I'm coming!

[NewGirl]

Right, it's happening. Come September I'll be a proper Hastings citizen. Hurrah! I can hardly wait. Expect to be bombarded with questions and requests for recommendations. Off the top of my head: a reliable roofer, a chimney sweep, a really good carpenter who could also design something, and eventually a decent plumber.

I'm gonna be a Hastings girl, Hastings girl, Hastings girl...

[Geoff]

Great news, i'm sure you'll love it here

[Bertie]

Hopefully we will be moving to Hastings before you. A list of good reliable tradesmen would be very helpful. We are also very excited about our move.

[Geoff]

Our Hastings Directory has lots of local tradesmen listed, many have been advertising for years so must be pretty good at what they do. I can personally vouch for some I have used, was there any trade(s) in particular?

[Bertie]

Thanks Geoff I will have a look at the directory. Will be more specific when we move and see what's need doing most urgently.

[Richard]

Trades people vary from job to job, some work alone, some in company groups.
My main advice, especially for a bigger job, would be to employ a company where a boss 'henchman' has a good knowledge of contacts and can arrange people to tackle various aspects of a building job, for example.
Obviously a window cleaner is a window cleaner, but a builder may be able to arrange plasterers and should you need scaffolders then it would make sense (from bitter experience) to get the person who is doing the work that requires scaffolding, typically a builder/roofer, to organise a scaffolder he trusts and uses and then the scaffolder can't just mess you about with timing and 'pull his gear' if he feels like it. (also you shouldn't have to pay him 'upfront' if a builder is using him).
Believe me some scaffolders are heartless 'cowboys' and can mess you about, whereas a builder can use his influence.

Also, if you employ a company with many contacts, then if one worker has a problem (they get ill and have other 'issues' from time to time) a replacement can be found in the same company.

Another bit of abvice is to go to a decorators centre (there is Leyland SDM in the old town) and ask them for recommendations, they have good experience of reliable contacts for builders, roofers etcetera.
You can also ask at Plumber's Merchants stores for advice on reliable plumber's.
There is still a matter of luck, and trust involved and generally speaking, don't just go for the very cheapest.
Good Luck !!

[NewGirl]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I've already been looking at the listings here on the site and will definitely make use of this excellent resource. Looks like I'll move to White Rock in early September now so roof and fireplace/chimney checks are top of the list. And if anyone can recommend a really good carpenter who could design and fill one of my rooms with wall to wall, floor to ceiling fitted bookshelves.

[Richard]

How can you plan things before you even get here?
Sounds a bit manic to me.
Where in Hastings, why September, what budget, etcetera.
Being bombarded with questions like this is unnerving.

[NewGirl]

Seriously? I've been thinking about nothing else since I found 'my' place. I find the idea of arriving and sitting on 50 boxes of books without a plan scarier. Different strokes. Oh well, I'll take my questions to the Local Traders section, where it belongs anyway. - Just make sure you don't look in there. It's shocking!

[Richard]

You can pay £150 per day for a good Joiner or you can agree a price for the overall project.
Spend some good time looking around before jumping in as it doesn't always pay to be impulsive or over-keen.