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Blue Sky
Joined: 30 Jan 2005 Posts: 7658 Location: France
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ejc-free
Joined: 19 Jan 2005 Posts: 117 Location: Near to Cerizay in la Belle France
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BahamaMama
Joined: 21 Sep 2006 Posts: 2315 Location: Away with the fairies
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Layla
Joined: 05 Feb 2009 Posts: 21
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Posted: Sat Feb 07, 09 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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Well, a friend of mine here in Slovenia told me of a following story (that happened in Slovenia also). Mostly there are good people here, but now and then there are 'bad apples'.
There was a guy who was leading on older ladies and such (advertised in church magazines even!) and he would have very cheap prices but wanted to be paid in advance or so. Then he wreaked the bathroom and left, doing only half the job or less.. And he disappeared... (my friend was sub-letting with the lady and was without loo or proper bathroom for more than 2 weeks!!)
Not saying this is what's happening in your case, hopefully the guy is still around, other people know him etc... Just do be careful & try to set it up so you don't pay all upfront..
There was another guy here in Slovenia who did roofs this way.. Did them well for a few people, then started not doing it at all and disappearing with the money.. (It was on TV)
Of course these are just a few (frankly the only two I ever heard of.. mostly other people are okay..) And there was even a movie on slightly unreliable services abroad (about the divorced lady who moved into a villa)..
Did you ever agree on a date? And could there be any 'conflicts of interests'? (eg anyone else interested in the place, or people disapproving 'foreigners moving in'?) What is the overall opinion of this man? etc.
If I were you, I'd try to get any local friends involved, to check up on things.. ask their opinion of this man.. It would be better if someone you trust and are friends with could oversee things.. Do you know anyone there or in vicinity who could help & take a look? |
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Bulgarianlily
Joined: 01 Jun 2008 Posts: 1667 Location: South West Mountains of Bulgaria
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 09 7:21 am Post subject: |
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Just to add a story of a good builder. We built our strawbale round house last year and three local builders, brothers, put in the timber frame, the roof and the stub wall under the house, I and my OH did the rest. Owning to my own massive stupidity, (well it was the first house I built!) I forget to put in the chimney when the roof was being built, so I decided to run it through the wall, (in concrete pipe), and make a freestanding chimney to go up through the eves, to reduce the risk of me screwing it up and having a major leak in the house. I didn't get round to sealing the hole I made in the overhanging part of the roof, or make the chimney tall enough, before we moved in beginning of December. The oldest brother came round a couple of weeks ago and 'tutted' at the chimney, with good reason. He turned up yesterday, and spent four hours fixing hole, extending the stack and rendering the whole thing. He basically said (in Bulgarian) 'I am not having my friends live with such crappy work!', and refused any payment. After a lot of bargaining, he took away a joint of lamb and a jar of marmalade. |
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BahamaMama
Joined: 21 Sep 2006 Posts: 2315 Location: Away with the fairies
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Posted: Mon Feb 09, 09 8:10 am Post subject: |
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Bulgarianlily wrote: |
Just to add a story of a good builder. We built our strawbale round house last year and three local builders, brothers, put in the timber frame, the roof and the stub wall under the house, I and my OH did the rest. Owning to my own massive stupidity, (well it was the first house I built!) I forget to put in the chimney when the roof was being built, so I decided to run it through the wall, (in concrete pipe), and make a freestanding chimney to go up through the eves, to reduce the risk of me screwing it up and having a major leak in the house. I didn't get round to sealing the hole I made in the overhanging part of the roof, or make the chimney tall enough, before we moved in beginning of December. The oldest brother came round a couple of weeks ago and 'tutted' at the chimney, with good reason. He turned up yesterday, and spent four hours fixing hole, extending the stack and rendering the whole thing. He basically said (in Bulgarian) 'I am not having my friends live with such crappy work!', and refused any payment. After a lot of bargaining, he took away a joint of lamb and a jar of marmalade. |
Friends in high places!! We have 'nearly' finished the work that had us tearing our hair out, it is always going to be difficult trying to project manage remotely but the work that has been done is top class and we are still on good speaking terms with the builder/plumber etc. |
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