Your Deposit, Your Project, Your Protection

Understanding Your Situation Before You Pay

If you’ve been following the local news or chatting with neighbours lately, you’ll know there’s a lot of worry about home improvement deposits right now. When a company stops trading, customers can lose their deposits and be left with unfinished work. Without suitable protection, recovering that money can be difficult, and some homeowners end up paying again to get the job finished. It’s completely understandable that people feel nervous.

That’s why it’s worth asking more than how much your deposit is. Ask who protects it, how much is covered and how long that protection lasts. At T&K Home Improvements, we want you to understand exactly how your payments and protection work before you commit.

A company built to last

T&K Home Improvements has been trading since 1979, looking after homes across Northamptonshire and surrounding areas for more than 45 years. In that time, we’ve completed countless projects, from single window and door replacements to full house renovations.

We’re a family-run, local business, and our reputation is everything to us. Much of our work comes from repeat customers and personal recommendations, and that only happens when people trust you. We’ve weathered economic ups and downs before by running the business carefully and never overstretching.

How we protect your deposit

Words are easy, so here’s exactly what we do and what protection applies.

• Fair deposits. We only ask for a modest deposit upfront, typically to cover materials ordered specifically for your job. We never ask for the full cost before work begins.
• Staged payments. On larger projects, you pay in stages as work is completed, so you’re never paying far ahead of what’s been done.
• Clear written contracts. Before you pay anything, you’ll receive a written quote and agreement setting out the work, the price and the payment schedule.
• DGCOS deposit protection. Eligible, registered installations receive deposit and stage-payment cover of up to 25% of the contract value, capped at £5,000, for 120 days from signing. Policy terms and exclusions apply.
• Insurance-backed guarantees. Separate protection applies to eligible guarantee obligations after completion if the installer ceases trading, subject to policy terms.
• Credit card protection. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act may apply when you pay directly by credit card and the cash price of the goods or services is more than £100 and no more than £30,000, even if you only pay the deposit by card.
• Accredited and accountable. We’re certified by Assure, which means our work and business practices are independently checked.

Your policy documents confirm the protection that applies to your order.

Protecting yourself, whoever you hire

We believe every homeowner deserves peace of mind, so here’s our honest advice for choosing any tradesperson or company:

• Be wary of anyone asking for a large deposit, especially 50% or more, before work starts.
• Always get the quote, payment schedule and terms in writing.
• Ask whether your deposit is protected, by whom, and for how long, and ask for written evidence. A company’s promise alone is no substitute for knowing what cover is in place.
• Pay by credit card where you can, rather than cash or bank transfer.
• Check reviews, accreditations and how long the company has been trading. Companies House is free to search.
• Ask to see examples of previous work or speak to past customers.

If a company is reluctant to answer any of these questions, that’s worth paying attention to.

Ask us anything

We’d much rather you ask questions than worry. If you’d like to understand your payment terms and protection, see our accreditation details, or talk through a payment plan before committing, just get in touch. There’s no pressure and no obligation.

Call us on 01933 677444, email [email protected], or reach out to us right here on our website.