Homeowners head online to find tradies

More Aucklanders homeowners are going online to find reliable handymen, electricians, and plumbers, said Builderscrack.co.nz. Photo / Richard Robinson

A website linking homeowners with tradespeople says it is seeing an increasing number of Auckland homeowners going online to post building and renovation jobs.

Builderscrack.co.nz said its jobs listings for the Auckland area had gone up 16.6 per cent in the past year, to 1,363 in the June quarter 2012.

Director Keith Roberts said that growth was partly a result of the upturn in residential building.

"But it's also consumer confidence in being able to find an available, reliable tradesperson online whose accreditations have been verified and who has been rated by previous customers."

Homeowners looking for builders, plumbers, handymen or any other tradesperson in New Zealand could post their job on the site.

After viewing the job, tradespeople could provide a quote online or in person.

Customers were able to make evaluations based on previous feedback for workers, and in turn rate and review the tradesperson themselves when their own job was completed.

Eddie Burrow said he used the site after failing in his efforts to get a light installed, with the first two electricians simply not turning up.

"I thought 'stuff it', I'm sure people actually want to do this job. I got about seven responses to my post within a day or two."

Being able to decide on an electrician based on previous customers' feedback was definitely attractive, he said.

"I chose the person based on their prior feedback, which is the benefit of Builderscrack.

"Once I'd given him the OK he turned up on time, finished on time and exactly as quoted."

Roberts said builderscrack.co.nz had more than 2500 tradespeople registered in Auckland and 80 per cent of jobs posted by homeowners received a response from two or more tradespeople within an hour.