..other trades people?

Yup. In fact I have a whole gang of people I rely on for things that I’m not able to do. All these people are self-employed in their own right, so they’re not my “employees” as such, but if I’m working on a project that requires different expertise, then these people are my first port of call:

For all boilers and gas-related work, I use David Sampson. He really helped me out when my own boiler died, and is very good and knowledgeable. He’ll happily talk through all your options and give a good list of pros and cons of all those options open to you, as well as fixing, moving and installing boilers. Give him a call. Tell him I sent you. He’s on 07768-942632

Electrics. I know a great fully qualified electrician called Steve Andersen. He’s very thorough, and very busy, because he’s so good. He’ll test everything, make it all safe if it’s not, and really knows his stuff. An all round good man. 07956-498871

Plastering/Light Building & Carpentry/Painting & Decorating. For everything else, there’s Mike Teasdale. I’ve worked on many projects, including whole-house renovations with Mike. He’s a good bod, meticulous in his work, and is very level headed (but with a wicked sense of humour). He knows I detest plastering, so I let him do it, and he takes the credit for it (and the money!). His number is 07949-166520.