After all that, it's worth mentioning some of the firms in Hobro I'd recommend.
Valsgaard El.
Knew what they were doing and had some good recommendations of rewiring to place the meter better.
Holger's Gulvservice
This guy has a good work ethic and a lot of skill in his profession. Our oak parquet floors now look superb.
MP Byg
Restored the steps and terrace around the house. If in doubt, you can always view the house, Montana, if you're walking past!
Rørbæk Oliefyr
This was the only guy with any good advice on how to replumb an oil central heating system. The rest seemed too scared to come up with anything.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Building Work : The Bad and the Ugly Part 2
The next worst was Ole Grønlund, also the most expensive.
Quite simply, even though we agreed with Bent Madsen that the windows of Montana should be replaced if the costs rose too high, he ignored us and then presented us with a bill for window repairs of 170,000 kroner than originally agreed. The guy then left the company without telling us, leaving the restoration of the house incomplete. When we phoned Ole Grønlund, he told us, quite simply, that he wasn't interested in coming back.
The interior windows still await repainting to this day, and the balcony and terrace still stand incomplete.
An expensive mistake. next time it'll be Poles, not expensive Danish planks.
Quite simply, even though we agreed with Bent Madsen that the windows of Montana should be replaced if the costs rose too high, he ignored us and then presented us with a bill for window repairs of 170,000 kroner than originally agreed. The guy then left the company without telling us, leaving the restoration of the house incomplete. When we phoned Ole Grønlund, he told us, quite simply, that he wasn't interested in coming back.
The interior windows still await repainting to this day, and the balcony and terrace still stand incomplete.
An expensive mistake. next time it'll be Poles, not expensive Danish planks.
Building Work : the Bad and the Ugly
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Getting Building Work Done in Denmark
Denmark is one of the most expensive countries in the world to get building work done. Standard daily rates right now are approximately 350 kroner per hour, plus 25% MOMs / VAT.
To be fair, the builders themselves do not see much of it. Of a notional 500 kroner per hour, 100 krone comprises sales tax, so that leaves 400 kroner. Of this, the builder must pay his business expenses, business taxes (25%), then personal taxes on top (at least another 15%). Therefore, out 500 kroner, he probably ends up with about 160 kroner in his pocket.
It's no surprise therefore that "sort arbejde", or black labour / cash in hand work, is so common in Denmark. Furthermore, due the excessive welfare state, many people who would work as labourers, etc., in other countries, find it easier to take the welfare payments and sit on benches in the town drinking beer, rather than bother getting their hands dirty with an honest days graft.
as a foreigner , of course, you are not so likely to have the family or social contacts to employ cash in hand workers, so us foreigners end up footing the bill twice over.
Bear this in mind, if your dream house (eg. The Villa Montana, Hobro) comes up for sale and you need to get a lot of work done.
Next time, I'll give you some personal experiences of Danish Building contractor quality.
To be fair, the builders themselves do not see much of it. Of a notional 500 kroner per hour, 100 krone comprises sales tax, so that leaves 400 kroner. Of this, the builder must pay his business expenses, business taxes (25%), then personal taxes on top (at least another 15%). Therefore, out 500 kroner, he probably ends up with about 160 kroner in his pocket.
It's no surprise therefore that "sort arbejde", or black labour / cash in hand work, is so common in Denmark. Furthermore, due the excessive welfare state, many people who would work as labourers, etc., in other countries, find it easier to take the welfare payments and sit on benches in the town drinking beer, rather than bother getting their hands dirty with an honest days graft.
as a foreigner , of course, you are not so likely to have the family or social contacts to employ cash in hand workers, so us foreigners end up footing the bill twice over.
Bear this in mind, if your dream house (eg. The Villa Montana, Hobro) comes up for sale and you need to get a lot of work done.
Next time, I'll give you some personal experiences of Danish Building contractor quality.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Denmark's Shortage of Skilled Workers
Surprise, surprise, as mentioned in ITContractor Denmark by me well over a year ago, Denmark is suffering a shortage of skilled workers. Can't imagine why, given my own well-documented experiences of trying to make a go of working in socialist hell.
Fair enough, I applaud these companies like www.lifein.dk for offering to help expats fit in, but don't forget to read up www.itcontractor.dk, where it's an expat who's gone through it dishing out the advice, rather than Danes indoctrinated into the dubious benefits of the welfare state from birth.
www.workindenmark.dk is still one of the most comedic sites I've ever read, although the joke is one you, as you only understand the irony once you've lost all your money living here.
Fair enough, I applaud these companies like www.lifein.dk for offering to help expats fit in, but don't forget to read up www.itcontractor.dk, where it's an expat who's gone through it dishing out the advice, rather than Danes indoctrinated into the dubious benefits of the welfare state from birth.
www.workindenmark.dk is still one of the most comedic sites I've ever read, although the joke is one you, as you only understand the irony once you've lost all your money living here.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Print on Demand Publishing subsidiary
One good thing about being in Denmark was the opportunity to spend those cold winter nights reading books..And then, I even started writing my own. This all culminated in the creation of a publishing offshoot, which can be seen at http://www.adpublishing.eu/ and http://www.podpublisher.co.uk/.
So it wasn't all bad. At current rate of return, I'll make back what http://www.connect.dk/ stole from me by the year 2200.
So it wasn't all bad. At current rate of return, I'll make back what http://www.connect.dk/ stole from me by the year 2200.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
IT Contractor Directory
I found this website useful for identifying some of the latest offerings relevant to the world of IT Contractors : ITContractor.Org
And before you say anything, yes, it is only a drop page with google Ads, but there were a good mix of advertisers. Consulting firms, job sites looking for candidates to register, Companies offering IR35 protection insurance, P&I (Protection and Indemnity) or tax investigation insurance. All very relevant factors for the modern IT Consultant.
And before you say anything, yes, it is only a drop page with google Ads, but there were a good mix of advertisers. Consulting firms, job sites looking for candidates to register, Companies offering IR35 protection insurance, P&I (Protection and Indemnity) or tax investigation insurance. All very relevant factors for the modern IT Consultant.
Another "Northern Rock" exits Denmark
From the same part of the world as myself, I was very interested to see one of my recommended financial institutions exiting Denmark, scarcely a year after starting up the venture.
At the time, the offered probably the best savings interest rate in the country, and stirred up a lot of sleeping Danish banks into finally offering something half-decent for their own customers, since Denmark has never struck me as the most financially competitive banking nation.
Well, since then Northern Rock have had their own well-documented problems in the UK, which I covered on the Do it YourSelf ISA blog. Funny thing was, despite everyone racing to withdraw your savings, everyone's savings were protected up to £30k, and the way these banks lend to each other means hardly anyone can tell which are safe and which aren't.
Now the UK government has decided to streamline the Rock operations and I guess a Scandinavian branch was not part of the plan. Check out Eik Bank, the new owners of skandiaBank, an institution I also recommend, instead, as they are offering to match Northern Rock's deal.
At the time, the offered probably the best savings interest rate in the country, and stirred up a lot of sleeping Danish banks into finally offering something half-decent for their own customers, since Denmark has never struck me as the most financially competitive banking nation.
Well, since then Northern Rock have had their own well-documented problems in the UK, which I covered on the Do it YourSelf ISA blog. Funny thing was, despite everyone racing to withdraw your savings, everyone's savings were protected up to £30k, and the way these banks lend to each other means hardly anyone can tell which are safe and which aren't.
Now the UK government has decided to streamline the Rock operations and I guess a Scandinavian branch was not part of the plan. Check out Eik Bank, the new owners of skandiaBank, an institution I also recommend, instead, as they are offering to match Northern Rock's deal.
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