Hi there!
We are having a fairly standard extension put on the back of our three-bed semi. We advertised it online at MyHammer.co.uk, and got several quotes. In the end, we went with the cheapest quote on there (perhaps our first mistake).
The builder has given us a price, which we have made clear several times is a fixed price, not an estimate. He has also signed a brief contract outlining the work he is to deliver for that price, and has given us a timeline of 6 weeks.
He started out OK, had the foundations dug and poured, but when the brick work was to start, everything just stalled. He has brough in several brick layers, but for some reason they have all left again - there is not enough bricks on site, and to date they have laid three courses of bricks. We are now four weeks into his six week schedule, and all we have are basically the foundations (and no kitchen as this has been pulled out).
He has given excuses, which may or may not be true: his brother died two weeks ago, he has high blood pressure and has been having heart problems, the brick layer has walked out on him, he has been ripped off by another client which is causing him problems with his cash flow - therefore he cannot buy bricks for our job.
To date, we have paid him two installments - one to start, one when the foundations were done. I still feel that the work we have had done to date is not worth the amount of money we have given him. What are my options here? Once he goes over his six week deadline, I suppose I can terminate the contract for breach - but that does not get me my money back. I am trying to resolve this with him, and hoping that he really will be able to finish the job once his cash flow is up and running again. I fear however, that he is stalling for time to put us off him because he wants out of the job, or building up to ask for more money (which I will not give him under any circumstances untill the walls and roof are up).
So, any advice on how to resolve this with him - any pressure I can put on him etc? I am also trying to prepare myself for what to do if he keeps jerking us around and fails to do any more work at all - so anyone know what my rights would be? As I said, we do have a signed contract stating what he is going to deliver - but not a full, formal contract as such. We also have receipts for the payments we have already made.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated - I am trying to stop this situation from becoming a complete nightmare or having to end up in small claims court or the like.
We are having a fairly standard extension put on the back of our three-bed semi. We advertised it online at MyHammer.co.uk, and got several quotes. In the end, we went with the cheapest quote on there (perhaps our first mistake).
The builder has given us a price, which we have made clear several times is a fixed price, not an estimate. He has also signed a brief contract outlining the work he is to deliver for that price, and has given us a timeline of 6 weeks.
He started out OK, had the foundations dug and poured, but when the brick work was to start, everything just stalled. He has brough in several brick layers, but for some reason they have all left again - there is not enough bricks on site, and to date they have laid three courses of bricks. We are now four weeks into his six week schedule, and all we have are basically the foundations (and no kitchen as this has been pulled out).
He has given excuses, which may or may not be true: his brother died two weeks ago, he has high blood pressure and has been having heart problems, the brick layer has walked out on him, he has been ripped off by another client which is causing him problems with his cash flow - therefore he cannot buy bricks for our job.
To date, we have paid him two installments - one to start, one when the foundations were done. I still feel that the work we have had done to date is not worth the amount of money we have given him. What are my options here? Once he goes over his six week deadline, I suppose I can terminate the contract for breach - but that does not get me my money back. I am trying to resolve this with him, and hoping that he really will be able to finish the job once his cash flow is up and running again. I fear however, that he is stalling for time to put us off him because he wants out of the job, or building up to ask for more money (which I will not give him under any circumstances untill the walls and roof are up).
So, any advice on how to resolve this with him - any pressure I can put on him etc? I am also trying to prepare myself for what to do if he keeps jerking us around and fails to do any more work at all - so anyone know what my rights would be? As I said, we do have a signed contract stating what he is going to deliver - but not a full, formal contract as such. We also have receipts for the payments we have already made.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated - I am trying to stop this situation from becoming a complete nightmare or having to end up in small claims court or the like.