Re: Ask EU: Plumber callout charges

Fenny wrote:
Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer ^W^W^W^W uk.media.radio.archers, BrritSki said ...

The Italian way is to use the local craftsmen when you are doing your place up so that when things go wrong you just give them a call and they know you and are happy to help, probably for nothing.


That doesn't seem to be the impression I get from watching programmes where Brits move abroad and try to do up some local hovel. When they use local workmen, the local customs and holidays apply

Yes, that's true, and why shouldn't it ? Most of the programs we watch are either people who don't speak the language or understand the country they are going to and/or the program makers spice things up and turn every minor problem into a major crisis (like the Grape program now running on Discovery). Grand Designs Abroad is usually the exception to this rule.

There are some cynical locals around that take people for a ride, but we were very lucky with our builders - we used 1 guy initially to do the heavy earth-moving work and he also did the foundations and structure of the house, earthquake reinforcement etc. Most of his guys are Albanians. Really nice guys and hard workers too, arrived at 8 every morning worked until 12 with no breaks until we got into the habit of giving thema coffee mid-morning. Back at 1.30 and then worked through to 5.

Then a Pole took over - he lived in England for several years and had done Grade 1 listed restorations and we saw the work he'd done on his house in Ceriana which was fantastic. Only problem was he didn't have certification to sign things off, so he worked with a different local bulder and his guys (Italian) on finishing, repointing and restoring old stonework etc. Also hard workers and had lots of ideas like arched doorways in the old house and marvellous attention to detail.

Then the first guy came back to do the pool and rebuild old dry stone walls so they wouldn't fall into it. He is now a firm family friend and we get invited to his house at weekends and his family come here to swim and we'll be adding our small grape harvest into his next month and getting back the appropriate amount of wine. This is the guy that we called on behalf of the apartment owner panicing about his leak...

Jan (the Pole) was also turning into a good friend, but his German wife decided she wanted to live in Canada again, so off he went...
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