10 March 2006
The majority of people in the UK (58%) suffer from 'oikodomophobia', or a morbid fear of dealing with tradesmen on their doorstep, new research has revealed.
The findings come from a consumer poll by TrustMark, the government-backed scheme to help the general public find reputable tradespeople.
The survey shows that when disaster strikes, and professionals are needed to deal with a problem, even the most confident people - from managing directors to market traders used to haggling - admit they suffer from sweaty palms when negotiating with heating engineers, plumbers, builders and roofers.
The poll of 1,000 UK homeowners found 60% have employed tradespeople to carry out work, from replacing a kitchen sink to repairing a heating system, without understanding exactly what needs to be done.
Ian Livsey, Chairman of Trustmark said "There's no shame in asking loads of questions and getting a layperson's explanation before you sign a deal for home improvement work. Without this approach, we all run a huge risk of misunderstanding and not getting the best from our tradespeople.
"We all need to get better at doing our homework when it comes to home improvement. I'd encourage people to shop around, get quotes and references, and select a tradesman that is registered with Trustmark – that way you can be sure you are dealing with a reputable firm."
uSwitch reveals that more than two million heating systems broke down in 2003 - equating to one household every 15 seconds experiencing problems with their heating.
Heating Cover products cover a range of services from boiler and controls, radiators, thermostats and some even include an annual service or inspection.
Save on your heating cover by comparing heating cover products on the uSwitch.com comparison service
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