There are some jobs around the home that you can – or don’t want to – do yourself; jobs that may require specialist skills. Renovating your home in any way is generally regarded with dread by those who have never done it before, but also, more ominously, by those who have.

Hiring a professional to do the job for you is often easier in one respect, but choosing the right man, or woman, for the job can be tricky, especially if you’re employing someone from a profession or trade that you have little experience of. This can put you at a disadvantage, leaving you reliant on the trader to tell you what needs doing, how long it will take and how much it will cost.

Rogue traders and cowboys can come across as polite, charming and professional. Watch out for the following signs when hiring someone to do work on your home:

• No contract is offered, or the trader won’t sign one that you give to them.
• Quotes are handwritten and don’t give much detail.
• Your trader only provides a mobile number as a point of contact, and offers no other addresses or contact numbers.
• Uninvited calls offering to do work to your home.
• Your trader never gives his/her company name when answering the phone.
• A discount is offered for cash, and money is requested upfront.
• They refuse to give you references or show you previous work they’ve done.

Horror stories are common – whether you hire an unscrupulous estate agent or your builder abandons your job halfway through, leaving you to pick up the pieces.

But, it needn’t be like this. Having a clear idea of what you want or need with smooth the process from the beginning and help you avoid the mistakes and mishaps that plague so many homeowners. Although you can never guarantee a perfect job, you can significantly reduce your chances of hitting disaster by choosing a trader carefully and doing a little bit of homework first. Even in an emergency, don’t be tempted to go for the first or largest ad in the local paper or phone book.

Trust your instructs. If you have any initial doubts, it’s best to look elsewhere.

Hiring Builders and Professionals is published by Which? and costs £9.99. For a copy of the book at a special price of £7.99 (including p&p) please call 01903 828557 and quote HBMKB0310, or visit which.co.uk/books.