Whether you’ve just bought the house of your dreams solo or are embarking on a renovation adventure with a partner, finding the right people to help is vital, especially as a queer person. You might need an expert kitchen fitter, but it’s about more than that – you also want to feel safe, respected, and seen in your own home.
Getting started on renovations
You might already be living in your own fixer-upper – if so, then you’re good to get stuck in! Or are you in the market for something to develop? Plenty of people are buying and selling their dream renovations nowadays through cash buyer services. This tends to be more conducive than operating on a timescale that suits you, but it could come in handy once you’re complete if you’re looking to flip. Today, property owners can fetch large sums in cash for houses. That could help you maintain the cashflow to buy your next property and keep renovating.
Why it matters to find the right tradespeople
Unfortunately, there is a real mix when it comes to tradespeople, both in terms of their skill level and inclusivity, so it really matters who you choose to work with:
- Emotional safety in your own space – your home is your sanctuary and here, more than anywhere, you should feel free from any judgment or discomfort.
- Power dynamics – having a stranger in your own space could potentially put them in a position of power, especially in more intimate spaces like bedrooms and bathrooms, so it’s vital that you don’t ever feel like this power dynamic is skewed.
- Supporting inclusive businesses – putting your cash into LGBTQ+ friendly or queer-owned businesses is a really powerful way of supporting your community.
If you’re not entirely sure what you should be looking for when you first approach a tradesperson, we’ve got a few suggestions below of what we think are definite green flags – seemingly small things, but good indicators of of a tradesperson who is going to be inclusive and make you feel comfortable.
Green flags might also be things like:
- Using their pronouns as a matter of course in things like email signatures or on their website
- Using inclusive language e.g. using ‘partner’ instead of ‘husband/wife’
- Queer-positive reviews and affiliations, or recommendations from friends
Where to look for inclusive tradespeople
One of the simplest ways to find good people is to ask for recommendations from within your own queer community. This could be asking your own friends, or asking for help more widely on community Facebook groups or other social networks.
Unfortunately, you’ll probably find that most tradespeople don’t actively advertise being queer-friendly – not because they aren’t, but because it hasn’t occurred to them that this would be something someone was specifically looking for. Using listings sites that showcase reviews can help you find out more about people and can be a starting point for a conversation.
Don’t forget, if you have good experience, be sure to leave a specific review as this could help other queer women when they come to look for inclusive tradespeople.