Domestic refurbishment is an imprecise science. Delays in delivery, budgets that double and builders that go bankrupt on the job are common horror stories, while names of good contractors are squirreled away, not even shared between best friends. Here, however, are some of the best.

SCREWDRIVER What a fantastic idea Jack Bock had back in 1995 when he discovered that no one who bought flat-packed furniture could actually put it together (and buying Ikea is the new among the rich rich, who can't can't ever figure it out). He hired retired engineers (now over 120 of them), and sends people around Britain to do what most men think they can, but clearly can't. Peter Jones recommends him to all its clients and, while on site, most operatives are happy to hang a door or screw in alight bulb.