A free advice service is offered by Wakefield Council to all homeowners who want to carry out repairs to their home.

We know that organising and then having any building work can be quite frightening and people are often worried that they are not getting good advice.

The questions we are often asked are:

• What is the actual problem with my house and what do I need to do to put it right?
• Is my builder going to do the right works?
• Is the work good value for money?
• I don’t have a lot of money, so what should I do first?
• How can I find a builder I can trust?
• How do I get a proper estimate for the works?
• What sort of guarantees can the builder give me when the works are finished?

We can help and give you free impartial advice.

This free service can help you with:

a) Making responsible choices by giving advice on:

• choosing the right trades person
• planning ahead for home maintenance
• proper diagnosis of defects
• prioritising what is needed
• what is essential work and which may be cosmetic

b) Managing money by helping you:

• understanding the difference between an estimate and a quotation
• understand how and when to pay for work
• make value for money judgements e.g. whether it is better to do a temporary roof repair rather than a whole new roof
• understand that the cheapest job does not necessarily mean the best job
• understand the knock on effect of putting off maintenance

c) Understanding rights and responsibilities by:

• advising on what to expect from a tradesman
• advising on where to get help if a dispute arises
• advising of responsibilities when tradesmen i.e. once a quotation is accepted the scheme should not be altered or if more work is wanted it must be before a separate price is agreed.
• advising on how warranties work

Our advice is free and impartial but will not include:

• supervising works on site
• specific advice on Planning and Building Regulation issues
• dealing with structural problems
• electrical inspections
• gas inspections
• getting involved with disputes between a builder and the home owner

We would however be able to give information on where to go for help with these issues.

For more information about the service contact the Private Sector Housing team (see 'Also In' for contact details)