How did your Easter renovations go?
Easter Weekend is the biggest DIY weekend of the year. With four days straight of renovation bliss, millions of Australians flock to the local Home Timber and Hardware (or Thrifty-Link) store with grand plans in mind.
All summer subtle hints have been left by family members of what needs to be done around the home. Time to fix that sticking door or squeaking floorboard? Home looking too drab, time for a repaint? Deck looking all worn after a long summer of friends and bbq’s, time for a recoat? Gutters filling up with leaves as Autumn arrives, time to clean the gutters? Slamming a door left a hole in the wall, time to try your hand at plastering. Garden out of control after summer full of long hot days followed by torrential rain, time to get out the garden tools and cut back all of your trees, bushes and weeds.
If your family is anything like mine, this list goes on and on and on.
So you head down to Bunnings (or Masters??) and are instantly drawn to the sausage stand. $2.50 to the local charity later, with sausage in hand you enter the store with the anticipation of the great DIY feats you are going to achieve this weekend.
You try to re-remember all of the chores that have been set for you. Then you start mapping out in your mind what is needed for that. You wander up and down the store looking for the right isle, and there you find it …. the wall of screws! As part of your “repaint the deck” project you thought it might be a good idea to rescrew a few boards that have strayed over the years. Little did you know that there are 1.76 Billion different types of screws in the world, and each one has their own purpose. You grab a pack, and hope for the best.
This pattern follows for what paint to buy, what to stir the paint with, what roller or applicator is best, do you need OH&S equipment or not, will you pay $25 for that spanner that you need for that one loose bolt your wife keeps on telling you about, etc, etc.
Three hours later you leave Bunnings defeated. You buy another sausage on the way out (now $5 donated to the local charity - good work). You drive home and unload. With the day's purchases now unloaded into the garage, you head inside for a well deserved beer.
Beer in hand, you switch on the TV and find that the footy has already started and you get engrossed in the game. Day 1 - Done.
Day 2 its pouring with rain, no day to start renovations. Have to entertain the kids.
Day 3, is Sunday, Easter Day. After a morning of hunting for Easter Eggs from the kids, you go and catch up with the rest of your family. You arrive home late afternoon and after a day of listening to Aunt Nora’s stories you are in no mood to fix those holes in the wall. Instead, you’re tempted to grab the hammer and put a few more holes in the wall (you’re going to patch them up anyway), your wife wisely talks you out of it.
Day 4, Easter Monday! The sun has come out, time to head to the park with the kids and spend some good quality family time with them. You consider painting the deck on Monday afternoon, but realise that you’ve left your run way too late.
The four days have now passed, and you have nothing but an invoice from Bunnings to show for it.
Sound familiar?
Maybe its time to bring in the professionals?
You work long and hard hours at work. Your weekend and in particular your long weekends are a well deserved break. Instead of breaking your back with DIY projects where the result could be less than perfect, bring in the professionals.
Here’s a few ways that Service Central can help:
- Find yourself a Handyman on a good hourly rate. That way you can call him/her up for a few hours here and there for small projects.
- Find yourself a good landscaper that can work with you on particular parts of your garden. You can hire them area by area, that way it helps stay within your cashflow needs.
- Hire an experienced project manager for your renovations. Someone that can oversee your entire renovation project and hire tradespeople that they already know and trust.
Of course, Service Central can help you find every trade and service under the sun. So next time you need someone, simply Post your Job Request here.
