Are there any good tradesmen/women out there?

[jimann]

This is how most of our experiences of tradesmen have ended up, 1st with a crap kitchen conversion and then more seriously (money wise) a new bathroom installation!
Can anyone give a stonewall recommendation of a good tradesmen or experience with a kitchen supplier that they can guarantee will be satisfactory - I'm well fed up with people who don't give a damn about doing a good job!
We're soon to get involved in getting our kitchen done again and I would appreciate, before we even get to the stage of "where's the money coming from?", any comments, stories, recommendations or just good old service with a smile tales that you can post to help us choose a reputable company to carry out our request to our satisfaction. Preferably a local Porty business. (So that I can hunt them down if they mess up our lives like the last lot)

As an addition to the above, this might be the start of postings about your horror stories or otherwise to do with contractors and tradesmen. Why do people criticise estate agents, trades people must be the worst section of the community to do business with - or am I wrong? Prove it!

[Porty]

If you look on my "It will be A year in 3 weeks" thread you will get the names of 2 good joiners.

However, if its a kitchen specialist, who is trustworthy and can prrovide lovely kitchens then you need look now further than:

Dave Woodburn of The Brunstane Kitchen and Bedroom Centre. Its a small family business based on Milton Road. His mobile number is 07711 642350. He is greatt person to deal with.

[Epykat]

[quote="jimann] trades people must be the worst section of the community to do business with - or am I wrong? Prove it![/quote]

No you're not wrong! Well, that's if you can actually get one to come to your house long enough to argue with them! We tried SEVEN plumbers before we got one to do the job (a good job though!), about FIVE stonemasons, THREE builders (in the end Mr Epykat did it himself) and the company who did the loft did a good job on the bits they did We ended up fitting the kitchen ourselves and had Mr E not been quite good with electricity that would probably never have been finished either! All in all my advice would be BUY A TENT

[bellybabe]

Best plumber we've found is John Parks, business name is JP Plumbing, but he does everything, really - he plastered our walls and so on too, and his mobile number is 07973 305488. Extremely reliable, turned up exactly when said, did great job. Highly recommend (sounds like ebay feedback)...
BB

[jimann]

to B-Babe and Porty -

Thanks for the info so far - got some recommended choices now and it looks like you may have solved an upcoming problem with our washing machine - technology eh! who'd have it?

Thanks again - more names please!!!