I sent this to MyBuilder today As a responsible trader I am appalled that you are still sending out leads to me from homeowners wanting non-essential work completed. I am more concerned that many foolish traders are responding with interest in this work. The way you are operating your platform at a time of a national health crisis is unbelievable, To continue to send out leads your irresponsibility will cause the further spread of the virus and the mounting death tool. Please consider this an open letter. I, like many others, now have little or no work but I will choose to be poorer rather than see your relatives die.
If customers need essential work done...maybe an arrangement that they are in garden when you arrive...you do the work...wash before entering and before leaving. Disinfect your tools with a spray. Is that a safe and viable option ? There are always workarounds ?
Totally accept that essential (emergency) work should be done providing all precautions can be taken. But not seen one job in that category yet. Why risk putting people who don’t know each other, it just mad but selfish. I am afraid those new downlighters, extra sockets, CU upgrades will just have to wait.
Would a half finished re tile felt and battern on a roof on a house ( not fully watertight ) be classed as essential work. Wife is classed as very vulnerable. Roofer says he cannot comeback at the moment There is no government guidance on this Thanks
Had a gas safety check booked tommorow. Company rang yesterday to say they cant come out until 16th April. Just trying to see where you stand legally. House is rented so needs a valid CP12 every year. There will be a void period.
May be advisable to contact home insurer to get confirmation. What stage are they ay now? If its battened and felted should be weather tight as some membranes can last for upto 6 months without tiles.
My boiler is faulty, the heating engineer could not a few weeks ago see what the problem was, so it is going to be a process of elimination, it will trip maybe once a week, and means going outside to reset it, but I do not consider it as an emergency, so will simply press the reset button when it fails, or use the open fire or oil filled radiator. However if I did not have alternatives, and did not have a good idea how to get it running again, maybe the same job would be classed as an emergency? To my mind working in my garden in which my house stands is OK, but to go to my allotment is not, as likely there will be others working on their allotment, however there was an MP on the BBC saying how he was cycling to his allotment. To my mind even if he does, he should keep quite about in, and not talk to BBC as if it is OK to do it. Be it walking up and down my stairs, using an exercise pedal set, or walking around my house I can exercise without going out, I have never needed to shop every day, and to suggest sports shops, should stay open, is rather short sighted, why cycle shops can stay open I really don't know, it seems even the government can't work out what is essential. Does it really need spelling out, couple of years ago cars parked near on the road in a national park all had tickets put on them for causing an obstruction, so why were they allowed to get away with it last weekend?
I am also a landlord i would class a gas safety check as essential work. I would not like to be caught out by not having one in place. Just think if something did go wrong you would be taken to the cleaners. does not bear thinking about. my advice get another company to do it and keep 2 m apart
If you are a vulnerable person your boiler would be classed as an emergency call out, but from what you are saying just reset it till the panics over
Contact home insurance. My opinion would be essential as you need home to be water tight to not cause further damage to house. Have had a few good days weather.
I don't want any visitors, don't even really want the post lady, even if boiler completely failed I would not get it fixed. But some people may think different, however watching the news I can see unless the government says stop work, then any late penalties hold, so it needs the government to say stop.
Common sense needs to be used. I am mostly off now but I have one job booked in for Thursday- it is an empty property which is going through a renovation. I am there myself to do a second fix - the materials are in the van and I don't need to get more materials, I have a key for the property as well Going back to the issue above- if the property is empty then there will be little risk and there will be a cleaning of the property afterwards. I have a pop up on my site that states that we are carrying out emergency works for the foreseeable time.
It is essential to your wife if she is very vulnerable. Try to get another roofer. Try a one man band. Is the scaffolding still up'? a one man band might work from ladders if not. The Gov. are saying 12 weeks for very vulnerable people. I don't wish to be alarmist but I am doubling that and I am looking forward to a nice holiday in Sept/Oct. I am gutting my bathroom and have got everything apart from the bath which is supposed to come within 14 days . I am being selfish but I need something to do to preserve my mental health.
I have a full book this week and next I do mainly maintenance and usually its me on my own and the home owner who on this occasion can go and get his grub and get some exercise while yours truly gets things done Any elderly folk or vulnerable get postponed, end of no ifs or buts Works that can be done on your own with no risk of close proximity and the usual current measures on this crazy time yes crack on until a full lockdown is ordered by Boris The self employed have no Plan B from the Govt. to maintain ALL there business and personal outgoings to keep afloat and self employed folk have never been the favored workforce by HMRC
I've no idea what the self employed do in practice but gov seems to think you will have tax and vat payments stashed away and can use that for a while. Something does seem to be coming but their first priority was companies - great one as they wont want loans that may need repaying and some are probably pleased to have the opportunity to shed some people. Then came the paye people. Next it seems the self employed and true gig economy people - I assume. No idea why I think of tortoises when I hear the news.
If we would have restricted travel a month ago this whole situation wouldn't even be here. We are so under prepared and as a result this going to involve a lot of graft and hardship to get us through. People who continue to work when they don't need to as making this much much worse