We know that you might be tempted to employ ‘cash-in-hand’ traders in order to avoid adding 20 percent to the cost of keeping your home in good condition. But, this could leave you  vulnerable to being ripped off or having sub-standard work done on your home. Every year over £170 million is stolen from unsuspecting homeowners by rogue traders and the VAT increase in January will be a further incentive for this figure to escalate.

Actually, we know that a low taxation economy  stimulates growth. Independent research has shown that reducing the rate of VAT to five percent on the labour element of housing repair, maintenance and improvement work would increase revenue to the Treasury as well as creating more than 55,000 extra new jobs this year alone.

The FMB is part of the Cut the VAT Coalition which believes that reducing VAT to 5 percent for all maintenance and home improvement work would help the Government achieve its target of cutting carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050. It would benefit millions of UK homeowners by getting rid of cowboy builders, helping those who cannot afford vital repairs to their homes, bringing empty properties back into use and protecting the countryside.

If you want to add your support or find out more click here.

To help protect you the FMB, in conjunction with Trading Standards, has published its ‘Nail the Rogues’ leaflet which gives advice to householders on how to spot and avoid a rogue trader as well as how to find a reputable trader. A window sticker is also available which can be placed in your front window to warn off rogues. On the back of the sticker there is information about how to spot and get rid of a rogue trader who may be standing on your doorstep.

Rogue traders come in all shapes and sizes. They may look and sound quite professional but one way to spot them is by the lines they may use to try and talk you into parting with your cash. Cold callers may say things like, “I was just passing and I noticed you have loose tiles on your roof”, to frighten householders into doing business with them.

The FMB has some advice for you:

If anyone comes to your door offering home maintenance services you should ask them to leave and don’t engage them in conversation. If they won’t leave, say you do not buy goods and services at the door. If they still won’t leave and you feel intimidated call the police who will always be happy to help with this sort of incident.

If you are thinking of having work done to your home ask friends and family for recommendations or check with a trade association such as the FMB and its Find A Builder website (www.fmb.org.uk/findabuilder).

Always get at least three quotes and use a contract which you can download free of charge on the FMB website.

Finally, never pay the full cost of the project up front.

Source: http://www.fmb.org.uk/ (Email Newsletter)

This means that here at ABK Painting Division, we have built up our knowledge of and relationship with the leading paint suppliers. We offer free site surveys to domestic, commercial and industrial clients alike during which we carefully assess what will be required of the paint used. During this design stage, we include considerations like light diffusion, temperature, fire resistance, durability, aesthetics and effects on the environment – to name just a few.

If you have specialist requirements then feel free to get in touch to see if we can help. Many clients are surprised to find that our specialist knowledge as designers as well as decorators enables us to suggest solutions that they didn’t know were available. And we use only the highest quality products from leading brands, including but not limited to:

-          Crown

-          Dulux

-          Glidden

-          Zoffany

-          Sadolin

-          Sikkens

-          Rustoleum

If you’re a commercial or domestic client with ABK, it’s likely that you’ll have a very specific idea of what you want, based on a refined brand image or the feel of your home. We pride ourselves on working exactly to specifications, because we know that satisfied customers will come back to us time and time again for our proven reliability as a designer decorator Aylesbury.

For the most part, our decorating service consists of the application of a wide variety of paints. At present we specialise in spray painting, floor painting, shot blasting, fire protection paints, anti-graffiti paints, line markings, french polishing and eco painting.

As a specialist decorator Berkshire, we only ever use quality paints, at the cutting edge of the industry that are guaranteed to create a professional finish that owners would be proud to have associated with their business. Materials include paints from Dulux, Glidden, Crown and many more leading manufacturers.

In addition to our painting services, we can also apply vinyl wall coatings and image wall coverings. Our image coverings are the perfect way to make an instant impact in a property and can help business owners to reinforce their brand. We can also coat steelwork and cladding with specialist paints to keep the exterior of a property in excellent condition for years to come.

If premises have fallen into disrepair we can work alongside our sister company to fully refurbish the building. This enables a business owner to get all of the necessary work done, without having to project manage many different companies.

If you are looking for a decorator Berkshire area, take a look at the painting, decorating and refurbishment services that we have to offer. We are confident that you will be pleased with the finished look as our previous clients have been.

As a decorator in the Slough area with many years experience in the trade, our decorators are well acquainted with many of the techniques and materials required to transform the appearance of a commercial property. In addition to standard painting, we have previously used French polishing techniques, spray painting, fire protection paints and shot blasting.

The large majority of our work has come from personal recommendations, testament to our attention to detail and quality workmanship. This is mainly due to our consistent training programmes and the fact that our team are all NVQ qualified and CSCS registered.

We have built a close relationship with some of the leading manufacturers of painting and decorating materials. This means that we are able to pass on excellent savings to our clients, on many of our services. Just some of the companies that we work with include Dulux, Glidden, Crown and Little Greene Paint Company.

Our company is also associated with the Dulux Trade Contract Partnership, this essentially means that we are continuously informed of the latest updates, enjoy testing periods and are able to sample their latest paints.

If you require a decorator in the Slough area to give your business premises a new lease of life, why not take a look at the work that we have previously completed by browsing our portfolio. Alternatively, call a member of our team to discuss your project.

At ABK Ltd, the diversity of our client base has taught us many things; one if which is the value of flexibility. Unlike some of our competitors, we do everything in our power to ensure that we as a company work harmoniously with the client, as we know that this produces the best results for everyone involved.

To help do this, we offer three pricing options to every client. Firstly, we can supply an ‘all in’ quotation which is designed for use with larger projects – as payments are split into valuation payments which are spread out across throughout the project. This can help soften blow and avoid the huge one off costs that can come with bigger works.

The second option, the ‘one-stop-shop’ alternative, is more suited to domestic clients, as individual areas of a project are priced separately, allowing customers to budget more clearly and effectively.

And finally, we now offer an hourly rate of £29.50 plus VAT, which is ideal for the smallest projects where a professional touch is required. We at ABK understand that money can be tight, and with the recession still affecting everyone, choosing a decorator in High Wycombe can be daunting. Consider our useful pricing options this spring to help you afford those essential home improvements.

The exterior and interior of any commercial property should be conducive to high productivity and sales. Don’t trust your business’ reputation and impression on the high street to ill – equipped or poorly trained alternatives. Here at ABK, we have experience working on a number of high profile properties over the years. Just take a look at our online portfolio. We guarantee professionalism and quality with every job. Plus, our large skilled workforce enables us to begin work at very short notice, so that business owners can minimise disruption to their commercial properties by receiving a brisk service at a time that suits them.

While you’re online, we urge you to take a look at our impressive client history. We have the facts to substantiate our claims of high quality and excellent service. With various works completed for companies such as Microsoft, Hoover and Channels Four and Five, we are clearly one of the market leaders.

As a specialist decorator Berkshire, we can offer specialised painting services such as Eco – painting, spray painting, shot blasting, French polishing, line marking, fire Protection Painting and more. At ABK, we believe our success has stemmed from the basic principle that customers should get what they pay for; we only request payment from satisfied customers when projects are fully completed.

As one of the largest painting and decorating companies in the Buckinghamshire area, we have built up a positive reputation for providing quality services that achieve 100% customer satisfaction every time.

Our services are perfect for commercial and industrial purposes; they are designed to last for years to come, and as our team always work closely with our clients, they are guaranteed to reflect your business.

The commercial decorator Aylesbury services that we at ABK Ltd have to offer will not only transform the interior of your property, but also the exterior. We have experience of using a range of paints including standard emulsion, undercoat and gloss, as well as, spray painting, floor painting, shot blasting, french polishing, line marking and even vinyl wall coverings.

We always use quality products from the leading brand, to ensure that your room is finished to the very highest standards. At present we use Dulux, Glidden and Crown.

All of our decorating services are extremely competitively priced and potential clients should feel free to contact a member of our team to discuss their budget. Our new hourly rate service has been designed to suit a range of small and large business, with prices starting at only £29.50 per hour.

If you require a decorator Aylesbury area, please feel free to contact us on one of the local telephone numbers on our website. Alternatively, to learn more about the range of services that we have to offer, browse the information on our website.