Handyman/person

[Screwdriver]

Next on the list blank cat flap (x2), repaint office, fix flickering LED door light, reposition CCTV, fit exterior solar light...

It is about as close to being married as you can get without the hanky panky. Not been asked to shake the ashes or churn butter though...

 

[blackolive (Ste)]

I’d toyed with the idea of doing odd jobs to keep me occupied when I retired early, but after a string of “can you justs” from the yard woman, and not actually needing the money, Ive decided not to bother, and just do what I retired to do instead. The only thing I miss about working was the social aspect, but crow flu saw to that anyway

 

[addjunkie]

We have a handy man in our village, thinks hes charging 22 quid-an hour now….Ive seen some of his so called decorating….good job the woman doesnt know what good looks like. Always seems to be busy enough, quite worrying really…..

I dont do very much for others now, just too many rules and regulations, besides which Ive enough of my own stuff to do.

 

[Screwdriver]

I’d toyed with the idea of doing odd jobs to keep me occupied when I retired early, but after a string of “can you justs” from the yard woman, and not actually needing the money, Ive decided not to bother, and just do what I retired to do instead. The only thing I miss about working was the social aspect, but crow flu saw to that anyway

It has its downsides. I was quite busy for a change in the shed wanting to fix my roof prior to an imminent storm when a neighbour calls me up - stranded. Range Rover (!) won't start, they really need to be somewhere, can I fix it...

Well, yes but first I have to drop tools, climb down off this roof, and scurry next door/round the corner. While praying for the rain gods to wait a mo, I am reminded I am pretty filthy, neither me nor my shedwear have seen soap and water for err, well since I can remember. Maybe it's best if it does rain...

After a bit of a faff (vehicle was stone dead) found battery terminals were loose. Not crazy loose but just loose enough to refuse to connect. Probably a result of the last service which was fairly recent.

Then apart from being disturbed half way through a job and having to run about collecting multimeters/spanners etc. it occurs to me I can't really ask for any money. Despite my saving her £100's and getting her on her way within half an hour, we are neighbours. "Simple" fixes are "friendly neighbour" territory.

 

[roofman]

It has its downsides. I was quite busy for a change in the shed wanting to fix my roof prior to an imminent storm when a neighbour calls me up - stranded. Range Rover (!) won't start, they really need to be somewhere, can I fix it...

Well, yes but first I have to drop tools, climb down off this roof, and scurry next door/round the corner. While praying for the rain gods to wait a mo, I am reminded I am pretty filthy, neither me nor my shedwear have seen soap and water for err, well since I can remember. Maybe it's best if it does rain...

After a bit of a faff (vehicle was stone dead) found battery terminals were loose. Not crazy loose but just loose enough to refuse to connect. Probably a result of the last service which was fairly recent.

Then apart from being disturbed half way through a job and having to run about collecting multimeters/spanners etc. it occurs to me I can't really ask for any money. Despite my saving her £100's and getting her on her way within half an hour, we are neighbours. "Simple" fixes are "friendly neighbour" territory.

If she has any worth she should get you a decent bottle of wine at the very least...no wine then crossed off the "friendly neighbour" list.

 

[frank horton]

in the early days I worked for a chemical supply comp.....main job was to keep the trucks running / starting in winter.....
using all my kit and tools......eventually they moaned if I wanted to buy a yard broom.....
`U remember Seddons, Perkins 6354's, with a Lucas dynamo...???.....then u'll understand....plus used to fix everything allmost around the plant....
offices, sheds u name it I got the job and I really liked it....often loads'a overtime.....I just got a mortgage.....
New under manager came in to increase profits and made my life hell....he was so much better than me.....most of the other manager started up in the same vein over a year or so.....
allways question everything......
The whole comp had a management meeting in the CEO's office, a great bloke acutually, often had a drink with him......
anyway barged into the meeting with my extremley dirty boots n overalls on..... and told em where to stick their job.....
each manager got a bolloxxing from me individually and I left......one I wanted to blooxy his nose.....
best fun I ever had.....waxxkers.....
plus my attitude to being employed never really changed....u shouldn't have to put up with that crxp.......
told one rich guy that if he doubled my pay he could call me what he liked......didn;t stay long there either.....

better times ahead, got a divorce n sold up, went self employed and traveled the world for that last 40 odd years......

Now if asked,
I just tell em that I require paying and if I want something doing I pay as well....I have very few friends and thats the way I like it.....
I have enough shxt of my own to do.....hahaha.......

 

[JMS1972]

Having now been in the world of work for a few years I've come to the conclusion that the 'skeleton staff getting contractors in to do all maintenance tasks' has its shortcomings, one being that you can never get any one to do the one-off or low-level stuff which you really do need to to keep somewhere running. I've worked in the electricity supply industry for 30 years, at either gas-fired sites or for the last 8.5 years an energy from waste plant, and they've all needed one thing, a bod who is content to go round and lubricate door locks and maintain the doors, paint walls and floors where required, fix domestic plumbing and do the million and one little projects that no-one has time for but which make life far easier. There's always been a struggle to get a Facilities Management company in as they want a whole bunch of jobs to do to make it worth their while, and with this site in particular being small-scale it just isn't worth their while.
Am I alone in thinking this or is this a common theme in industry now?

You pretty much described my dad's last job before he retired. He spent most of his working life after the navy fixing lifts which was pretty miserable.

Working as a handyman for a big garage group meant lots of interesting little jobs and great deal of appreciation from the staff. There was plenty of tea drinking time too they let him taper his work off at the end so he's had a nice long retirement so far

 

[Smallfry]

There are loads of people out there who want things done, and are not backward in coming forward asking for them to be fixed. I have also found that these same people do not value what has been done, and are horrified that I hint at payment in some form.
I used to do all this stuff at my old job, all taken for granted. I have heard that it costs the boss man thousands for myself and my colleague used to do for nothing. Our replacements have no clue, or any inclination to do this stuff.
I used to be the first person to offer help when others needed things doing, sometimes spending days of free time at hard physical labour, but I fell in long ago that when ever I needed any help, everyone was "too busy" so I don't do it now, and also say I have no idea or no tools.