Why this exists
Most household advice online is written to sell you something. You search for the cost of a new boiler and land on a page whose only purpose is to pass your details to whoever pays the most for them. The price is vague, the advice is thin, and nobody tells you the one thing you needed to know, which is whether the job is urgent.
We write the other kind. Every guide starts from a real question people ask, gives a straight answer with an indicative range, and says plainly when a job stops being yours to do. If the honest answer is that you do not need a trade at all, that is what the article says.
What we publish
Local guidance for the areas we cover: costs, emergencies, how to choose a trade, seasonal jobs, landlord and tenant responsibilities, and the questions people actually type into a search box at eleven at night when something is leaking.
Guidance is written in plain British English. Where a rule applies we name the body that sets it, so you can check it yourself rather than taking our word for it. That means the Gas Safe Register, the Building Regulations, the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Executive and your local council, among others.
How the help desk works
- Tell us the job. What is happening, roughly when it started, and where you are.
- We read it properly. The desk reviews the request and asks follow-up questions where the answer would change the advice.
- You get the next step. Sometimes that is a trade. Sometimes it is a check you can do yourself first, or a call to your landlord, insurer or council.
Trade availability and credentials are confirmed when you enquire. We do not imply coverage we have not checked, and we would rather tell you we cannot help than hand you to someone unsuitable.
Where we are careful
Some jobs are not a matter of opinion. Gas work must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Most new electrical circuits and consumer unit work in England and Wales are notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations. Work at height needs proper access equipment rather than a ladder and optimism. Where a job carries those risks, we say so in the article rather than burying it in a disclaimer.
Advertising
Advertising placements on this site are labelled as advertising. Editorial content is not written to order, and no advertiser sees a guide before it is published. If that ever changes, this page changes first.
Getting it wrong
Prices move, rules are updated and we are not immune to a mistake. If something here is wrong or out of date, tell the help desk and we will review it and correct it. Corrections are made to the article itself rather than quietly deleted.