I’ve always had a passion for tinkering with home improvement. At 14, I installed a new light in my grandma’s house, and at 15, I decided to replace my parents’ toilet without any prior knowledge. I also took woodworking at G.C.S.E. level, with a final project of a garden bench that lasted for years until my father happily sent me photos of it being destroyed with a hammer!
About Ben
Where it started…
It wasn’t until I bought my first house that I really started to get going. It was an old stone house but internally covered in plasterboard, and I had this inkling that there would be something interesting behind the chimney breast wall. Just one small hammer hole was all it needed to see the potential, and then all hell broke loose. Plasterboard was chiselled off the wall, revealing a beautiful Yorkshire stone wall. Add in some down lights, and it made a wonderful feature wall.
My next project on the house was the bathroom. It was a cold room, and I had this plan to make it into a hotel-style bathroom with a large walk-in shower. MANY evenings and weekends later, I’d managed to build stud walls, plumb everything, tile, and even plaster walls (something I don’t offer, sorry). I even installed electric underfloor heating and a heated towel radiator, and it was now warm!
My Experience…
In between improving my own house room by room, I had started working with a friend as a painter and decorator. This was very different from the office jobs I’d had! Over time, I gained important knowledge, not only in painting and decorating, but in other trades too. While painting new build houses in Slaithwaite, I got to see how other trades worked, and I realised that my passion wasn’t just painting and decorating. I loved watching the joiners installing window boards, door casings, and kitchens, and I watched the process a tiler would take to tile a bathroom. I realised that I could do all of this stuff, so why did I need to restrict myself to just painting?
The Haboo Story…
Haboo began in 2019. I remember taking on every job that came my way. I’d install a new bathroom one week and then build a pergola the next. Before each job, I’d spend days researching everything required and I’d consider every possible eventuality, all to ensure the best possible outcome. Even though I’ve been doing this for a while, I still get a bit nervous before starting most jobs (2025), no matter how small. It’s silly, I know, but I just want to do a great job!
Sometimes, I struggle to describe my role. Painter and decorator, joiner, handyman? I do much more than a handyman (in my opinion), but if you need a shelf put up as part of a project, I’ll happily do it! However, I’m not just one trade. I visit a customer (new or old), discuss ideas, and the result may require multiple trades. But with just one person completing the project, the quality remains high, and it’s much more efficient. Sometimes, I’ll start with some electrics in the morning, then joinery at lunch, and finish with decorating in the afternoon. It’s a great option for customers. No more searching for tradesmen you can’t trust!
Ben Greaves
