The Loacally blog
Getting things sorted at home.
Practical, no-nonsense help for your London home. What jobs really cost, which trade you actually need, and how to hire someone you can trust.
How Much Does a Boiler Service Cost in London? (2026 Prices)
A gas boiler service typically costs £90 to £130 in London in 2026, against a UK average of £79. See what a proper service includes, how it differs from a landlord gas safety certificate, whether boiler cover is worth it, and how to judge a fair quote from a Gas Safe registered engineer.
How Much Does It Cost to Fit a Kitchen in London? (2026 Price Guide)
A clear 2026 guide to what it costs to fit a kitchen in London, from fitter day rates and scenario-tiered prices to VAT, the trades involved, building regulations and how to get a fair quote.
How to Spot and Avoid Cowboy Builders in London (2026)
How to spot and avoid cowboy builders in London: the warning signs before you hire, how to check a tradesperson is genuinely registered and insured, what a fair contract and deposit look like, your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and how to report a rogue trader.
How to Get Rid of Damp and Mould in London Homes (2026)
Most London damp is condensation, not rising damp, and cleaning off mould or painting over it will not stop it returning. Learn to tell the three types of damp apart, fix the cause before you decorate, what the work costs in London in 2026, and what your landlord must do.
How Much Does It Cost to Unblock a Drain in London? (2026 Prices)
Unblocking a standard drain in London costs about £100 to £200 in 2026, but a great many London blockages sit in pipework Thames Water owns and clears at no charge. See how to work out whose drain it is, what each type of clearance costs, what a fair quote itemises, and when insurance applies.
Exterior House Painting Cost in London: 2026 Price Guide
Repainting the outside of a three-bedroom semi costs roughly £600 to £4,500 including labour and materials, and London sits at the upper end of that band. See what a fair exterior quote itemises, what your borough charges to licence a scaffold on the pavement, when an Article 4 direction stops you painting at all, and why the wrong paint can cause damp in a solid-walled Victorian house.
Decorator Day Rates in London: What Painters and Decorators Charge in 2026
A sole-trader decorator in London typically charges £220 to £320 a day, labour only, for standard interior work in 2026, with established firms quoting £320 to £450. See what a day rate includes, how long rooms take to decorate, why London costs more, and the checks to make before you hire.
Carpenter Day Rates in London: What You Should Pay in 2026
A carpenter in London typically charges £250 to £350 a day for labour in 2026, with around £300 the working midpoint for an experienced general carpenter. Bespoke joiners charge more. See hourly rates, what common carpentry jobs cost, what a fair quote itemises, and the checks to make before you hire.
How Much Does a Plumber Cost Per Hour in London? (2026)
A plumber in London typically charges £40 to £60 an hour for scheduled weekday work in 2026, or around £350 a day. See what common jobs cost, what a fair quote itemises, when the law requires a Gas Safe registered engineer, and how to compare quotes properly.
How Much Does Roof Repair Cost in London? (2026 Guide)
What a roof repair costs in London in 2026, with dated price ranges for tile, ridge and flat-roof work, what pushes the bill up, and how to get a fair quote from a trusted local roofer.
How Much Does It Cost to Plaster a Room in London? (2026)
A clear 2026 guide to what it costs to plaster a room in London, from plasterer day rates and skimming prices to re-plastering, plasterboard, drying times and how to get a fair quote.
The London Trade Costs Index 2026: What Tradespeople Charge
A fully-sourced index of what London tradespeople charge in 2026, across plumbing, electrical, handyman, decorating and tiling work. London runs roughly 15 to 50 per cent above the national average, and every figure is cited to a public source.