Is it impossible to dodge a dodgy builder? Finding a decent tradesman shouldn’t be this hard

As a species, we humans share many characteristics. Opposable thumbs, a love for pizza, a dislike of losing at football. Perhaps most common, though, is the ability to recount horror stories about tradesmen.

I have yet to meet someone without a handyman grievance. You’ve got one, right? A plumber who did more harm than good, the builder who left a wall looking like a colander, an electrician who nearly electrocuted the cat.

Needless to say, I have multiple gripes of my own. There was the plumber in my London flat who installed two taps and a massive hole in the wall. The decorator who charged £150 to paint one tiny wall. But these sub-standard contractors are as nothing compared to the moron who project-managed my house restoration in Lancashire.

I was a complete novice when it came to property renovation and he took advantage of that. After eight months, when I finally got up the courage to sack him, I made a list of everything I was unhappy with regarding his work.