‘I want it now’ culture putting homeowners at risk

The rise of a Millennial ‘I want it now’ culture is putting householders at risk of dangerous and sub-standard work, a trade organisation has claimed.

Research from The Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC), revealed that more than half of 2,000 householders would only be willing to wait for two weeks for the start of a major home improvement before looking for another tradesperson with more availability.

Of those surveyed, over a third (38%) said they wouldn’t be concerned or question why a tradesperson had immediate capacity to start a major project.

Only 12% said they would be willing to wait more than four weeks for a major, non-urgent project or improvement, such as a new bathroom, to begin.

The APHC stated that, “immediate availability should ring alarm bells of this being due to sub-standard work, a bad reputation or unrealistic pricing to complete the work” as ‘professional’ and ‘reliable’ traders are often in high demand.

A further 24% said they were unsure whether they should be concerned about the lack of demand.

John Thompson, chief executive of APHC, commented: “Our members are seeing a definite shift in the expectations of consumers who make a decision and want the finished product as soon as possible rather than prioritising the longer term view of an excellent job, carried out by a qualified expert. We’re familiar with the saying ‘If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur’ – in this case waiting time can also impact on costs.

“Unless it’s an emergency, when speed is crucial, reputable plumbing companies are in demand for good reason and as a result have a steady customer base booking in jobs and this is the case for all trades, not just plumbers. For the sake of waiting another two weeks for a new bathroom, we would certainly recommend pausing to get the job done properly the first time around.”

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