Making a profit from laziness.

[SeaCat]

I was approached by one of the R.N.'s on my unit today. In her off time she has a bussiness watching over the empty houses of people who have gone north for the season.

She talked to me about her brothers place, asking me what I thought about several problems he is dealing with. She described them and I told her what the problems most likely would be.

Problem one is a bad front door. It has gaps at both the top and bottom. (Needs a new door to be hung.) Problem two is a pipe that is leaking from what sounds like a T-Junction. (Copper pipe is always an easy repair job.) Problem three is a leak around the base of a toilet. (Most likely a bad collar seal. An easy repair.)

After I explained what I thought the problems were she wandered away. She came back a short while later and asked me if I could possibly help her out. Her General Contractor had quite and her brother didn't want to be bothered. She also informed me that she knew I didn't have a general contractors ticket, nor a Plumbers Liscence. She then offered me $200.00 to rehang the door as well as the amount of the lowest offers of the plumbers to do the other repairs. She also informed me that her brother would buy the parts needed as well as any tools I would need and didn't have. (I would be allowed to keep the tools.)

Now how could I say no? We're talking almost $1000.00 for less than a days worth of work plus free tools.

Somehow I get the feeling I'll be receiving a couple of dollars this summer.

Cat

 

[oggbashan]

Locally there is always a living to be made by general handymen.

Apart from gas piping, for which expensive training and certification is required, most small jobs can be done by a generalist.

However some work is illegal without qualifications so the handyman has to be "a friend" helping the householder. If the householder does the work by him/herself then certification isn't required.

One of my neighbours is a railway engineer, maintaining London's Underground. He and his extended local family cover most building trades between them and have bought and restored poorly maintained houses for themselves. He wanted to remove a chimney stack and make good the resulting holes in roof and floors. The extended family completed the work in a single weekend.

This is a long weekend here. The extended family are "on holiday" in France in six RVs. One part of the family has bought a French smallholding of 100 acres. This weekend the adults will convert a barn into dormitory accommodation for them to stay in while they renovate the main farmhouse. By the time they are back in England on Tuesday they will have repaired the barn's roof, subdivided the interior into several living units, installed three bathrooms and completed the first fix electrical wiring.

How did they get permission in bureaucratic France? The local mayor had a leaky barn roof. The family repaired his roof and then asked, over a few glasses of the mayor's wine, whether there was a local farm for sale that they could renovate. The mayor just happened to have a brother-in-law that was selling a farm...

My gardener also does painting and decorating, tree removal, wall building and basic brickwork and will try any general maintenance job. He is supposed to have retired because he is nearly 70 but one hour of his time produces more results than two of a normal workman's. He is booked up until August...

Og

 

[3113]

I'm delighted you got the easy job and can make such a profit...but I wouldn't call either the R.N. or the Brother Lazy (as I'm assuming your title implies)...I don't know how to do that stuff either and I'd rather have someone who knows what they're doing do it rather than try to do it myself and risk disaster, especially with the plumbing...

And I assure you, even hanging the door would probably be a disaster. It's likely fall on me and give me a concussion.

And I wouldn't ask my husband to do it either--he's working his ass off doing work he loves and is good at. I don't want to steal away valuable time from him; he already does far too much. So...laziness to pay someone else to do it? Nope. Common sense in my mind.

I know how to write and, now and then, I've been paid to write piddling little things that take me no time at all, things I'm sure the person paying me *could* have done, but not as easily or quickly. I don't count it laziness on their part not to do it themselves. Sometimes, they just can't or don't want to try and get it wrong.

It's great luck when we can use our talents for easy pay

 

[SummerMorning]

Say, just have to know, how much is a plumber's hour in Britain? A carpenter's? An electrician's?

 

[oggbashan]

Say, just have to know, how much is a plumber's hour in Britain? A carpenter's? An electrician's?

It varies by region. It is far more in Central London and SE England than in rural areas.

Do you mean the rate charged by the employers that includes all the overheads, or the rate paid to the employee?

Locally, self-employed plumbers used to charge about 40 pounds a callout that included half an hour's work. Subsequent hours after the first half-hour were about 50 pounds. Double those figures for US dollars. Larger companies charged even more than those figures.

BUT - the so-called Polish plumber, the recent legal immigrant from within the European Union, might charge as little as twenty-five pounds an hour and even cheaper for cash in hand. The workmanship is likely to be just as good. That is having an effect by reducing or freezing normal plumbers' rates.

If the work is not an emergency, negotiation is possible. If it is an emergency you pay whatever is asked (and claim back on insurance!).

Og

 

[Huckleman2000]

[snip]
How did they get permission in bureaucratic France? The local mayor had a leaky barn roof. The family repaired his roof and then asked, over a few glasses of the mayor's wine, whether there was a local farm for sale that they could renovate. The mayor just happened to have a brother-in-law that was selling a farm...

Og

...and thus are empires born.

 

[Vermilion]

Locally there is always a living to be made by general handymen.

Apart from gas piping, for which expensive training and certification is required, most small jobs can be done by a generalist.

However some work is illegal without qualifications so the handyman has to be "a friend" helping the householder. If the householder does the work by him/herself then certification isn't required.

Really, I thought a householder had to produce certification showing that a licensed electrician etc had done the most recent work on a house before they are allowed to sell it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it infuriates the (very handy) Fiance and his (exceptionally handy) father no end that they can;t do the work themselves for some things, even though they are more scrupulous and more competent than most of the so called 'tradesmen' we have these days...

</rant>
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[JamesSD]

Now how could I say no? We're talking almost $1000.00 for less than a days worth of work plus free tools.

Somewhere, Adam Smith is smiling.

You have the skills and know-how that these are reasonably easy, fairly quick tasks that you seem confident you can do right the first time, not mess things up, and not waste time or material.

They lack the skills and confidence, but have other skills that allow them to make enough money that to them, having you do it for $1000 is a better financial deal than trying to deal with it themselves. (RNs generally make good money, for admittedly a challenging job).

It's an ideal economic exchange!

 

[SeaCat]

I'm delighted you got the easy job and can make such a profit...but I wouldn't call either the R.N. or the Brother Lazy (as I'm assuming your title implies)...I don't know how to do that stuff either and I'd rather have someone who knows what they're doing do it rather than try to do it myself and risk disaster, especially with the plumbing...

And I assure you, even hanging the door would probably be a disaster. It's likely fall on me and give me a concussion.

And I wouldn't ask my husband to do it either--he's working his ass off doing work he loves and is good at. I don't want to steal away valuable time from him; he already does far too much. So...laziness to pay someone else to do it? Nope. Common sense in my mind.

I know how to write and, now and then, I've been paid to write piddling little things that take me no time at all, things I'm sure the person paying me *could* have done, but not as easily or quickly. I don't count it laziness on their part not to do it themselves. Sometimes, they just can't or don't want to try and get it wrong.

It's great luck when we can use our talents for easy pay

No I don't call the R.N. Lazy. I know how hard she works, as do most R.N.'s.

The people I call lazy are those who can't be bothered to do simple repairs.

Okay I admit many people don't know how to sweat a pipe or hang a door. I do have to shake my head though at some of the requests for help I have heard,

I have been given $25.00 to put up a cutain rod. (All of four nails.)

I have been offered money to set up a VCR.


Lazy? Oh my yes. I have dealt with people who couldn't be bothered to even change light bulbs. They were willing to pay for someone to change their light bulbs.

Cat

 

[Huckleman2000]

[snip]I have dealt with people who couldn't be bothered to even change light bulbs. They were willing to pay for someone to change their light bulbs.

Cat

Hey! Let's give credit where it's due. There's something to be said for acknowledging one's own limitations. (And, you know those "How many _____ does it take to change a lightbulb? jokes have some basis in reality. )

 

[starrkers]

My brother is a handyman (has a limited builder's licence and all). He gets called out for all kinds of miniscule things, like oiling door hinges to stop them squeaking!
The jobs I find sad are the elderly people who call on him to change lightbulbs for them, as they are no longer able to stand on ladders. I find it sad they have no friends or family, not even a caring neighbour, they could ask to do such things for them.

 

[oggbashan]

Really, I thought a householder had to produce certification showing that a licensed electrician etc had done the most recent work on a house before they are allowed to sell it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it infuriates the (very handy) Fiance and his (exceptionally handy) father no end that they can;t do the work themselves for some things, even though they are more scrupulous and more competent than most of the so called 'tradesmen' we have these days...

</rant>
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As I understand it, the householders can do the electrical and plumbing work themselves, but NOT if they are also landlords. They also can't do it themselves IF they are renovating a house for sale and do not live in it. Gas has to be done by a Corgi certified person. One of our local electricians is effectively retired with a bad back. He has kept up his certification and, for a reasonable fee, advises other handymen and provides certificates on completed work. He also tests electrical items for a local charity shop and certifies them as electrically safe. Normally he would charge twenty-five pounds an item.

However, the forthcoming HIPs (Home Information Packs) might change that. At present the buyer should have a survey done to ensure that all utilities are in working order. When HIPs are up and running, an electrician's report might be required as part of the pack, but not yet.

However, it would be well to check the current legislation. I think there is an exemption for DIY.

Og