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The achilles heal in any building project is the paperwork - make sure that everything is down in writing down to the finest detail and you can't go too far wrong.

To this end the FMB has produced a series of contracts, which are written in layman's English and are completely free for the trade and public to download. To download a copy free of charge, click here.

A report in today's Daily Mirror has alleged that "builders are more likely to die at work if they are employed by smaller firms."

The report commissioned by building union UCAT shows that the half of all construction workers killed in Britain last year were working for companies employing fewer than 50 people.

A survey from npower hometeam has shown that 1 in 3 women don't like inviting tradesmen into their homes. One of the women polled complained that she walked into her bedroom to find a builder rifling through her underwear drawer, whilst another watched as her fireplace was smashed to pieces.

As "hilarious" as these anecdotes are, you've got to ask how helpful some of these polls are. The poll goes on to state that "an incredible 86%" want tradesmen to turn up on time - what about the other 14%?

Two-thirds of Britons have carried out DIY during the past year in a bid to save money, a survey has shown.

Painting was the most common task people undertook themselves rather than paying a professional to do it, with 51% redecorating their home, according to Sainsbury's Home Insurance.

Around 38% of people tackled minor electrical jobs, 21% turned their hand to plumbing and 15% tried tiling.

One of the more interesting measures included in yesterday's budget was the introduction of a car and van scrappage scheme designed to boost Britain's ailing car industry.

Chancellor Alistair Darling announced that £2,000 handouts will be given to anyone trading their ten year old or more bangers in for new British models.

Stefan Buczacki, a former co-presenter of Gardeners' World has publicly criticised the new show format and team behind it, describing the elements as "toe-curling" and lambasting the BBC institution as "[ceasing] to have any relevance to the weekly needs of real gardener."

Buczacki, who was also a panellist on Gardener's Question Time, held one strand in particlar contempt:

With everyone bigging up their green credentials, ProblemSolved members are following suit.

Horsley-based building firm Surrey Traditional Builders is launching a new range of eco-friendly extensions and garden buildings. The good news is that not only do the projects cut your carbon-footprint, but the reduced materials and labour keeps costs down as well.

It is expected that tomorrow's budget will announce that the cut in stamp duty, announced last September, will be extended by a further 3 months until the end of 2009.

The stamp duty "holiday" applies to all houses with a value of up to £175,000 and is expected to to form part of a £1 billion housing package in Alistair Darling's budget.

In light of the current economic climate, a recent survey by B&Q has revealed that many Brits are looking to improve their own homes and are becoming more adventurous as a result.

It's been predicted that public spending will be slashed by £15 billion in this wednesday's budget. Instead there's set to be a major investment in green technology.