Archive for March, 2011

There have been lots of awful stories about rogue decorators who exploit the vulnerable and take a few minutes to paint a wall but spend most of their time doing nothing and charging way over the top.

The good news is most decorators are honest and professional and not out to rip people off. But the sad news is that there are some dodgy guys around and there is a shortage in skilled. So if you need someone fast how can you make sure the person who comes is competent and not out to exploit you?

Obviously a good decorator is often hard to come by. So here are some tips for finding a reputable decorator fairly quickly. Not all of these will be appropriate to your circumstances but at least it will give you some options.

1. If you are in a hurry then we would recommend that your first port of call should be this website.www.comcero.com You will find no end of decorators happy to help and give you a quick quote

2. If you don’t have the internet at home or you can’t connect then try the neighbours. A verbal recommendation from someone you trust is quick and easy

3. Ok so you have no neighbours around who know of a good decorator – try your yellow pages. There are always plenty of local decorators that advertise there

4. If you don’t have Yellow Pages then why not call a friend who lives close and ask if they know anyone…if they don’t…

5. Ask if they can recommend that you call someone else who could know – it could be anyone their referral doesn’t have to be a decorator themselves just someone who may have the number of one.

6. Are their other tradesmen you have used in the past- electrician, carpenter, gas engineer? Try these. Tradesmen often work together and know of each other so they are likely to know of a good decorator

7. Is there a hardware or DIY store near to where you live? These will often have lists of tradesmen who can help. Go round or call them.

8. Is there a relative you think could have some ideas. Obviously they would have to be fairly local.

9. If none of these work and things are getting a little desperate you could call the Citizens’ Advice Bureau and ask if they can help. This is an excellent organisation that helps people with all kinds of problems – they would certainly have a Yellow pages.

10. If the problem is a major one check with your insurance company that you are covered and ask them if they can recommend a good decorator. If you are not covered ask them if they could recommend a good decorator anyway

11. Finally, the beauty of this site is that you can easily find a good decorator (or any tradesman in fact) and once you have their contact details you have them for ever and would never have to go through this list. So whatever you do make sure note this site – www.comcero.com

If you are seeking a good decorator then CLICK HERE to go to our Service page

Don’t forget to share this information in you Facebook or Twitter account by clicking below:

Does your room have large windows but a low ceiling? Does it have wooden floors but is small? Being aware of the space you decorating is important when making decorating decisions.

Decorating a single-room living space on its own is different from decorating a room in a larger house. This is what being aware of the space you are decorating is all about. Space, size, shape, light, relation to adjoining rooms, ceilings etc.   How to decorate means having a sense of what will work when you take all of these into consideration.

The other things you will need is decisiveness – committing to a choice and finding the right person to do the job for you. However much you think you can do it yourself, a professional is likely to do it better, quicker and sometimes cheaper (when all things are considered).

Don’t be afraid to go with an idea even if in the end it does not have the effect you wanted. We all make mistakes the only problem is we often don’t learn from them. Experiment with colours and schemes and expect to change your mind. Once your clear on what you want bring in a decorator who can turn that into a really professional job. Here are a few tips you might want to bear in mind when decorating a new home or redecorating an old one:

• Keep it simple
• Limit your colours
• If you are entertaining in that room use colours that are easy to look at (soft, pale colours rather than brash and loud)
• Avoid clutter and too much furniture
• What furniture you choose needs to compliment your finished room
• Brighten up dark rooms with light-colored walls,
• Use curtains that compliment your style and colours
• Mirrors reflect light and make a room seem larger
• If the place is small, go with pale, cool colors, and fill the space with as little furniture as possible.
• Wall mounted shelves provide storage and save space
• If the room is small make sure any pictures you use aren’t too big

Whatever you do and whatever you choose enjoy the creative experience and don’t be afraid of getting it wrong – you can always change it later. If you are a DIY-er that’s fine, but you’ll be amazed at the advantages of getting a professional to do it for you.

You will pay for their labour but they will save you time and energy and they will get it done much more quickly that you would and will make a better job of it. You can find a professional painter and decorator here at www.comcero.com

Painting and decorating services is one of those provisions that we all consider and use at some time. It may be when you have just moved house or when you fancy a makeover, bringing your house up to date or when you are just looking for a change to your current décor.

Painting and decorating services differ widely in terms of their skill-base, prices and customer service but all offer largely the same thing in terms of product. All painting and decorating services will, as the title suggests) paint and decorate. However, the ways in which they do it, the skill level, qualification, accreditation, prices, customer service, guarantees, and likability can all differ greatly.

This is why it is important that you have confidence in the painting and decorating service you hire to carry out the work you want. All too many mistakes are made when hiring a good painter and decorator and all too many people go either for an odd-job man, a ‘cowboy’ or amateur. Far better you be sure about who you are hiring. So here are some key questions you need to ask before you commit to a provider:

1. Do they understand the job that you want doing? If it is complex then explain it clearly and make sure they know what you want .

2. Does the person have the requisite skills and ability to do the job – how do you know?

3. Make sure your service provider has either accreditations or qualifications that testify to their ability. Or that they are a member of a recognized association like the Painting and Decorating Association

4. Don’t assume that because they don’t have up to date qualifications that they aren’t good at their job they may have just neglected this – find out.

5. Do they have references or examples of work they can show you that demonstrate the quality of their work?

6. Do they offer a guarantee for the work they do? What is it?

7. Seek out several quotes for the work you want doing. Don’t necessarily go for the cheapest – see what they offer first. You can do this here at Comcero.com

8. If the painter and decorator is a ‘one man’ business then find out how many other jobs he has going on at the same time. If there are too many then they might find it difficult to complete your job in one go or they may take a long time. If there aren’t any then try to find out why – are they just not busy at the moment or is there another reason?

9. Do they appear on a local authority list of certified providers?

10. Don’t assume that the most expensive quote will be the best, and likewise don’t assume that the cheapest won’t be good.

11. If you have a busy lifestyle either through work or children that they can work flexibly.

12. If you have to leave them alone in your house don’t leave valuables around. Niether assume that you can’t trust them. The vast majority are like you – perfectly law abiding.

13.  If the job is big and likely to take a long time and cost a lot of money then work out an agreement whereby you either pay when the whole project is complete or whereby you pay as each agreed stage is complete. You can do this in the Comcero project management system after you sign in…

14.  Bear in mind that one man businesses often work from job to job and so appreciate prompt payment to help with their cash flow.  If they are good and you want them to come back then it may be worth doing this for good relations

15.  Keep an eye on the project to make sure they are doing what you want them to. A provider doesn’t want to be micro-managed but at the same time they’ll appreciate your guidance

There are many aspects to painting and decorating services and find the right person with the right skills and qualifications is important. If you want to make the right start with your search then just click into our service page and seek a quote – there’s no obligation but you can get an idea of how much a job will cost very quickly.

Okay, so you are thinking of giving your house a rewire? House wiring or re-wiring is not something to consider lightly. First of all, does your house need a rewire? Is the wiring particularly old? Or is it faulty?  Be sure of your reason before you consider a rewire. This is because it is not cheap and it will mean a fair bit of disruption to your home, and it also means finding the right professional to do it for you.

We would never recommend that you attempt to carry out a rewire job yourself – unless of course you are a rewire expert or highly competent electrician who understands all the necessary technical information required about wires, currents, sockets, consumer units, fuses, switches, as well as all the legal regulations that need to be adhered to.

If you are worried that your electrical system is inadequate or out of date, you must get a qualified electrician to assess it. A house rewire is not a job for an enthusiastic amateur who can claim to save you a bit of cash.

Rewiring a house needs to be done by a trained, qualified electrician, who can issue a ‘Building Regulations Compliance Certificate’.

Here are some things to consider when seeking a rewiring service:

1. Are they qualified to carry out the work that is needed. It is easy to assume they have and too many people don’t check this – only to find out to their regret later

2. Does the company comply with health and safety standards and other regulations?

3. If you call them – be sure to explain why you want a rewire

4. Find out what their charges are before you get them to come. Will they charge for a quote or assessment? Finding extra charges on you bill can be shocking especially if it includes a high call out fee that you weren’t expecting

5. Do they do night work? If something faulty occurs at night during the job will they come a fix it?

6. When your rewire service provider comes to your home or business try to get a quote before they begin the work

7. If new parts are required find out how long it will take them to get these. Some companies carry large stocks of materials and supplies or can get them quickly others may need to order – this could have a significant delay in getting your problem solved

8. Is their work guaranteed? You do not want to find that their rewire is faulty and that they charge again for re- repairing it! Make sure you get a guarantee

9. Are they insured? Some large rewire jobs badly done can cause other damage for which they should recompense you

10. If you are an old age pensioner, a student or someone on income support find out if they have any discounts or voucher systems that will make the work more affordable or even if they have any ‘first-time user deals or discounts – you never know until you ask

11. Find out if they cover your area

12. Be prepared for major disruption in your home as rewiring means digging itno walls and under floors etc and can take some weeks to complete.

13. Comcero is confident you will find all these important aspects in the professional tradesmen who use this site.

Find the right rewire service and at the right price in your area by clicking here.

Electrical services can sometimes be put together with heating since they are commonly connected up (literally), but for the purposes of simplicity we’ll keep them separate in this post.

This short article is simply to explain the necessary things to look out for if you are considering hiring electrical services and what to think about if you are wanting a job done in your home or business.

Obviously depending on the size of the job that you need doing you will want the most appropriate service provider. With small jobs such as fixing a fuse or light you may not require a company with huge resources whose overheads are going to be greater and therefore whose prices are likely to be higher. A small business or sole trader tradesman would likely suffice for this. They may also suffice for much larger jobs such as replacing a central heating system but you’d need to be sure that they have sufficient back up (in terms of labour, reliability, insurance etc to carry out the work). But whoever you hire large business or small you might want to check to see if they have the following top 12 tips:

1. Are their electricians qualified to carry out the work necessary. It is easy to assume they have and too many people don’t check this – only to find out to their regret later

2. Does the company comply with health and safety standards and other regulations

3. If you call them – be sure to explain the electrical problem clearly so that they can quickly assess if this is within their area of expertise

4. Find out what their call out charge is before you get them to come. Finding extra charges on you bill can be shocking especially if it includes a high call out fee that you weren’t expecting

5. Do they do night work? Many electrical services, if they are small businesses, may not work at night – yet many plumbing problems can occur then

6. When your electrical service provider comes to your home or business try to get a quote before they begin the work

7. If new parts are required find out how long it will take them to get these. Some companies carry large stocks of materials and supplies or can get them quickly others may need to order – this could have a significant delay in getting your problem solved

8. Is their work guaranteed? You do not want to find that their repair is faulty and that they charge again for re- repairing it! Make sure you get a guarantee

9. Are they insured? Some large jobs badly done can cause other damage for which they should recompense you

10. If you are an old age pensioner, a student or someone on income support find out if they have any discounts or voucher systems that will make the work more affordable or even if they have any ‘first-time user deals or discounts – you never know until you ask

11. Find out if they cover your area

12. Comcero is confident you will find all these important aspects in the professional tradesmen who use this site.

Find the right electrical service and at the right price in your area by clicking here.

Don’t forget to share this on your Facebook or Twitter account by clicking below:

There have been lots of awful stories about rogue plumbers who exploit the vulnerable and take a few minutes to fix a dripping tap but spend most of their time doing nothing and charging way over the top.

The good news is most plumbers are honest and professional and not out to rip people off. But the sad news is that there are some dodgy guys around and there is a shortage in skilled. So if your tap, radiator or boiler’s got a a leak and you need someone fast how can you make sure the person who comes to fix it is competent and not out to exploit you?

Obviously a good plumber is often hard to come by. So here are some tips for finding a reputable plumber fairly quickly. Not all of these will be appropriate to your circumstances but at least it will give you some options.

1. If you are in a hurry then we would recommend that your first port of call should be this website. www.comcero.com You will find no end of plumbers happy to help and give you a quick quote

2. If you don’t have the internet at home or you can’t connect then try the neighbours. A verbal recommendation from someone you trust is quick and easy

3. Ok so you have no neighbours around who know of a good plumber – try your yellow pages. There are always plenty of local plumbers that advertise there

4. If you don’t have Yellow Pages then why not call a friend who lives close and ask if they know anyone…if they don’t…

5. Ask if they can recommend that you call someone else who could know – it could be anyone their referral doesn’t have to be a plumber themselves just someone who may have the number of one.

6. Are their other tradesmen you have used in the past- electrician, carpenter, gas engineer? Try these. Tradesmen often work together and know of each other so they are likely to know of a good plumber

7. Is there a hardware or DIY store near to where you live? These will often have lists of tradesmen who can help. Go round or call them.

8. Is there a relative you think could have some ideas. Obviously they would have to be fairly local.

9. If none of these work and things are getting a little desperate you could call the Citizens’ Advice Bureau and ask if they can help. This is an excellent organisation that helps people with all kinds of problems – they would certainly have a Yellow pages.

10. If the problem is serious don’t attempt it yourself and if it takes a while to locate a good plumber and your need is urgent make sure you make what cautionary arrangements you can – pots, pans, containers, towels, to catch dripping water.

11. If the problem is a major one check with your insurance company that you are covered and ask them if they can recommend a good plumber. If you are not covered ask them if they could recommend a good plumber anyway

12. Finally, the beauty of this site is that you can easily find a good plumber (or any tradesman in fact) and once you have their contact details you have them for ever and would never have to go through this list. So whatever you do make sure note this site – www.comcero.com

If you are seeking a good plumber or plumbing services then CLICK HERE to go to our Service page

Don’t forget to share this information in you Facebook or Twitter account by clicking below:

Heating and plumbing services are often put together since much of the work that providers do say in plumbing is connected with heating systems and much of the work required around heating involves a certain amount of plumbing.

This is why suppliers, providers, and heating and plumbing companies advertise to undertake work involving both of these areas of maintenance. However this is not to say that all providers offer services in both areas.

This short article is simply to explain the necessary things to look out for if you are considering hiring heating and plumbing services and what to think about if you are wanting a job done in your home or business.

Obviously depending on the size of the job you will want the most appropriate service provider. With small jobs such as fixing a dripping tap you may not require a company with huge resources whose overheads are going to be greater and therefore whose prices are likely to be higher. A small business or tradesman would likely suffice for this. They may also suffice for much larger jobs such as replacing a central heating system but you’d need to be sure that they have sufficient back up (in terms of labour, reliability, insurance etc to carry out the work). But whoever you hire large business or small you might want to check to see if they have the following top 12 tips

1. Are their engineers qualified to carry out the work necessary. It is easy to assume they have and too many people don’t check this – only to find out to their regret later

2. Does the company comply with health and safety standards and other regulations

3. If you call them – be sure to explain the problem clearly so that they can quickly assess if this is within their area of expertise

4. Find out what their call out charge is before you get them to come. Finding extra charges on you bill can be shocking especially if it includes a high call out fee that you weren’t expecting

5. Do they do night work? Many small businesses may not work at night – yet many plumbing problems can occur then

6. When your heating and plumbing service provider comes to your home or business try to get a quote before they begin the work

7. If new parts are required find out how long it will take them to get these. Some companies carry large stocks of materials and supplies or can get them quickly others may need to order – this could have a significant delay in getting your problem solved

8. Is their work guaranteed? You do not want to find that their repair is faulty and that they charge again for re- repairing it! Make sure you get a guarantee

9. Are they insured? Some large jobs badly done can cause other damage for which they should recompense you

10. If you are an old age pensioner, a student or someone on income support find out if they have any discounts or voucher systems that will make the work more affordable or even if they have any ‘first-time user deals or discounts – you never know until you ask

11. Find out if they cover your area

12. If you are happy with the work they carry out for you ask them if they do other kinds of repair work. If they are good at one thing they may be highly competent at others

If you require heating and plumbing services provider then click here to go to our service page.

Don’t forget to share this information in your Facebook or Twitter account by clicking below