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• New 10-point guide aims to make customers and builders more comfortable
• Includes advice such as ‘you don’t have to drop your aitches’ and ‘not all of us take three sugars’
• HaMuch.com guide details everything from breakfast times to the meaning of quotes

A new guide to speaking to builders from tradesman pricing website HaMuch.com is seeking to bridge the divide between home-owners and builders, starting with the common language that divides them. 

One common problem highlighted is the tendency of men to try to imitate a working-class accent, say ‘mate’ a lot and drop the names of random tools into conversation, in an attempt to appear knowledgeable. 

The Chameleon Effect

We are all guilty of what psychologists refer to as the ‘Chameleon Effect’, where we mimic the speech patterns of those we are speaking to, but this is most noticeable amongst middle class homeowners dealing with tradesmen. But builders are, it seems, just as fed up of having to engage in a chat that starts ‘what about the City game last night, eh?’ as the homeowners who feel obliged to engage in it.

“Part of this need to adapt your language is down to not wanting to be ripped off,” says Tarquin Purdie, who is MD atHaMuch.com – which offers up-front labour costs for all trades. “One of the reasons I founded the website was so that we could stop this charade, where customers feel they have to reel off names of wood, plastering techniques or the Premier League players they know. It makes it a lot less stressful for all concerned.”

“We naturally feel rapport and connected to people who mirror our body language, tone and the essence of words that we use,” says Mamta Saha, psychologist at Living Potential International. “We have a natural drive to be liked and subconsciously apply a tinge in our accents or an adjustment in our body language if we feel it is going to bring us closer to someone ‘understanding us’ and as a result they may feel we ‘understand them’ better, bringing us closer and more connected.”

Becoming fluent in tradesmens language

“We naturally feel rapport and connected to people who mirror our body language, tone and the essence of words that we use,” says Mamta Saha, psychologist at Living Potential International. “We have a natural drive to be liked and subconsciously apply a tinge in our accents or an adjustment in our body language if we feel it is going to bring us closer to someone ‘understanding us’ and as a result they may feel we ‘understand them’ better, bringing us closer and more connected.”

HaMuch.com founder Tarquin Purdie has also been speaking to the plumbers, electricians and roofers who use his website to advertise for work, finding that the main bugbears of builders in our homes include people assuming they are uneducated, people standing over them as they work and homeowners who never offer so much as a glass of tap water. 

Although some admit that they can get confused by homeowners asking them to copy the latest design trends without so much as showing them a picture of what they would like. 

“I’m called Tarquin, so as you might guess it did take a while for me to be native in the language of tradesman,” says Purdie. “But I like to feel I am fluent now that I have been running a plumbing business for more than 10 years. Hopefully this guide will help both sides of the deal. Householders will feel more comfortable and builders won’t have to drink an endless supply of oversweet tea.”

The full guide is published below. 

1. Don’t feel the need to call us ‘mate’ or change your accent, it’s a just a bit odd. Chances are we can work out how well off you are from the house we are working on. We won’t be asking you to prove yourself with any power tools, so you don’t have to name all the ones you know. 
2. Don’t stand over us as we work. It won’t make us work any faster. It just makes us nervous. 
3. If we’re talking we’re not working. We’re happy to spend the day discussing the big boxing bout from the weekend or the best way to saw a piece of wood, but don’t forget that you’re paying for our time and holding up the job. 
4. We don’t all like football. Don’t feel that you have to pretend to. Just be careful about saying ‘didn’t they lose 5-0 last night?’ when we are wearing our team’s bobble hat.
5. Don’t silently put up with a mess. We always tidy up as best we can at the end of the day and properly at the end of a job. If our standards of cleanliness are not up to your own then please tell us. 
6. If you’re kind enough to offer us food or go out for sandwiches for the team then do ask us first. Yes, many sites do run on bacon sandwiches, but Dave’s Jewish and Igor is trying to lose weight. We even had a vegan on a job once. 
7. Yes, we would like a cup of tea, thanks. Although not all of us take three sugars any more. Greg prefers coffee, although it doesn’t have to be a single estate cold brew. If it’s hot then a pint of squash every hour or two is much appreciated. 
8. A quote is just that. A guesstimate, based on the time we think it will take and the materials we think we will need. The final price may go up (it may even go down) as the job progresses, especially if we hit a snag or you ask us to do little extras. 
9. Don’t be surprised if we down tools around 11am and go the local café for breakfast. We’ve been up and grafting since 7am and this is hard work. Directions to your premier local greasy spoon are always appreciated. 
10. If you don’t understand what we are saying or doing, or are thinking ‘what they hell are they up to?’ then just ask. You won’t look stupid. We’ve got years of experience in this job, you haven’t. We’ve no idea how to do whatever it is you are doing in the lounge on your laptop all day, and we won’t tell your other half about your afternoons watching Columbo. 

• Huge hike in numbers of Albanians searching for work in UK
• HaMuch.com figures suggest kitchen fitting, extensions and plumbing most popular​
• Albanian workers targeting Kensington, Islington and Central Birmingham

Building work pricing site HaMuch.com has uncovered an unexpected trend that may give an indication of just who will be fixing your boiler or installing your kitchen after Britain has left the EU. 

The HaMuch.com website shows hourly and daily rates, so homeowners can search by price before posting a job or selecting which local tradesmen they want to employ. It also gives tradesmen an idea of the going rate in their area. 

Most of HaMuch.com’s traffic has always come from the UK, but data managers at the website noticed that many recent searches have been coming from Albania – shooting up more than twenty-fold in the last few months. Figures have leapt from just 10 searches from Albania in March to 194 in June and 255 in July, a rise of 2550%. The figure is still rising and shows no sign of stopping. 

The majority of the website’s non-English-speaking country searches like “heating engineer near me” are now from Albania, which has leapt way ahead of Poland, Lithuania, Romania and France. This bump in search numbers came as Brexit Secretary David Davis resigned and the announcement of the Chequers Agreement by Theresa May, as well as pressstories about potential labour shortages once the UK quits the EU.

“The bump in Albanian traffic foxed us at first,” says HaMuch Managing Director Tarquin Purdie. “So, I started to ask around amongst the few Albanian tradesman in the UK that I know. One that I have had previous dealings with said that workers in his country are more clued up about the UK than we might think. They have seen news about Polish or French people feeling insecure here and starting to leave, and many think that means a new market opening up for them, at better rates than they can make at home. We are seeing twenty to thirty searches per day from Albania so far this month and I don’t expect that to slow down soon.

“The highest number of searches from Albania have been for kitchen-fitting work, bathrooms, extensions and general plumbing work. They are getting an idea of what trades in the UK charge, as well as the areas where work or competition may be. The most popular areas for search amongst those looking from Albania have been Heating Engineer in Kensington , Plumber in Islington and Builder in Birmingham. These are certainly areas with high traffic for all kinds of building work, so they know what they are looking for.”

The findings from HaMuch come just days after the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) released the findings of a survey that showed UK companies are struggling to fill vacancies as fewer UK citizens move here and others leave. The CIPD noted that applicants per vacancy are falling year on year, with companies forced to raise wages to aid recruitment. 

Albania is not currently an EU country, but is expected to be admitted soon and is undergoing pre-entry preparations. Albanian workers can apply for working and business visas for the UK, which may become easier if the government decides that certain trades are in short supply after Brexit.

With cooler temperatures arriving, it’s time to make sure that your home is ready for autumn and one way to do this is to check your home’s heating system. You need to ensure that your home’s heating system is working and fully functional, which is why you may want to work with an expert to do a thorough check-up and any minor repairs that may be necessary.

As with other systems in the home, your furnace may accumulate quite some dust throughout the year. That’s why it may be necessary to vacuum your furnace’s filter system, motor and blower to ensure that it remains efficient.

You may even need to replace required filters or have a professional do it for you. It can be a great way to effectively remove any particles from your HVAC system’s filters with a vacuum attachment, or you can make use of a professional cleaning service to handle this.

Be sure to do a proper survey of your home’s heating system to ensure that there are no blockages and that the vents are not covered by any furniture or carpets. You should dust all the vents and make an appointment for an annual check-up.

Here are a few tips for preparing your heating system:

• Check and clean condenser oils
• Check the clearance around your outdoor unit
• Identify potential hazards (noises, odours, level units, etc.)
• Check for signs of electrical damage
• Clean your furnace vents

It’s always best to have an expert inspect your heating system to ensure that everything works as it should, that there are no blockages, and that any minor repairs are being taken care of in time. This way you know that your home will be ready for autumn and the cold temperatures.

If you want to prepare for autumn, be sure to find a home heating expert in your area. Visit HaMuch to find a professional to check your home’s heating system.

Creating open plan spaces inside your home is a very popular improvement to make, and it definitely adds value to your home. Whether it’s an open plan ground floor, or a stylish open plan loft conversion, enjoying open spaces is practical, convenient and definitely stylish.

Designing an Open Plan Layout

One of the first steps in creating an open plan ground floor is to design your layout, you can do it yourself or even better hire an architech or interior designer to get professional support. If your open plan space will contain the kitchen or bathroom, for example, you have to keep things in mind such as positioning them close to an external wall for the convenience of expelling waste. From there, you can simply use a little bit of imagination and visualization to design the perfect open plan space for your house.

Don’t forget to allow for things such as opening doors, drawers, or having enough space to move around tables or chairs. Here are a few tips for planning open room:

• Think about the view you want to have. What would you like to see when you sit on the chair? Perhaps you want to have a view of your outside garden, or you want to see the living room. Keep this in mind when you start planning your open space.

• Make sure that you have enough circulation space in the room. You need to be able to move around freely, as this is one of the reasons why you want an open plan space.

• Keep away from the noise. Consider the location of this space in your house, as you preferably wanted to be free of noise. For example, if you want peace and quiet you should not plan your open space right next to your kitchen.

• Creating a loft area. If you are considering building an open plan loft conversion, determine whether you will have enough space to fit everything you need in there comfortably.

• Include stairs. You may even want to consider an open plan living room with stairs, creating a large open plan living area on the ground floor of your house. Again, here you should make sure that you have enough space available for this.

Other important aspects you should consider when planning your open space, is the type of floors you want to use, as this will have an impact on the design, the practicality, as well as the climate inside your house. You may want to choose the same floors to suit the rest of your house design, or you can be creative and create a unique open space with a distinct design.

Regardless of the type of open plan space you want to build your home, you should always work with a professional tradesman and interior designer to help design your space professionally and ensure that you use all the right materials. An open plan living area can be a great addition to your home and will definitely add value to your property, and with Hamuch this can become a reality, just check the hourly and daily rates and contact the ones that are local to you and you like most

If you enjoy a good barbecue you’ll definitely benefit from installing a built-in bbq in your backyard. Not only is this a great way to add value to your home, but also to make it functional and very enjoyable to use. But you can take it one step further and install a kitchen in your backyard and you won’t need to split our time between your outdoor grill and indoor kitchen anymore, making an outdoor kitchen a great benefit to have.

An outdoor living space expands your home and allows you to cook and clean outdoors, making it ideal to entertain friends and family. You can install an outdoor kitchen island in your backyard and extend its functionality to allow you to prepare your favourite meal.

Installing an Outdoor Kitchen

When you want to install an outdoor built-in bbq kitchen, always start from the ground up. Your builder will  determine what type of foundation you need, and he will take into consideration the different weather conditions throughout the year. Next, you can choose with his help the best location for your outdoor kitchen. This will depend on many factors, such as ensuring the draft doesn’t go back into the home and making sure that the bbq area isn’t too far from the home if you entertain regularly.

Choose your appliances correctly, especially if you have limited space to work with. Make sure it will fit into your design plan and this includes aspects like working table height and the available space on either side of the grill.

Finally, you can easily bring comfort and safety outside with the right combination of designs, appliances, available space and functionality.  You can even add a fire pit or a fireplace to warm up the area outside, making it perfect for colder winter months.

Benefits of an Outdoor Kitchen Area

As a homeowner, you can benefit from installing an outdoor kitchen as this will allow you to enjoy your outdoor area even more. It’s ideal for people who love to entertain and can even be turned into an area of relaxation and ambience.

Here are a few great benefits to building an outdoor kitchen:

• Convenience. Having a grill and kitchen outside means you don’t have to spend time indoors when preparing a meal.

• Versatility. Outdoor kitchens are specifically designed with your backyard in mind. It adds versatility to your outdoor space and adds value to your home.

• Easy to clean. Spending time outdoors and preparing food in your outdoor bbq kitchen is much easier to maintain and clean than spending time indoors.

• Adds value to your property. Having a fully functional built-in bbq at home will increase your home’s appeal and its overall value.

These are just a few of the great benefits; an outdoor kitchen is a great way to truly enjoy your home in more than one way. Outdoor kitchens come in a wide variety of styles and this means you can easily find one that suits your needs or even design one yourself. Hire an experienced builder near you to have your built-in bbq or outdoor kitchen built properly with the convenience and pricing transparency of Hamuch.