About Us - brave-networth

Our Story

brave-networth began in 2018 after our founder, a property investor from Leeds, encountered repeated difficulties finding reliable contractors for maintenance work. What started as a personal spreadsheet comparing local plumbers and electricians evolved into a comprehensive research project.

By 2019, we'd documented over 300 service providers across Yorkshire. Friends and fellow landlords began requesting access to our data. We realised there was a genuine need for independent, detailed information about household service providers that went beyond simple star ratings and anonymous reviews.

Today, we maintain one of the most extensive databases of verified household service providers in the UK. Our team has grown from one person with a spreadsheet to a dedicated research group covering 150 towns and cities across England, Scotland, and Wales.

Our Mission

We exist to reduce the information asymmetry between homeowners and service providers. Finding someone to work on your home shouldn't feel like a risk every single time.

Transparency First

Every aspect of our review methodology is documented and publicly available. We explain not just what we think, but how we reached that conclusion and what evidence supports it.

Complete Independence

We've never accepted advertising from service providers, and we never will. Our reviews cannot be influenced by commercial relationships because those relationships don't exist.

Useful Depth

A five-star rating tells you almost nothing. We provide context about pricing structures, qualification verification, insurance coverage, communication standards, and typical response times.

Continuous Improvement

Service quality changes. Companies improve or deteriorate. We revisit every review regularly and update our assessments based on current information rather than historical reputation.

Our Approach

Verification Standards

Before a service provider appears in our database, we verify their business registration, insurance coverage, and relevant industry qualifications. For regulated trades like gas fitting and electrical work, we check registrations with Gas Safe Register and relevant competent person schemes.

We contact providers directly to confirm they're actively taking new customers and that their advertised service area is accurate. Surprisingly, about 15% of businesses we investigate have outdated information on their own websites.

Assessment Criteria

Our reviews evaluate providers across multiple dimensions: pricing transparency, qualification verification, insurance adequacy, response time consistency, communication clarity, complaint handling procedures, and service area accuracy.

Different service categories have specific additional criteria. For example, cleaning services are assessed on product transparency and staff vetting procedures, while garden maintenance providers are evaluated on waste disposal policies and seasonal pricing variations.

Update Schedule

Complete reviews are refreshed every six months. Insurance and qualification status is checked quarterly. We monitor trading standards notifications and Companies House records for significant changes that might affect our assessments.

When we identify material changes to a provider's service quality, business structure, or operational standards, reviews are updated immediately rather than waiting for the scheduled refresh cycle.

Research Team

Our assessment team combines expertise in consumer research, building trades, and property management.

Research Director

Oversees methodology development and quality standards. Background in consumer rights advocacy and qualification verification systems for building trades.

Regional Coordinators

Four specialists covering different UK regions, each with detailed knowledge of local market conditions, regulatory variations, and pricing norms in their areas.

Technical Assessors

Former tradespeople who evaluate technical claims and verify that service descriptions match actual capabilities and qualifications.

Data Analysts

Maintain our databases, track pricing trends, monitor company changes, and ensure information accuracy across all reviews.

Core Values

Independence Above All

We've structured our business specifically to avoid conflicts of interest. Our revenue comes from licensing our research data to industry analysts and market researchers, not from the service providers we review. This means we can be brutally honest without worrying about losing advertising revenue.

We've turned down lucrative partnership offers from comparison sites and lead generation platforms because those relationships would compromise our objectivity.

Evidence-Based Assessment

Every claim in our reviews can be traced back to a specific piece of evidence: a certificate we've verified, a document we've examined, or a test we've conducted. We don't rely on gut feelings or subjective impressions.

When we're unsure about something, we say so explicitly. Uncertainty is valuable information, not something to hide.

Plain Language

The trades have accumulated decades of jargon and technical terminology. We translate that into language anyone can understand without oversimplifying to the point of losing important nuance.

If a qualification matters, we explain why it matters and what it tells you about a provider's capabilities.

Practical Focus

We prioritise information that helps you make better decisions. A provider's founding date is less relevant than their current insurance coverage. Their mission statement matters less than their typical response time.

Our reviews are structured around the questions people actually ask when choosing a service provider: Can they do the work? What will it cost? Are they properly qualified? Will they show up when promised?

Key Milestones

2018

Foundation

Started as a personal research project documenting service providers across Yorkshire. Initial database covered 80 plumbers, electricians, and cleaning companies in Leeds and surrounding areas.

2020

National Expansion

Extended coverage to major cities across England. Developed standardised assessment methodology that could be applied consistently across different regions and service categories.

2022

Scotland and Wales

Began systematic coverage of Scottish and Welsh markets. Adapted assessment criteria to account for different regulatory frameworks and qualification systems.

2024

Comprehensive Database

Reached 2,000 verified service providers across 12 categories. Implemented quarterly update cycles for all reviews. Launched detailed pricing comparison tools.

2026

Today

Now covering over 2,400 service providers across 150 UK locations. Recognised as a trusted independent source for household service information. Continue to refuse advertising partnerships to maintain editorial independence.

How We Stay Independent

Maintaining genuine independence requires conscious decisions about how we operate and how we generate revenue.

Revenue Model

We generate income through data licensing arrangements with market research firms, industry analysts, and academic institutions studying the household services sector. This revenue has no connection to which companies we review or how we assess them.

No Affiliate Links

We don't use affiliate tracking or earn commissions when visitors contact service providers. Our reviews don't include buttons like "Get a Quote" or "Book Now" that might create financial incentives to favour particular companies.

No Advertising

Service providers cannot advertise on our site or purchase prominent placement. Every company in our database receives the same neutral treatment regardless of their marketing budget.

Public Methodology

Our complete assessment methodology is publicly documented. Anyone can examine our criteria and understand exactly how we evaluate service providers. This transparency makes it harder for us to apply inconsistent standards.

Explore Our Service Reviews

Access detailed comparisons and verified information across all major household service categories

View All Services

About brave-networth