Whilst many builders do a good, professional job there are still many bad builders who build poorly and leave projects unfinished. You might have bought a new kitchen or bathroom and found the products provided are poor quality or badly installed. Often you don’t know whether you have chosen a good or bad builder until things start to go wrong. You need a fast solution and things that have gone wrong to be put right. Getting early advice through a direct access barrister on the best way forward is easy and cost-effective in solving problems with large expenditure projects such as extensions, loft conversions and new kitchens.
It is important to act quickly if you have been the victim of a bad builder for many reasons. Firstly, your property may be suffering damage if building works are only partially complete. Secondly, many builders operate as companies and they will close the company to escape liability. Thirdly, you want to live in a finished home, so assessing the damage and starting a claim gets you closer to a resolution. A direct access barrister is an expert in both assessing evidence and advising what the court is likely to do if you start a claim as barristers are the people who present cases in court.
If you have a problem with building works or installation of a kitchen or bathroom start by following these simple steps:
- Take photos of all the damage, parts that are incomplete and parts that are poorly finished so you start building up evidence for your claim.
- Find all the quotes, invoices, agreements, letters and emails you have exchanged with the builder/installer as these will define the contract between you.
- Consider getting a quote from another builder/installer to complete the works or remedy the faults as this will give a guide as to the value of your claim, but don’t start any work.
- Seek legal advice before starting any remedial works. It may be necessary to get an expert valuation for remedial works before they are done and any damage is harder to assess. Equally, there may not be sufficient grounds for a claim or more evidence is required so you need to know that.
These types of claims are ones I deal with on a regular basis. Often presenting a strong set of evidence that works are incomplete or sub-standard, together with a clear intent to go to court, persuades the builder or their insurer to settle. If not, I am experienced in arguing these cases in court.
If you’ve taken the steps above to prepare a potential claim it can be quick and relatively simple for me to assess the evidence and advise you what to do next. We can arrange a short meeting and I can set out your options, provide a rough guide to costs should you sue the builder and give you my professional opinion as to your prospects of success. You can then decide how best to proceed.
Please feel free to get in touch if this is something you are interested in doing.