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Latest Reviews
Cut and Fit Kitchen Worktops
Gvw Construction came and give me a quote for my kitchen worktops, sink and gas hob to be fitted they were very friendly and helpful and the price was very reasonable they completed all the work very quickly and very professionally I would highly recommend them
Full Bathroom Renovation and Tiling
I originally hired Gilbert Wilcock / GVW Construction through MyJobQuote to refurbish two bathrooms. At the beginning, he appeared friendly and helpful. During the project, I unfortunately lost my job and had to put the work on hold. At that point, the work was still incomplete and there were already outstanding items that had not been finished. The contractor specifically asked me to leave him a review. I agreed and left a positive review at the time, despite the work not being finished, because I genuinely expected him to return once the project could continue and complete the outstanding work. I was not reviewing the final completed standard of the work at that point, because the work wasn't finished. I gave the review in good faith based on my experience with him up to that stage and on the expectation that the remaining work would be completed. Unfortunately, as the project progressed, the full extent of the problems became apparent. The experience I ultimately had is completely different from the impression given by that original review, which is why I am now writing this. Repeated plumbing and installation problems Throughout the work there were repeated problems involving pipework and leaks. When problems occurred, responsibility was frequently attributed to other causes or to the cost of the parts involved. On occasions when I asked for advice about what parts to purchase and followed that advice, I was subsequently told that the problem was because the item was “cheap”, despite the fact that the item had been recommended. There are numerous examples of poor, unsuitable or incomplete workmanship. Downstairs bathroom The tiling downstairs was not completed to a standard I would expect from a professional bathroom installation. There are areas where the finish is poor and the overall quality of the tiling is disappointing. The LED light was cut into the wrong position, meaning I had to purchase additional parts myself to make the installation work properly. The cover was also not fitted correctly. The extractor fan is particularly concerning. This was a wet room that generated a significant amount of steam, so having a properly installed and functioning extractor fan was important to the bathroom's normal use. Despite this, he told me that he had deliberately left the extractor fan disconnected because he intended to connect it when he lifted the floor in the bathroom above. This was not simply an item that had been forgotten. I specifically asked about it and was told it would be dealt with later. In my view, the extractor should have been properly fitted, connected and tested as part of the downstairs bathroom installation rather than leaving a wet room without a functioning extractor. On the last day he was supposed to be working on the downstairs bathroom, he was also due to fit a new light switch. He refused to do it and told me that he would only fit it when the work on the second bathroom started. At the time, I accepted what I was being told because I trusted him and believed he would return and complete the outstanding work as promised. Looking back, these should have been warning signs. The downstairs sink was also fitted with a U-bend/waste arrangement that is not removable. I was not aware of the implications at the time and relied on the contractor's expertise. I have since discovered that if material becomes trapped in the bend and a blockage occurs, the bend cannot simply be removed to clear it. The practical solution would require the existing pipework to be broken out and replaced with a removable U-bend. Again, I relied on the person carrying out the work to install the plumbing correctly and in a maintainable way. Shower glass and advice The shower glass is another example of advice I relied upon. I was advised to purchase 6mm glass for the shower screen when 8mm glass was required. I followed the advice given and subsequently had to find specialist components to enable the glass to be installed correctly. This created additional expense and complications that could have been avoided had I been given the correct information in the first place. Upstairs bathroom and adjoining areas When the upstairs work eventually began, further problems and damage arose. The tiling upstairs was also left below the standard I expected from a professional installation and is another area that now requires attention. In the adjacent bedroom, laminate flooring that had previously been fitted flush was pulled up, leaving gaps around the edges. Mismatched skirting boards were then installed, leaving the room in a worse condition than it had been before the work began. The upstairs sink installation resulted in significant cracking to the wall on the opposite side. The flooding and ceiling damage The most serious incident involved the douche installation downstairs. I was told that the douche had been installed and that everything was fine. The contractor left. The installation subsequently resulted in water escaping and flooding, causing substantial damage to the ceiling of the downstairs bathroom. The flooding also resulted in significant cracking to the wall outside the downstairs bathroom, on the stairway. When I contacted him, I was instructed to turn the water off for approximately 16 hours until he could attend. This happened during the winter while my children were ill. I followed the instruction, but I was subsequently blamed for the damage to the wall and ceiling and was charged for remedial work. The upstairs bathroom left unusable The upstairs bathroom was also left in a condition where it was not properly usable. The work was incomplete and water from the sink could escape through the structure and cause damage to the ceiling below. The most frustrating part was that I had paid approximately £14,000 for the work, yet I was left with an unusable bathroom despite having paid him in full. I gave him more than two months to return and rectify the outstanding problems. During that time, I repeatedly explained that the bathroom was unusable and pleaded with him to come back and finish the work. Despite knowing the situation I was in, he continued to prioritise taking on and completing other work rather than returning to resolve the problems at my home. I was left in the lurch after having already paid for the work in full, with an unusable bathroom and no clear timeframe for when it would actually be made functional. The situation was not simply inconvenient. Having an unusable bathroom in our home for such a prolonged period placed considerable strain on my family and put significant strain on my married life, on top of the financial pressure and stress I was already dealing with. I had trusted him to complete the work he had been paid to do, and instead I was left repeatedly asking him to return while other jobs were being prioritised. The financial consequences The financial consequences have been substantial. I have now obtained remedial costing of up to approximately £15,000 to rectify the problems. This is on top of the approximately £14,000 already paid for the original work. This is particularly frustrating because a significant part of the remedial cost is not about improving or upgrading the bathrooms. It is about undoing and redoing work that has already been paid for, repairing damage and putting right areas that were left incomplete or, in some cases, in a worse condition than before the work started. The potential financial impact is therefore approaching £29,000 between the original work and the potential remedial costs, before taking into account the considerable disruption, time and additional expenses involved. This has gone far beyond a disagreement about cosmetic finishing. I have been left dealing with leaks, water damage, cracked walls, damaged ceilings, incomplete work, poor tiling, poor finishing, unsuitable installations and damage to adjoining areas of my home. I have photographs, messages, invoices and other documentation relating to the work, the problems and the resulting damage. I am currently pursuing the matter through the appropriate formal channels. Why I am correcting my original review I think it is important to explain why my original MyJobQuote review was positive. The contractor asked me to leave that review while the work was still incomplete. I had lost my job and had to put the project on hold, and there was still outstanding work that I expected him to return and complete. I gave the review in good faith because, at that stage, I believed he would finish the work and I had no reason to expect the extent of the problems that subsequently arose. That original review was therefore not a review of the completed work. The work wasn't completed. I now have the benefit of seeing the eventual outcome and believe prospective customers should know what happened. I initially trusted this contractor because he appeared to be a nice, knowledgeable professional. I relied on his advice because I believed he had the expertise to carry out the work correctly. Unfortunately, that trust has ultimately cost me a significant amount of money. My advice to prospective customers If you are considering using this contractor, I strongly recommend carrying out your own due diligence. Get everything in writing. Do not rely solely on verbal assurances. Independently check important plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and installation work. Carefully inspect the work before making final payment. Most importantly, do not assume that because a contractor is friendly, helpful or appears knowledgeable, the finished work will necessarily meet the standard you expect. For me, what began as a bathroom refurbishment has resulted in extensive remedial work, damage to other parts of my home, substantial additional expense and prolonged disruption to my family. I wish I had known all of this before I hired him. I am therefore leaving this review so that anyone considering using this contractor can make their own informed decision with the full picture of my experience.
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