Anyone thinking about having home improvement work carried out when spring arrives will want to look at two new leaflets, produced by the Office of Fair Trading, called Need A Plumber Or Builder...

The first gives tips on how to go about getting work done on your house and the second lists details of useful organisations which offer a range of services from putting you in touch with reliable contractors to helping you resolve disputes. Here are City of York Trading Standards' own guidelines to help ensure the work goes without a hitch.

Do:

- obtain at least three written quotes for the work

- seek recommendations from friends and relatives and ask to see examples of the trader's completed work

- check the small print in any insurance policy

- ask for references

- get a letter of agreement for small jobs and a formal contract for more extensive, expensive work

- inform your home insurance company the work is being done. You may wish to tell your neighbours too!

- consider obtaining an insurance-backed guarantee

- read the contract carefully - once you have signed you may not be able to back out

- play fair with the builder - pay bills for good work promptly

Don't:

- respond to traders who knock on your door or ring you up, especially if they want you to sign up to a special deal there and then.

- deal with traders who only offer a telephone number

- be tempted by traders touting for work with lures of cash deals and no VAT

- pay up front - you may wish to pay in stages to keep control of the work

- alter your requirements during the work, unless you are prepared to pay more

- forget you may need planning permission/building regulations consent

- neglect to come to agreement about how you will deal with any disputes

- For copies of the new leaflets, advice or a directory of reliable traders for elderly people phone City of York Trading Standards on 01904 551562, call in at 9 St Leonard's Place, York, or e-mail trading.standards@york.gov.uk

Updated: 10:20 Thursday, January 23, 2003