More than 7.2 million search results were provided to homeowners who used TrustMark’s website and telephone helpline to find expert tradesmen to carry out work on their homes or gardens during 2014, an increase of 38 per cent compared to the same period in 2013.
Specialists in underground waterproofing (1,031 per cent) and damp proofing and timber treatment (81 per cent) saw the largest rise last year across all trades in 2014 and have been two of the most sought-after trades out of the 34 licensed master trades offered by TrustMark. This highlights that homeowners have been looking for experts to help them protect their homes with flood prevention measures to try and avoid a repeat of last winter.
October and November also saw an increase in trades for expert roofers (70 per cent), builders (67 per cent), plumbers and heating engineers (61 per cent) and electricians (41 per cent), which together represent 47 per cent of all the searches across the trades during 2014. Autumn is typically the time of year that homeowners prepare their homes for the arctic months ahead and would have contributed significantly to these growths.
There were a number of other highly sought after trades who have equally seen a sharp rise during 2014 and these include home adaptations for the elderly and disabled (129 per cent), carpenters and joiners (55 per cent) and painters and decorators (51 per cent), window installers and glaziers (44 per cent) plasterers and renderers (42 per cent) and garden landscapers (40 per cent).
Simon Ayers, chief executive of TrustMark, said: ‘Homeowners are realising the importance of only using quality firms to do their home improvements and repair work and help protect their most treasured asset – their home. TrustMark provides homeowners with the reassurances they are looking for and the confidence that they are working with tradesmen who are the best in the business. By providing advice, we can guide people through finding the right tradesmen for jobs in their homes and be a trusted avenue for support as and when needed.
‘TrustMark tradesmen’s details have been increasing year on year and this considerable success has been a result of a number of increased marketing initiatives carried out during 2014 and working closely in partnership with Government departments, our member firms, scheme operators and key consumer organisations such as Citizens Advice, Age UK and the Trading Standards Institute, who are all signposting people to TrustMark.’
All TrustMark firms’ work to Government-endorsed standards and are uniquely checked for three things – their trading practices, customer service and their technical skills. TrustMark continues to expand its database of around 14,000 individual firms in the UK, providing national coverage with more than 21,000 licensed trades searchable on its database.
For further information and to stay up to date with developments at TrustMark, visit www.trustmark.org.uk
