Everything you thought you knew about builders is wrong | #ModernBuilder

Ask someone what a tradesperson is like and you’re likely to get some pretty negative stereotypes...

Builders are often portrayed as workshy cowboys with backward attitudes. On the rare occasion they turn up on time, they are expected to kick-start their day with a fry-up followed by several cups of tea. Then it's off to the pub to watch football.

MyBuilder, an online marketplace to find great tradespeople, polled their users to find out whether these assumptions were correct. The results were surprising. Not only is the public perception way off, we learnt some things about builders that nobody could have predicted!

Far from being lazy, 95% of our tradespeople are up before 7am. Contrary to everything we’ve ever known, just 6% of tradespeople polled have a fry-up for breakfast, with nearly a third opting for nothing at all. Most builders like to look their best before leaving the house; 32% gel their hair, 24% apply aftershave and 1 in 5 moisturise!

At work, it seems that not even builders are immune from the growing trend in coffee over recent years. While tea is still drunk by half of tradespeople, 49% enjoy water while 44% love a cup of coffee on the job. With healthy drinks in fashion, smoking is out with three quarters of tradespeople being non-smokers. Sexism is a serious issue, so we were reassured to hear that attitudes are changing in the trade. It was great to learn that 69% of builders have never catcalled.

When work is finished, most tradespeople forgo the pub and enjoy a night in with the TV (37%) or some family time (32%) instead. Builders are even enthusiastic about helping out around the house, with hooving (38%) and washing up (29%) being among their favoured chores. Once everything is spick and span, over a third (35%) love to settle down with a good book.

Rather than sporting paint-splattered tracksuits, personal hygiene is a big part of any builder’s routine. 98% ritually wash at least once a day, with 64% keeping themselves in top shape with two showers a day. Amazingly, 55% enjoy a good bubble bath at the end of their slog! Of course, a clean builder is nothing without a clean van. 45% wash their van weekly, while a dedicated 3% wash it every day!

Forget thinking about tradespeople as hardmen. We were heartened to learn that two thirds of tradespeople have cried at a film, proving that they can be big softies at heart. While not blubbering at the TV, or having a bubble bath, over half of tradespeople confessed they love a good dance!

With these insights, it’s time to start reassessing what we think of tradespeople. No longer should they be seen as tea-slurping layabouts. Instead, homeowners can look forward to presentable, emotionally sensitive builders.

Let’s also start ditching the stereotype of the “cowboy builder”. With over 220,000 positive reviews on MyBuilder, there are thousands of quality tradespeople who deserve commendation for their hard work and craftsmanship across the UK.

Key stats

Of the tradesperson polled:

• 95% are early risers, waking up before 7am
• 82% work weekends
• 69% have never wolf-whistled at a member of the opposite sex
• 75% are non-smokers
• Only 8% go to the pub after work, 79% prefer a night in at home with the family or TV

About MyBuilder

MyBuilder is an online marketplace that brings homeowners and tradespeople together, offering an open and transparent platform that promotes and supports high‐quality work. Working on a principle of accountability through feedback, tradespeople are rated on their workmanship by those who hire them, making it easier to find high quality builders and for builders to find good quality jobs.

40,000 jobs posted a month Over 20,000 tradespeople covering the UK

www.mybuilder.com

For press enquiries please contact Ben Bailey. ben@mybuilder.com

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