Waikato homeowners ahead of national curve

Waikato homeowners are ahead of the national curve when it comes to adopting online trades services.

In the last 12 months service website Builderscrack.co.nz has seen a 20 per cent increase in the number of Waikato homeowners turning to its online pool of tradespeople to complete home renovation and repair jobs.

That beats the national average which has seen a 13 per cent jump in jobs posted.

"Some of that growth is a reflection on the upturn in residential building, but it's also consumer confidence in being able to find a reliable, qualified tradesperson online,'' said Builderscrack.co.nz director Keith Roberts.

Homeowners can post jobs, from deck builds to replacing window seals, free of charge on the site.

Tradespeople can then view the post and provide the homeowner with a quote for the job.

The site also reports that 80 per cent of jobs posted receive a response from two or more tradespeople within an hour.  

The homeowners can then view the quotes, read reviews on the individual tradies and hire the one that suits with a small fee of the negotiated price going to Builderscrack. 

More than 500 tradespeople from the Waikato in various trades from bricklaying to painting are registered with the site which authenticate any registrations or licenses the tradies have for customers to view.

- © Fairfax NZ News