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Bordon Home Improvements - iwik61 (29th Sep 2011 - 15:35:12) I was told the recession has put paid to this company, laid off seven builders. Look out, the south is not bullet proof.

Re: Bordon Home Improvements - Dave (29th Sep 2011 - 17:54:22) This may be in some measure of their own making. About 12 months ago I asked for a quote for some home repairs and was told that they were fully booked and unable to consider any "small jobs".

Re: Bordon Home Improvements - corrina (29th Sep 2011 - 20:04:24) I asked for a quote from them to refit my bathroom. I also asked 2 other local companies. BHI quoted almost £2000, above both other companies. The guy who came to do the quote thought I was daft with money to throw away! Needless to say they didn't get the job.

Re: Bordon Home Improvements - mousie (29th Sep 2011 - 22:27:37) I phoned and phoned and phoned them to get them to come and quote for work in my house They never returned any of my calls so the work went else where!

Re: Bordon Home Improvements - Neil White (30th Sep 2011 - 13:54:37) I think it sad that a local company has gone bust. Especially as they owe me money. I am the owner of White Joinery a new business to Liphook. I opened a workshop oposite Bohunt school 15 months ago and could do without the loss of earnings. If anyone has a job started i would be happy to help sort it out or quote for any new works you may be thinking of having done. please call me on 01428 722881. Neil White.

Re: Bordon Home Improvements - dave the turk (30th Sep 2011 - 20:33:43) talk about kick a man when he is down, you should be ashamed of yourselves, go and tell the man (ie tony) to his face.

Re: Bordon Home Improvements - chris (30th Sep 2011 - 22:20:55) I'm sure the guys that worked for him who lost their jobs without any notice would agree with you. By the sounds of it you reap what you sow.

Re: Bordon Home Improvements - anne (1st Oct 2011 - 11:58:48) BHI recently carried out extensive refurbishment works to our house in Liphook and proved to be competent and professional on the whole. We did have a few problems but Adam always managed to sort things out. I am very sorry to hear they have not survived and hope they all find alternative work soon.

Re: Bordon Home Improvements - Jock Trodden (1st Oct 2011 - 19:34:30) Farewell to BHI. Bordon Home Improvements founder and Managing Director, Tony Brown is a good and honest builder for whom I carried out tens of thousands of pounds worth of engineering work. I was always paid a fair price and promptly. Many of the new breed of building firms are employing eastern European craftsmen and paying them labourers rates for long hard days with no paid holidays or other statutory entitlements and getting away with it. Other builders I know in this area have had to drop their daily working rates to less than they were earning 10 years ago as a result. It’s getting very hard for all builders and civil engineers to make an honest living, pay proper wages- on the cards at decent rates. We local limited company businesses pay rent, taxes and bona fide business expenses into a system when most people, in my experience, want a professional job done for “labourer’s rates”. I am truly sorry to see any business fail and good, honest, hardworking staff, some of whom had worked with Tony for many years, left jobless at the beginning of a recession. I would like to use this thread to wish him, his staff and families all the very best of luck in their future lives. There is at least one ex senior B&LP Councillor who lives in Liphook and work as a “builder” (self proclaimed) who wouldn’t know what a tax return looks like and who appears to be surviving the carnage of the current building vacuum quite nicely thank you. Who can price against that? Jock Trodden Managing Director JTS Civil Engineers Ltd

Re: Bordon Home Improvements - helen (2nd Oct 2011 - 00:20:47) I too am sorry for hardship of any kind, but I always thought was it was wise to take a shop as a builder, with the added expense of rent and rates etc? The resession has been around since 2008 and life has been tough for many people since then. I agree with the point of european labour but building is not the only sort of work that it affects, as the influx of workers has made many employers go for that option without thinking what effect it has on the indigenous population. Now is crunch time when young people are leaving university with no proper jobs to go to, this is partly due to influx of european worker who are cheaper to employ. Also, now when casual agency staff incur the same rights as permanant staff this will stifle recruitment of all kinds, from sheer expense.

Re: Bordon Home Improvements - Tony Brown (13th Nov 2011 - 10:19:05) Hi Guys, Thanks for all the criticism and support in equal measure. The business was closed at 4.pm on Friday 23 September 2011 with a heavy heart and after 34 years of trading with a simple name upgrade to BHI in 2004, so for those that rang and rang after that date my apologies that we did not respond but were in no position to do so. I am truly sorry that the business failed for all sorts of reasons; first of all, sorry for the men and apprentices that worked for BHI (home Improvements) Ltd, sorry for the ladies who were on part time and had their own commitments to look after and especially all the suppliers who through no fault their own were not paid. The business had a massive injection of capital in 2009 and all this did was put off the day that the business had to close. Our own personal loss was far greater however we will take this to one side to deal with this ourselves. The overheads running a small to medium business is very high especially when you are bringing on apprentices and improvers and ours were in the region of £ 11,000.00 per week BEFORE you opened the front door, so please be aware that when a quote is asked for and received in the post please consider the expense that it has occurred before you turn it down in favour of a cash job or a non vat payment. So I did not take the closing of the business lightly as the aftermath for myself and family is still ricocheting long after you have all moved on. The men have moved on and Adam has now started with A.W.A Builders Ltd and is employing the men on a self employed basis and I wish him every good fortune, he was bought in to run BHI at the tender age of 17 and has had a seriously good education in building management and construction skills; hopefully his overheads will not get to the giddy heights that I was at. BHI Solar Ltd has been my other business since 2009 and this is now slowly flourishing; our investment in this business was to compliment BHI (Home improvements) Ltd with Adam being MD and myself running the Solar business, sadly this was not to be, however BHI Solar Ltd still requires support in the local area and yes we still do FREE quotes; those that feel an investment in their future and the future of the planet consider BHI Solar Ltd as your local supplier. Soon the festive season will be upon us and I will take this opportunity to wish all good health and best wishes for 2012; knowing that the cup will always be half full so whatever the year brings look on the positive side; we will do. TB

Re: Bordon Home Improvements - Brian (14th Nov 2011 - 09:09:36) I join the frustration that BHI have suffered. Having moved to the area just over 4 years ago I find it amazing that the village of Liphook keeps on about shopping locally yet villagers and even the businesses would rather go out of the village to do business sometimes to save themselves a few pound (the worst thing is some of these businesses are involved in this 'business Initiative' thing. In the town I am from nearly everyone shops locally and the town is still, even in these hard times, doing very well. Liphook is a lovely area to live in but If we dont start supporting the local businesses Liphook will become a very sad place with empty run down buildings. Some businesses, I believe, have been here helping the community for a long time but will be no more if things dont change. I would just like to wish Mr Brown all the best for the future.

Re: Bordon Home Improvements - helen (14th Nov 2011 - 10:19:40) we are in a downturn, which is not going to ease any time soon, you cannot blame people for trying to save money! I think that if a shop is offering good value and good service it will survive wherever it is. I personally think we need more parking to attract shoppers and also some good quality shops but that may be pie in the sky!

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