sick of greedy plumbers & electricians

I don't know about fellow property investors, but I am sick to my stomach the extortionist fees charged by plumbers & electricians : $250 to change a light socket, $300 to change a cistern. Fair dinkum, do these people think they are brain surgeons or something. Together with SOME kickback receiving property managers doesn't help. Call out fee $88, at 5.01 pm charge weekend rate at double, the list go on & on. One time I have a plumber charged me $90 to tell me I need a new hot water unit. I know I can always get a second quote but sometimes it's not possible such as if the property is interstate or overseas, or if the tradies collude with each other. As property investors we need to think of a better way as these exorbitant tradie fees put a real dent to the cashflow. I hate being ripped off. I think of the followings to deal with this most unpleasant aspect of investing in residential property :
1. The reason plumbers and electricians can ask for exorbitant money because one doesn't know the cost for a repair job,
if this web site (or some smart web genius) can list the cost for all repair jobs then one can compare if the quote is
reasonable. Also it will be good if we can recommend honest tradies to fellow investors.
2. Relax most electrical & plumbing jobs so un-licensed handyman can do. Also open the flood gate to foreign tradesmen
as tradies in most countries are not as spoiled as in Oz. (In Mexico they have to queue every morning for jobs to earn few
dollars a day !)
3. Reduce the length of apprenticeship to one year. There is not much to learn in plumbing and electrical.

One last question, are you sick of greedy plumbers & electricians ?

don't waste money on crappy little share programs, they don't work

Whoa!
I take it that you've had some bad tradie experiences. There are good and bad ones, like in every profession - including brain surgeons!
Of all your suggestions, some of which I'm sure are not that serious, if anyone can list what a reasonable cost per job is, that would definitely be very helpful.

Chris

Hi,

I have gotten a bit done at my house over the last few months and I just think my sparky is great.  I also make sure I tell everyone I know including my clients when I do find a professional that looks after their clients.

1.   Double fluro installed in double carport
2.   Check all light sockets in house and replaced 3 (or 4, I can't quite remember now)
3.   Installed IXL in bathroom (4 action - Light, 2 x heat, fan)
4.   Drilled a new hole to move light switch from inside tolet to the architrive
5.   Changed backyard light from a normal to a 8metre fluro
6.   Supplied fluro lights - 5 in total - from average size to 5m (or foot)
7.   Supplied and installed 4 x double power points
8.   Fixed my 2 6foot lamps (the slide switch died)
9.   Changed a few of my light bulbs for me while he was up on ladder

all of the above work was done for me for approx $300.00

I know that I have received discount because he is the only sparky I use whether it is for Insurance or just work I want to get done.

I am in Ipswich Qld and he is located at the Coast so maybe that could have a bearing on the price but all I know is he looks after me and everyone who I have referred to him that have needed his services.

Sharlene
moorefinancialsolutions@hotmail.com

Sharlene , you must have the cheapest electrician in all of oz.
Just received the quote to replace the bedroom light :
Replace faulty bedroom light
1 LIGHT FITTING
3 Transformer
3 Lamp holder
3 50 LV
1 Service Call
2 Tradesman Hours
total : $367.95
Tell me it's reasonable.

don't waste money on crappy little share programs, they don't work

I guess I have a fantastic sparky, especially with that quote.  I didn't need transformers or anything else done it was just the sockets.

Sharlene
moorefinancialsolutions@hotmail.com

thanks Sharlene, I was going to ask if your sparky will do jobs in sunny Melbourne.

don't waste money on crappy little share programs, they don't work

Sorry, but maybe if you offered him the air fare and holiday package for a few days I could try and convince him.

The next best thing I can do for you is give him a call and see if he has any contacts in Sunny Melbourne that he would recommend.

What suburb or postcode ? Just to narrow it down a tad. :)

Sharlene
moorefinancialsolutions@hotmail.com

My hubby used to be an electrical engineer and his two brothers are builders ... need I say more ... marry a trades person the country needs more tradies.

D

Sharlene, thanks for the kind offer but don't want to impose on you any further. I know there is disquiet among property investors and hope something constructive come out of this thread. I am seriously thinking to set up a web page to list all job costs and to refer honest tradies.  Any other suggestions ?

don't waste money on crappy little share programs, they don't work

get over it, seriously.

every industry since the dawn of time has charged the maximum the market will bear.

supply / demand rules.

you actually believe whining and moaning will bring prices down?

I think real estate agents and solicitors are much bigger ripoff merchants than tradies.......

www.posigear.com.au
Positive Geared Share Investing

and you would know this..............HOW?

www.posigear.com.au
Positive Geared Share Investing

Your more than welcome.

At least I can now cross   - 'Do a good deed for the day' - off my list.

If you would like me to check than I am more than happy to try and help. 

Worst case - PASS IT FORWARD

Sharlene
moorefinancialsolutions@hotmail.com

The real problem is that for the last 15 years University has been sprouted as the best thing since sliced bread while our technical schools were closed down and the government did nothing to provide incentives for apprenticeships for the last 15 years.
Now that there is a massive shortage of skilled trade people the government has just started to re-open technical schools and encourge over forty year old to do apprenticeships in trades. Also a lot of the already skilled tradespeople will be retiring soon!

 If you want skilled trades people you have to have training provided and trade businesses willing to take on apprentices.
Also another wonderful event was the privatisation or selling of of government commissions that use to train apprentices like the gas and fuel , secv, Telstra, the Met, ect
Have you tried service central - I have heard this being advertised on the radio.

Ex Telstra Tech. and unemployed university graduate.

Comments are of a general nature and may not be relevant to your individual circumstances. If you intend making any investment, financial or taxation decision you should consult a professional adviser.

if you read my post carefully you will see I am trying to set up a web page to help our fellow property investors and solicit other suggestions. I am sure there are many other crooks in the community but dishonest tradies are those I, as a property investor, have to deal with everyday. We can just sweep the whole thing under the carpet or bring it out to the open and find ways to deal with the problem.

don't waste money on crappy little share programs, they don't work

I read your first post again and it says nothing about setting up a webpage. All you did was whine and moan and accuse property managers and tradies of corruption, collusion and extortion.

Most people here are smart enough to realise the forum has many many members who are tradies and they dont take too kindly to BASELESS accusations and downright lies from people who dont even have the decency of getting their facts straight.

Its simple.......if you dont like the price you are quoted, dont get the job done!

www.posigear.com.au
Positive Geared Share Investing

wow... the "sparks" are flying now... come on now you guys before you "go round the bend".!!
it's not worth getting the "pooh's" about it....  (all puns intended.... lol)

Oh yes, there's real electricity in the air now. Perhaps the idea of a web page with quotes is just a pipe dream after all. . .

I don't know and DON'T CARE how many electricians and plumbers (or their relations) on this forum, I stand by my opinion that they charge far too much than they deserve. Tell me baseless accusations, a reverse cycle air-cond may cost you $500, the sparky will charge you $800 to install. How ridiculous is this ?

don't waste money on crappy little share programs, they don't work

  It's not - you are being ripped off on this one , unless the tradesman used gold fittings. Aas far as getting involved in any other comments I'll pass however. One observation though - I think using an agent that has or has access to a 'handyman' is good, as other than stuff requiring a license it can save you heaps.

v8ghia, thanks for that. This is why a database of job costs will be useful so one can tell if a quote is reasonable or not. May be what I should have done in the first thread was to point out dishonest tradies are a small minority, but ripping off still happen every minute. If people happy to pay through the nose that's fine by me, but paying a plumber or electrician couple hundred bucks an hour is not on for me.

don't waste money on crappy little share programs, they don't work

Hi Sharlene, I live on the gold Coast & have an IP in Ipswich so I would LOVE your sparkies number if you don't mind sharing him.
We have had expensive lessons in the past but I guess we live & learn?? I now like to use word of mouth & proven experiences to choose our tradies.

Cheers

Stella