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Accessing "Trades"

822 views 2 replies 2 participants last post by  Befuddled  
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579 posts · ed 2021
In my region (Brittany) there has always been a big problem getting builders, plumbers, electricians, etc. I have never found it a problem myself while being fit enough to do all my own renovation work personally but now the years have taken their toll and I am trying to seek the services of a "groundworker" to fix up my parking area. I had no idea how difficult it can be to find someone. So far six weeks of trying but not a single response. Generally they seem to completely ignore emails so I am at a loss to understand why they put an email address in their advertising.

Is it the same elsewhere in ? There used to be a lot of criticism of Brits bringing their own workers over to do their renovation work. I can now fully understand why they did it. Life's too short. Coupled with the reality that each trade has to be approached as separate entities. You don't find a builder that does roofing, plumbing, electrics, etc. all under one contract.
 
I'm not sure that email is the best way to try to those in the trades. I know where we are, there are lots of small (i.e. 1 or 2 person) operations, most of them Portuguese (whether 1st or 2nd generation). Check the Pages Jaunes for your area to see who is listed there - or you can perhaps ask at the mairie, where small trades people often in the town newsletter. But always better to call them - or even go knock on the door to ask them directly.

Ideally you want to find someone local since you're most likely to run into them while out walking around, so they have additional incentive to make sure you're pleased by their work. But it does depend on who is in business for themselves in the area.
 
Approaches by telephone are for people with conversational level French. With email I can run the response through a translater to make sense of it. I'm in deep rural Bretagne, nout but farmers around 'ere m'lass.
 
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