The survey of 2,000 homeowners carried out by Checkatrade found that 30% have been left disappointed when hiring tradespeople to work on their homes, with their biggest bugbears including the mess left behind (24%), and the job taking much longer to complete than expected (20%).

And those who have fallen foul of such a scam have ended up forking out an average of £1,150 for unsatisfactory work such as plumbing (24%), painting and decorating (19%), and bathroom installations (17%).

A whopping 62% were most unhappy about the poor-quality results and 17% said they were overcharged for a job, but the research found that despite the warning signs, almost a quarter (23%) admit they are still likely to run the risk of opting for the cheapest tradesperson. This has left 33% of those who have done so regretting their decision.

Checkatrade's survey found Newcastle followed by London are top cities where homeowners are scammed by rogue tradespeople. Sheffield, Liverpool, and Bristol complete the top five.

Kim Faura, chief product officer at Checkatrade, said: “Recently, we’ve been hearing from our Checkatrade trades that they are being asked to rectify problems created by rogue and unqualified trades. With one in five homeowners intending to do home improvement work, they must do their research before hiring a trade.”

The study also found almost two-thirds (65%) have been left at least slightly disappointed by work carried out in their homes or gardens – even if they wouldn’t necessarily describe the worker as a rogue tradesperson.

More than one in six (17%) have been left disappointed by work done outside, either gardening or fencing.