Getting a man in to make wife happy

[Scrag Meister]

Am I alone here?

Far from it, I would much prefer to work a few hours more doing what I am good at, so I can pay someone else to come to my house and do what they are good at.

[Sysman]

Far from it, I would much prefer to work a few hours more doing what I am good at, so I can pay someone else to come to my house and do what they are good at.

I wanted to do this when I was a permie. Couldn't afford it at the time, but I really wanted to concentrate on my career rather than undertaking major work myself.

[Pondlife]

I think there's a bit of a difference between paying a pro to build you an en suite and your missus complaing that there's no lock on the downstairs loo or putting up some shelves in the kids room.

I quite enjoy pottering in the house and garden but wouldn't dream of touching serious stuff.

That said, it's not about the money. Obviously, I could afford to pay some boyos to come and dig out a new veggie patch but I derive pleasure from a Sunday afternoon with my wellies on, finshed off with a cold beer knowing I've earned it. It's a pleasure I don't often get from my job.

[Zoiderman]

That said, it's not about the money. Obviously, I could afford to pay some boyos to come and dig out a new veggie patch but I derive pleasure from a Sunday afternoon with my wellies on, finshed off with a cold beer knowing I've earned it. It's a pleasure I don't often get from my job.

I thinkl Gardening is a little different, as it's pleasurable to most folk, quite relaxing too. I love growing plants, love planning them, and the reward from eating your own veg is really big. Now the wife has stopped work, we have a large veggie garden growing a good variety of stuff, which seems to taste better.

[Brussels Slumdog]

IKEA

I struggled putting my IT IKEA desk together, so I guess DIY is out of my league

[Pondlife]

I struggled putting my IT IKEA desk together, so I guess DIY is out of my league

Yes. I suggest you take your one screwdriver back to B&Q and apologise for any confusion caused.

HTH

[norrahe]

I thinkl Gardening is a little different, as it's pleasurable to most folk, quite relaxing too. I love growing plants, love planning them, and the reward from eating your own veg is really big. Now the wife has stopped work, we have a large veggie garden growing a good variety of stuff, which seems to taste better.

My second house the previous owner had dug up the entire garden so I was left with a blank canvas. Landscaped it all myself which I'm really proud of.

Though I did get a bloke in to help with lots of top soil

The landscaping and planting and pruning took me way longer but was great fun. Only job I got someone in to do after that was pruning back grasses in winter as it took me ages.

If you get pleasure from it, it's great.

As someone said earlier the thing about doing everything yourself, is you don't get a break from it. When I did up my first place I kept seeing bits and pieces that needed sorting or where things weren't done quite right, so instead of relaxing on the sofa for the evening I'd end up sorting it out again.

[Scrag Meister]

I think there's a bit of a difference between paying a pro to build you an en suite and your missus complaing that there's no lock on the downstairs loo or putting up some shelves in the kids room.

I quite enjoy pottering in the house and garden but wouldn't dream of touching serious stuff.

That said, it's not about the money. Obviously, I could afford to pay some boyos to come and dig out a new veggie patch but I derive pleasure from a Sunday afternoon with my wellies on, finshed off with a cold beer knowing I've earned it. It's a pleasure I don't often get from my job.

Oh sure, I don't mind a door lock, hanging a picture or a shelf, curtain rails etc.

Am currently getting a new garage built and I wouldn't be attempting that.

[Paddy]

I got a plumber in last weekend. £250. Shower still broken, and now bath u-bend is leaking too.
He's coming back on Tuesday for another £255.

Over £500 to get the shower working. Have a horrible feeling I'm being ripped off...

That is the going rate for naked pumbers.

[mudskipper]

So you got him in and he hasn't fixed what he was supposed to? Whay are you paying him again to sort out the job he didn't do properly in the first place???

Well - it's a bit of a saga...

About a year and a half ago, the seal round the bath taps started leaking. We ended up with a hole in the kitchen ceiling and couldn't use the shower. Mr k2p2 was going to fix it. I waited patiently. I nagged. I waited some more. After 18 months, I called a plumber. He came and had a look and said it was an easy job. But because the shower hadn't been used for so long he wanted to check it was all still working. It wasn't. The pump had packed up. So a new pump. Whilst he was at it, I got him to fix the toilet flush which had also been broken for over a month. £250 (a lot of that was the new pump).

So that all done, the shower still wouldn't work. It wouldn't dispense cold water, and only a few seconds of hot before the the safety cut out kicked in. He says its the cartridge, (which I found online for £117) but if he's replacing the cartridge, he should also do other bits and pieces (can't remember what he called it). Total £255. The u-bend under the bath is also leaking now - I assume it got knocked when he was doing the taps. I'm expecting him to sort that one for free.

Bit fed up with it all. Over £500 to get the shower sorted does seem a bit excessive.