TradeUpgrade LTD - Leighton Buzzard

Raji R.

After a decent bathroom renovation by this company, I made the grave mistake of hiring Tradeupgrade Ltd. (run by Matt and Lili) for my entire flat renovation (excluding bathrooms). (Note that they have moved to a new business address, based in South Kensington now. Also, trade under the brand name WHBathrooms) What was promised as a 6-8 week project has dragged beyond 4 months and remains incomplete while they're are off on vacation, only responding according to their convenience and at a slow pace, while I'm waiting to know when the remainder of the works will be completed. I should have noticed the red flags during the bathroom work - the constant need to chase for updates and their poor communication - but thought better by offering constructive feedback and giving them another opportunity based on the end result, hoping the main renovation would be better managed based on previous feedback.

The project has been plagued with issues:
* Endless delays and broken promises about completion dates - I was supposed to have my home back by mid-Oct, a few delays with worktop meant it should have completed by mid-Nov, still awaiting completion, non-responsive to emails or whatsapp when urgency needed
* Poor communication, non-responsive & evasive when there have been issues
* Blaming me, the client for issues caused by their negligence and lack of knowledge, e.g. when the guest bedroom flooded because they didn't finish the radiators properly even though I said I needed a livable space (read: essential heating in winter) while works completed
* Poor planning and sequencing of tasks e.g. painting doors before handles being fitted
* Poor workmanship requiring constant supervision, and non-acceptance of substandard quality e.g. my painters said it is high quality, so you need to accept the living room painting work as is now
* Unauthorised changes to designs, especially in the kitchen, approval sought retrospectively
* Retrospective charges for services initially showcased as included, with no mention of requiring a new quote, or pricing to be told they're add-on
* Removal of workers without notice, causing major delays, and random excuses of unrelated tasks as being the reason for delay
* Management rarely on site, leaving me to coordinate everything or follow-up
* No detailed plans shared, no worker assignment and details shared when these were promised during the quotation process
* Little to no guidance or trust in their team, with all decisions, big & small have to be centralised and channeled through Lili & Matt.

The project required extensive involvement from my side during business hours, significantly impacting my professional commitments. Despite paying for full project management services, I found myself having to coordinate workers, follow up on material deliveries, and seek basic project updates - responsibilities that should have been handled by them and their team. The cumulative effect on my professional and personal life has been substantial.

Fair warning: Don't be fooled by any small successful projects with them.

The only positives: are a few individual fitters showed good quality work and thought, initial design consultation was promising with some creative ways to tackle some needs.

Looking back, I should have stopped at the bathroom renovation instead of entrusting them with my entire flat. Now I'm left with an incomplete home while they enjoy their holiday to the New Year. I have given them enough final notices, enough opportunities to rectify issues or at the very least offer a sincere apology for all the hassles, none have been forthcoming.

Would I recommend? Absolutely not. The constant anxiety, frustration, and time wasted are not worth it. If you value your mental health, time and money, look elsewhere.

Beata N.

Really pleased with my new cloakroom! Matt and his team were really professional throughout the work and communicated what was happening at every stage

Jamie

After being referred by CheckATrade, we checked the reviews which all seem positive until you realise that most of the reviews are written by the directors and those linked to the business. Check out companies houses and you'll soon see

The project has over run and not been completed leaving us without a usable bathroom. The finish is awful for a qualified trades person with the shower installed too low, grout lines uneven, fitted furniture and towel rail damaged by Matt and his team. They even sellotaped the bath leg after braking it during installation

They have increase they fees without discussing, invoiced us for items not used just because they purchased in bulk. Check your bill if you have used this company.

We purchased the tiles and got extra to tile the downstairs toilet, the area to be tiled in the bathroom is roughly 8m2 yet Tradeupgrade used almost 12m2. Thats a 50% wastage at our cost

They also damaged the flooring we purchased whilst trying to install it and then blamed it on the flooring being cheap which it was not

Now ignoring all contact from us rather than trying to deal with the issues

Stuart C.

The remodelling of our bathroom. was a superb experience from start to finish. The designers did a fab job and made the bathroom into something that met our style aims and then some. Fitting and finish of everything went great. The room is just great and we will be back next year to talk about the bedroom re-style!

Freddie M.

Used trade upgrade for our recent bathroom renovation. Matt and Lili were brilliant all the way through and we’re absolutely delighted with the end results! We’ll definitely be using them again

sharon T.

From 1980's throw back to 21st century luxury thanks to Matt and Lili at Tradeupgrade a wonderful job

Nina C.

Very professional from start to finish. The installer of our bathroom was amazing so polite and very skilled. Would recommend 100%

elsa P.

So happy with the job they did. Always listened to what I wanted. The bathroom fitting went smoothly. I'd highly recommend to anyone looking for a fitter