A. All members are thorougly vetted before they can be accepted as a member. We also work very closly with the Trading Standards Approved Buy with Confidence Scheme which has, in our opinion, some of the strictest vetting criteria in the country.
HIG is a proud member of this scheme
Will will endeavor to find the right contractor that will be able to supply the works required
A.It is becoming common practise these days for contractors to ask for a deposit. There are a number of reasons for this.
1) That they require funds to order goods in advance to ensure that they can start the project on the date you have both agreed
2) The deposit payment shows commitment from you that the contract is actually going ahead and they are the chosen contractor that will be doing the work.
A.Payments will be made in accordance to the contract signed by you and the contractor – so either when the work is completed or by any agreed stage payment date and you are happy with the completed job or stage of the project.
A.To be honest – Normally, you would have none! Your deposit monies paid would be lost! However if you are covered by our Deposit Protect Guarantee another vetted contractor would be instructed to start the project and take over the construction.
The Deposit Protection Guarantee can even be set up and a certificate of cover emailed to you so you have physical proof you are protected before you have paid any monies to the contractor.
This is an unique service whichs gives you that essential ‘Peace of Mind’
A. All questions should be taken up with the contractor.
A. In the unlikely event of a dispute between you and the contractor you should always try to resolve the dispute with the contractor.In many instances disputes arise which can easily be worked out.If you are still having difficulties please contact us and we will try to resolve the matter by mediation.
A. If you have the protection of an Insurance Backed Guarantee If the builder or tradesmen goes in to liquidation or is unable to complete the works the insurer we will instruct a new contractor to finish the job or project.
A. If you require a vetted contractor to give you a quote for your project please just click the button request a HIG on the Home page and fill in the short form with your contact details and the type of work you need.We will then source three contractors in your area to contact you to arrange to visit the property and give you a quote.
If you have already chosen a contractor, or have one in mind, you can still be protected by a Home Improvement Guarantee but,of course, we would have to vet them. So, for maximum protection all you need to do is to fill a short form with your contact and project details and our advisers will help you find the best tradesmen in your area.
A. Your deposit is protected by an Insurance Backed Guarantee so that in the unlikely event that the contractor ceases the trade before they start work on the project, another contractor will be assigned to start the project.
The deposit amount that you paid in the beginning will be paid to this contractor by the insurance company.This means that your deposit is always safe with a Home Improvements Guarantee..
A. HIG provides rated tradesmen throughout the country. Our vetted tradesmen can undertake following types of projects:
House extensions
Garage conversions
Loft conversions
Window replacements
Roofing
Bathroom
Kitchens
Garden Rooms
Garage Conversions
Orangeries
Solar – PV and Thermal
Wooden Outbuildings
A. The Home Improvements Guarantee is a completely free of charge service for homeowners. You don’t have to pay anything for using our services and selecting HIG trusted builders or tradesmen.
A. You will need to go through, and pass, our contractor vetting procedure. We will need your experience and qualification details along with references of recent clients you have worked for. We will also check relevant insurances and liability policies. You are required to have these policies valid all the times and sign our code of conduct.
A. This warranty is an Insurance Backed Guarantee and guarantees our contractors guarantee for up to TEN years. For example if the contractor gives you a written guarantee for 7 years then the Home Improvements Guarantee will issue an Insurance Backed Guarantee that will guarantee your contractors guarantee for 7 years. So if you have a problem in 5 years time and the contractor has ceased to trade ,for whatever reason, your guarantee is still valid.
A. All of our tradesmen are approved through our vetting procedure and have signed our quality charter.