How our recommendations work

Short answerWe are a Market Harborough family who recommend the one electrician, plumber, plasterer and carpenter we used on our own renovation. You message us on WhatsApp, we pass your enquiry straight to them, and they quote you directly. We charge nothing and take no commission.

We are one family in Market Harborough who have just finished renovating our house. This page explains how our recommendations work: who we recommend, why there is only one person per trade, what happens when you message us, and what we will and won't help with. The short version is that we pass your enquiry to the tradespeople we used ourselves and would happily use again.

We're not paid for recommendations. We just pass you to people we trust.

How our recommendations work

When we renovated our house we needed an electrician, a plumber, a plasterer and a carpenter. We found people who did good work at a fair price, turned up when they said they would and left the place tidy. When people ask who we used, this site is simply a tidier way of answering that question.

Here is what happens when you get in touch:

1. You message us on WhatsApp. Tell us what the job is, roughly where you are (a village name or the first part of your postcode is enough) and when you would like it done. A photo helps a lot.
2. We read it and pass it on. We forward your message to the right person: our electrician, our plumber, our plasterer or our carpenter.
3. They contact you directly. From that point you deal with the tradesperson. They visit or ask questions, give you a quote, and you decide whether to go ahead.
4. If they can't help, we tell you. If the job is outside what they do, too far away or they are fully booked, we would rather say so quickly than leave you waiting.

Message us on WhatsAppFree. We pass you straight to the tradesperson we trust.

Are these tradespeople vetted?

Not in the way a directory or an accreditation body vets people. We haven't run background checks or audited anyone's accounts. What we have done is watch them work in our own home, live with the results and pay their invoices. For many people that is the check that matters most.

We still think you should do the sensible checks yourself, and we would say the same about anyone:

• Electricians: notifiable electrical work in England has to meet Part P of the Building Regulations. The usual way is to use an electrician registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA or Stroma, who can self-certify the work. Our guide on how to check an electrician is registered shows you how.
• Plumbers: any work on gas appliances, boilers or gas pipes must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. A plumber who isn't on the Gas Safe Register can't legally do it. See plumber or gas engineer: which do you need?
• Everyone: ask for a written quote, ask what is and isn't included, and ask about insurance. Our guide to getting quotes from tradespeople covers the questions worth asking.

Why we recommend one tradesperson per trade

Most sites give you a long list. We give you one name per trade, for a simple reason: we can only vouch for people we have actually used. Adding a second or third electrician we had only heard about would make the site look bigger and be less honest.

It also helps on jobs that need more than one trade, because the order matters: the electrician and plumber usually do their first fix before the plasterer comes in, and the carpenter often finishes after. If you are planning something bigger, our guide to the order of trades in a renovation explains why.

If you would prefer to compare several options, that is completely reasonable. Our page on directory listings versus personal recommendations sets out the differences fairly, so you can decide what suits you.

Our honest disclosure

• No fees. You don't pay us anything.
• No commission. The tradespeople don't pay us for referrals, and nothing is added to your quote because you came through us.
• The favour sometimes goes both ways. These are people we know. Now and then they do a bit of work for us in return, or we do something for them. We would rather tell you that than have you wonder.
• Your contract is with them. The quote, the work, the guarantee and the payment are between you and the tradesperson. We are not a company that employs them, and we can't take responsibility for their work. We would want to hear if something went wrong, though, because our name is attached to the recommendation.

What we don't do

We want this site to be useful and safe, so there are some things we won't pretend to cover:

• Gas work. We will not pass on boiler, gas fire, gas hob or gas pipe jobs unless the person doing them is Gas Safe registered. If you smell gas, leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. Don't wait for a reply from us.
• Structural work. Removing load-bearing walls, new openings and similar jobs need a structural engineer and usually Building Regulations approval. A non-structural stud wall is a different, simpler job for a carpenter.
• Emergencies we can't answer fast. We are a family, not a call centre. For urgent problems see our pages on an emergency electrician and an emergency plumber, which explain what to do safely while you wait. In a life-threatening situation, call 999.
• Work outside a tradesperson's skills. If a job needs a specialist, such as lime plastering on an old solid wall, we will tell you honestly whether our person is the right fit. Our guide to lime plaster for old houses explains why it can matter.

Areas we cover

We live in Market Harborough, so the town and the villages around it are where we can help most easily. That includes Little Bowden, Great Bowden, Lubenham, Foxton, Kibworth, Fleckney, East Farndon, the Langtons, Gumley, Medbourne, Hallaton and Clipston.

Further out, such as Lutterworth, Desborough, Oadby or Leicester, it depends on the job and how busy they are. Ask anyway; the worst answer is a polite no.

Privacy: what we do with your message

We only use your message to pass it on to the tradesperson you need. We don't sell your details, add you to a mailing list or share them with anyone else. If you would like us to delete the conversation once you have been put in touch, just say so.

Send us a WhatsApp with the job, your area and a photo if you can.

Message us on WhatsAppFree. We pass you straight to the tradesperson we trust.