Here's a list of the attempts made to improve our home, and why I just shouldn't have bothered.
1. Carpet fitters
Is it too much expect that when carpet tradesmen refer to themselves as 'professional' and able to do 'the complete job' it will include having the sense to remove bits of the previous carpet that the previous occupants managed to stick to the skirting board paint? Apparently not. Our cream carpet is outlined in red fluff.
2. Painter
This girl had a trademark. In every room she left an inch unpainted. Somewhere.
3. Conservatory
Several failed attempts to get East Cheshire Glass to do something. Anything.
This is literally falling apart and it's only a few years old. Had to stop the window cleaners standing on the conservatory roof to do the upstairs windows as it seemed to be causing the west vent to leak; the previous occupants let them go up there, but in view of the fact that they never paid East Cheshire Glass's bill due to a dispute about alleged poor workmanship, said company refuse to honour their guarantee (even though they insisted when I went to see their Finance Mgr that they would do the remedial work in good faith as indicative of their standing & reputation in the local community.) I think that proves something, maybe you can decide what.
4. Chimney
Got a guy to fit bird guards over the chimney; he was neither use nor ornament and accelerated the need for a new roof.
5. Fitted wardrobes
No problem here. They were from MFI 
yes amazing but true - but then they did provide us with an absolutely superb fitter.
The problem was that, in preparation, I decided to give the room a fresh coat of paint - and in removing the lid launched the pot contents all over the carpet. 
Moving on...
>:-( 6. New Roof
Roofers left rubble between the tiles & the felt. Hole was apparent next to chimney & they had to come back to stop water getting in & soaking the timber frame. Since then, water ingress has been occurring down the chimney breast. How did they manage that.
Scaffolders were a B.O.U.T. who did not use H&S compliant equipment or methods. They threw bolts down denting our lawn, and later scraped the scaffolding across our conservatory roof, causing huge tramline scratches as their scaffold unit dragged one of the afore-mentioned bolts with it. Despite being told 3 times not to put their weight on the conservatory roof, they still did and as a result the east vent is now leaking.
7. Loft boarding, new doors & general joinery
The guys were great, but unfortunately this ol' house couldn't take the hammering. Most of the upstairs ceiling plaster is cracked along the length of the beams.
8. Plasterer
This guy did a good job but suddenly (despite having done work for us before with no problems, and knowing we had other work for him) insisted on an instant cash payment just as I was called to rush my son to the eye hospital in an emergency. Not endearing. It's not as if he didn't know where we live!!! 
>:XX 9. Fitted Kitchen (MFI)
Oh don't get me started. Left in a bombsite for months. Missold on function and workmanship. And as for their Customer Satisfaction Policy, well it's about time they had one.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071128115740AAGzy08
http://bbs.scoobynet.com/non-scooby-related-4/453207-mfi-kitchen-problem.html
http://mfi-kitchen.blogspot.com/
10. Cleaners
This was a franchise, so I'd expect better. The first pair were fantastic ladies, but one of them left for better things & subsequent attempts at good replacements fell through. I had an ornament broken & put back surreptitiously so it looked not broken; a carpet burnt (1 inch sq.) where their vacuum cleaner blew up (they hid it with the waste paper bin); and the last pair did stuff-all work and would leave an hour early - I also had a cash card 'disappear' during their stint.
Nothing beats a good gripe. :>
