whether they have insurance and at what level.

9. Get any promises, guarantees and warranties in writing. The contract should be as detailed as possible on materials, brands, colours, time period and so on.

10. The problem of how to find a builder online has never been more easily answered than here at Comcero. Post your job here and start getting quotes and checking testimonials now.

How to find a builder seems to have become an increasingly difficult question to answer, not because there aren’t good builders out there (there are probably more than there have ever been!) but because we find it increasingly difficult to trust ourselves to find a builder with the right qualifications, experience and prices.

There are so many stories about ‘rogue’ builders, ‘cowboy’ builders and people all too ready to rip us off that we lack the confidence to know when we see a good person to do our building work.

Thankfully, the rogues are few a far between and most builders are of sound reputation and well qualified. But to make sure you can be confident of finding the builder you need we have compiled a short list to help you in your search.

1. Try to get some ‘builder’ stories and referrals from your friends and people you know who have been happy with work a builder has done for them in the past. Contact your local council for any advice they have. They can’t recommend a builder for you, and certainly won’t find a builder for you but they will have some guidelines. If your building project you have in mind is fairly large then you might want to seek out the services of an architect. Not only will these help with your design they often work closely with builders and know what to look fo

2. Newspapers, directories, friends, relatives, neighbours, local authorities, and the internet are all great places to find a local builder. Or you can cut all that out and come straight to Comcero.com.  Not only will you find a builder but you can manage your entire project ith them within the Comcero system. In fact, take a look at a later blog we posted on finding a builder online – here.

3. You might want to think about getting a couple or three bids for every job. Compare the bids to make sure they offer the same scope of work, similar quality of materials, provide warranties, and can do the job in the same period of time.

4. Once you have managed to find a builder, don’t forget to ask if the builder has done any projects similar to yours. If so, do your best to check them out as that will give you a first-hand view of a comparable project. Call the home owners and ask how the work went and if they have any positive or negative comments about the builder.

5. Make sure you can get access to the builder’s licensing information. Talk to them about how long they’ve been in business and how large their staff is and what building jobs they have done that are similar to the one you want doing. You should also find out what you can about whether they have insurance and at what level.

6. Get any promises, guarantees and warranties in writing. The contract should be as detailed as possible on materials, brands, colours, time period and so on.

7. Ensure your contract details a payment schedule that you have both agreed on before the work starts. Agree penalties for any delays that might occur and have an agreement on how any cost overruns will be dealt with or managed.

8. If at any point during work you need to discuss a detail of the project with your builder get their reassurances that you can do this. The better the quality the relationship between you and the builder you find the more chance the job will be concluded satisfactorily.

9. Agree when you find a builder that you want that you don’t make the final payment to them on the project until it is completed to your satisfaction.

10. You can start your search for a reputable builder now, here at Comcero. Just go to the registration page HERE and wait for good reputable builders to offer a service and quote a price.

Summer is a time for thinking about doing things in and with your garden. A garden makeover perhaps? If it’s been the same for a few years now and you feel like a change then why not sit down with a sheet of paper and write out some of the things you would like to see in your garden that may not be there already. Draw some pictures – go crazy and see what you can come up with.

Comcero is in the business of helping people to find services that they want and this includes the areas of home improvement and garden. If you’d rather have a professional give you a garden makeover then try registering here, post up what you want doing and see if you get any local gardeners happy to do the job for you.

In the meantime here are some ideas for you to think about when planning your garden makeover. You’ve probably thought of some already since some of them are fairly obvious and basic. But it will give you a start

1. Re-turfing – his is often over-looked as a makeover idea. We are so used to seeing the grass on the lawn that we take if for granted and neglect to consider that it has probably been the same grass and soil since your house was built and therefore could be decades old! A new fresh lawn will amaze you and give you a completely new experience.

2. Footpath – how about creating a short decorative path from one part of your garden to the other. It doesn’t have to be extravagant or expensive. It will add nice character to your garden and if functional a ‘dry’ route from one part of it to another.

3. Patio – you may have a patio already. If so, ask yourself if you’d like a different one, a new shape and design. If you don’t have one then you’ll know that you can miss that space to sit and entertain guests or have a barbeque.

4. Furniture – having furniture in your garden makeover is a must. If you have the space then a small table and some chairs in the obvious choice – perhaps with a parasol to keep the sun off. It you’re thinking about wood then remember to treat it since a few winters can really start to affect the look and quality.

5. New feature a small pond, bird bath or bird box are fashionable features that can really enhance a garden, give it a focal point of attention and attract wildlife.

6. Redo beds – probably the least ambitious of these ideas is simply redoing your flower beds. Perhaps change them round and prepare them for some new plants next year. It’s a relatively simple task but can have a dramatic impact on the look of your garden.

7. Water feature – yes I know we have already mentioned these in idea number 5, but the kind of water feature which can be even more impactful is something like a small fountain or a decorative device that offers flowing water. This can offer a real sense of serenity in a garden – something which every garden should have in some measure.

8. New shed or greenhouse – are a real practical addition to a garden and can become the focus of a new hobby or interest. If your garden is big enough and you don’t have either a shed or greenhouse. We recommend you consider one or the other (or both).

9. Lights – are a less common feature though becoming increasingly fashionable. You can have a single light or a series or even string of lights, perhaps marking you new path so that you can see in the dark or dusk. This can add real class to an otherwise modest and simple space.

10.  Complete new design – if you have no interest in the traditional garden or the features I have mentioned here. An option many go for is simply to do away with all things that need regular attention and maintenance and use materials and feature that require none!  Slabs and stones can be made to very attractive and still have some organic features combined with them, but leaving you with nothing to worry about.

You can do these things yourself or you can hire a professional gardener to create and implement the garden makeover you want. Go here to sign up and post your job…