Homeowners were duped out of a whopping £260 million last year by dodgy builders doing slapdash work, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

The research, conducted to launch the Master Builder of the Year Awards, shows that 48% of homeowners lose out by paying builders for the total project in cash, in an attempt to avoid paying VAT. More than one in 10 (11%) homeowners were left with badly done building work and of these, 76% paid for the job in cash.

Brian Berry of the FMB said: "Before employing a builder, it is vital to carry out checks to make sure you are using someone reputable, such as an FMB builder. Choosing your builder on price alone can be a false economy. There are plenty of great builders out there and choosing the right one makes the difference between having a dream home or a financial nightmare."

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Architect and Channel 4 presenter George Clarke, who will host the Master Builder of the Year Awards, added: "If you pay a builder large amounts of cash upfront then you leave yourself vulnerable to them increasing the price or walking off the job half-way through and you don’t have any warranty. By using a reputable builder, signing a contract, and organising staged payments with receipts, you will have recourse if it all goes wrong."

If you have used a great builder over the last year, nominate them for the Master Builder of The Year Awards here.

(NE)