We receive many calls requesting advice regarding installations, but it’s disheartening to receive so many lately where callers have used someone who is not experienced with greenhouse installations and have come a cropper.
Like the call we received recently, from a gentleman in the South, who had paid a builder (who had done a fabulous job on a pergola), to install his Elite Titan. The builder had requested a price of £200 per day to build the greenhouse. The money was to be paid each morning. He wasn’t sure how long it was going to take, but he’s a builder. He knows how to build! “Won’t take long”, he said.
Day 1: £200 paid. Watching the builder reading the instructions. Scratching his head a bit. But some progress was made.
Day 2: £200 paid. Bit more progress made. It’s starting to look like ‘something’.
Day 3: £200 paid. It’s starting to look a bit like a greenhouse, but the Builder is showing signs of stress and a hint of anger.
Day 4: £200 paid. Builder claims that there’s definitely something wrong with the parts. He’s not installed the louvre, because he can do that at the end (he can’t). The glass won’t fit into the gaps because the gaps are spaced wrong (they’re not). The gaps aren’t square (they won’t be if mistakes have been made early in the build). Some of it is glazed. Some of it isn’t. The doors won’t go on the greenhouse (despite it not being glazed). The customer is starting to get nervous. What if this goes on for another 4/5 days?
End of day 4, the Builder claims the greenhouse isn’t right, he’s stressed and he leaves the site. The Builder doesn’t show up on day 5, or day 6, or day 7. The greenhouse is at risk of collapse because it’s not been secured and has half the glass in it. Calls go unanswered, emails aren’t replied to. Builder up £800, customer now faced with having to pay someone else to dismantle the badly built greenhouse, and then start again. Customer VERY out of pocket.
We can’t say it any louder. You may not want to pay an installer to build your greenhouse, it may be that you want to give it a go yourself, and there’s no real reason you won’t be able to. But if you’re going to pay someone else to do it, please make sure that the person you are paying is being paid for the job, not a day rate. If someone is charging you a day rate, you’re paying them to read the instructions and it’s likely they’ve never built one before. Whoever you approach should be able to tell you a price, how long it will take and please ask them for examples of their previous work. There is no reputable greenhouse installer in the land that will work any other way. We love showing off our work!
Sadly the customer in this case received no further communication from the Builder. He’s now faced with another bill to have the greenhouse dismantled, and then rebuilt. It’s unlikely he will get his £800 back. We were able to provide recommendations to him of appropriately experienced installers in his area, who will be able to help.
We don’t say all of the above to make money. We say it to save you money.
