As the ongoing raw materials shortage continues, and with timber still in short supply due to unprecedented lockdown demand, Checkatrade has observed that only a small percentage of homeowners are currently aware of the raw materials shortage and how it will affect them. Please find a comment below from Mike
Age-old assumptions: 44% of Brits believe ‘cowboy builders’ are commonplace Top misconceptions: Too expensive (28%), unreliable (23%) and rip-off merchants (19%) – yet85% admit their experiences of tradespeople have been positive #RespectYourTrades: Checkatrade campaign seeks to drive reappraisal of our nation’s tradespeople and has produced a video to help address
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
As the ongoing raw materials shortage continues, and with timber still in short supply due to unprecedented lockdown demand, Checkatrade has observed that only a small percentage of homeowners are currently aware of the raw materials shortage and how it will affect them. Please find a comment below from Mike Fairman, CEO Checkatrade, that provides some further detail as well as advice for homeowners or trades persons looking to complete work over the next few months. Mike Fairman, CEO, Checkatrade: “The current global raw materials shortage has had a profound impact on the UK trade and construction industry. Soaring demand, the impact of Brexit, continued pandemic recovery and shock factors like forest fire threats in North America are all reasons behind the shortages we have seen. Our recent consumer research* has revealed that awareness of the shortages is low, with only a small percentage of Brits (22%) claiming to have heard of the shortages and understanding how they could affect them. However, many have already experienced its impact, with 21% of respondents* experiencing delays in either their jobs being started or completed due to a shortage of raw materials. The property and home renovation market has been booming over the last year and demand shows no sign of slowing down – in fact we’ve had 49% more consumer searches so far this year than in the same period last year**. With this in mind, we’d recommend that homeowners factor potential future shortages into any upcoming projects they plan to undertake on their homes. In particular, they should make sure to speak to tradespeople when planning a project to discuss timelines and should be careful to use reliable sources such as Checkatrade to find vetted, reviewed tradespeople. We know our trade members are keen to work with their customers to find ways to overcome these issues, including trying to find alternative materials that could be used.” *Research conducted by Opinium on behalf of Checkatrade. Total sample size was 2,003 UK adults. Survey conducted online between 4th June and 8th June 2021. Includes just the respondents who have experienced delays in starting/completing home improvement projects over the last 12 months ***Data captured between 1 January – 31 July 2020 vs 1 January – 31 July 2021
Age-old assumptions: 44% of Brits believe ‘cowboy builders’ are commonplace Top misconceptions: Too expensive (28%), unreliable (23%) and rip-off merchants (19%) – yet85% admit their experiences of tradespeople have been positive #RespectYourTrades: Checkatrade campaign seeks to drive reappraisal of our nation’s tradespeople and has produced a video to help address the misconceptions New research from Checkatrade reveals that almost two-thirds (63%) of Brits are clinging onto damaging misconceptions about the nation’s trades. Overall, 44% confess to believing that ‘cowboys’ are commonplace while more than one in ten (14%) openly admit they’ve stereotyped tradespeople based purely on profession. The top negative misconceptions about trades are that they’re too expensive (28%), unreliable (23%) and that they’re rip-off merchants (19%) while one in ten (11%) used the term ‘unskilled’ to describe them, alongside uneducated (6%).* Popular tradespeople-related Google searches also support these findings**. However, there seems to be a stark gap between perceptions and the reality of experience. More than a quarter (29%) of Brits have called upon tradespeople over the last six months and 85% admitted that they had a positive experience – with 13% even claiming their expectations had been exceeded. Checkatrade’s own data also shows that only 2% of trades have a workmanship score of less than 9/10 – the same can be said for reliability, timekeeping and tidiness. As a result, Checkatrade has launched a campaign which asks the nation to readdress their negative stereotypes, and reappraise the contribution of tradespeople in our communities. Entitled #RespectYourTrades, the campaign video shares the honest reactions of its vetted and recommended members to the research findings as well as common ‘mean tweets’ about tradespeople. It’s clear from their responses that prejudice is rife and having an unfair and damaging effect on the industry. Julian Perryman and Chris Frediani, Britain’s best known builder and plasterer are both backing the Checkatrade campaign: “Like all walks of life, there’s no getting around the fact that there are a few bad apples out there, but that’s why it’s so important to stick to reputable, vetted tradespeople. Our industry has been plagued by prejudices for decades but the trades we come across everyday are incredibly hard-working, skilled and committed to doing a good job. With so many currently in people’s homes doing great repair and renovation work, now feels like a good time to ask people to reassess their value.” Mike Fairman, CEO of Checkatrade, commented, “Our members’ livelihoods depend on their great reputations. Over the last few months, they’ve been building new hospitals, keeping communities connected, offering keyworker discounts and are now helping people up and down the country with their home improvements and repairs, so it’s sad to hear so many are still struggling to shake off stereotypes. “Each and every one of our members has been through 12 background checks and have proudly signed up to uphold our standards of honesty, transparency and professionalism. We hope that our campaign prompts people to have confidence in the expertise good tradespeople offer, to better understand the variable nature of their work, to recognise the pride our members take in making spaces safe, secure and smile-inducing and to give them the respect that they deserve.” To view Checkatrade’s #RespectYourTrades campaign video and find out more about the vital work tradespeople have been doing, visit: –
