Sarah Beeny's Price the Job

Fed up with pricey plumbers, elusive electricians and bodgey builders? Have you got a building, plumbing, electrical job to sort out and aren't sure how much it could, should, would cost if the perfect builder, plumber or electrician could be found to help you sort it out?

Property developer, building expert and television presenter Sarah Beeny is here to help with "Price the Job" - covering a break down of what is involved and the price to expect (materials, parts and labour) home maintenance and any building task imaginable - so that you need never feel that sense of panic, insecurity and desperation when faced with a quote again.

Part one examines the job needed and how to find the right contractors for the job, how to estimate the time the job will take and how to calculate and assess quotes. Sarah explains her top five steps on how to get the job done: working out what you want done, breaking down the job and what each part entails, working out what you can do yourself, sourcing the materials and sourcing the labour. Also included is a section on emergency repairs with advice on how to deal with a crisis, involving a broken boiler or smashed windows.

Part two details exactly how much you should be paying for work done. Every job is covered, from the simplest rewiring or emergency repair to large-scale building jobs, inside and out. Each section of the house is looked at, the kitchen, bathroom, plus ceilings, walls, doors and floors. Costings on outside jobs is also included on roofs and landscape gardens. All the ins and outs of various trades are covered, from plumbers to joiners, to architects and pest control.