Botched renovation of a home

We decided to embark on renovating our home and giving it a facelift, but once it was finished many things were not as we had asked. What can we do?

The first thing to bear in mind when renovating a home, whether it is just a bathroom or the whole property, is to hire a reliable and financially sound company. This does not mean that other professionals will do a bad job, but you should at least take certain precautions, such as:

– Ask for several quotes, always from companies or professionals in the sector, preferably ones that come well recommended by other people. Because there are some very good professionals out there.

– Sign a contract that includes the details of the company or professional who will carry out the works, a detailed quote of what they will do, and the method of payment, which we recommend should be by items of work completed, for example if they are going to renovate bathrooms, lay timber flooring, renovate the kitchen, etc.

– Pay as each item is completed, whether it is the building work, the electrics, the plumbing…

– Keep proof of payment, whether bank transfers or photocopies of cheques made out to the company and signed as received by it, and, of course, make sure you are given an invoice when the work is finished.

Once the works are finished, a percentage of the final payment is normally withheld until the works are handed over. If there are things you are not happy with, because they have been done badly or are not what was agreed, withhold that amount until the works are as you contracted them.

If, in the end, the two parties cannot agree, they will have to go to court to resolve the matter. The steps to take are as follows:

• Commission an expert report from an architect, comparing what was quoted with what was actually built, and setting out the defects in the works. The financial difference will be quantified, and that is the amount to be claimed.
• Initially the claim will be made amicably; if no agreement is reached within a period of no more than 15 days, a court claim will be brought for the damage and/or defects, for breach of contract. In some cases the building contractor even abandons the works. One of the important steps is to terminate the contract between the owner and the contractor and take possession of the works, in order to be in control of the situation.
• Next, a lawsuit must be filed in the appropriate court against the building contractor or the professional who carried out the works. The judge will give judgment in favour of the injured party, and the party at fault will have to pay the amount claimed and awarded by the judge.

In short, find out carefully what you are contracting for your home and who with, to avoid unnecessary upsets; having building work done at home is stressful enough.