Nice People 12: Nice in Nice

GDB2222

"Prices seem to be about £20-25/hour, which is an absolute fortune too! You'd think they'd be queueing up to offer their services at that rate... if I could do anything I know I'd be setting up. Unfortunately, I've no skills, no experience, no tools - and a mental confusion that'd mean everything I attempted (with skills/tools) would have to be done twice as I'd have to do it the first time to work out my errors."

Most people don't start off with the skills to do this stuff. They acquire them by doing the job, making the mistakes, correcting them, etc. I am sure that you'd make a great 'little man' if you set your mind to it. At £20 per hour for the work, it would pay you to spend £100 on some decent basic tools and doing the work yourself. At th end of it you'd still have the tools for next time.

PasturesNew

lostinrates wrote: »

A mile is more than local for a handy man. Five miles is local for one. I mean, unless you want to keep him in the garden shed!

Our local village shop is further a way and its close enough to walk, I'm guessing most handy men will have a vehicle. .

Word of mouth. Have you asked nice neighbours? Estate agents you bought from? ( estate agents often know one lettings agents always do) other place to ask might be somewhere you ostensibly go to browse like a bric a brack sale/ book sale at local ( ) churches. ' I've moved to this area recently, do you know of a local handy man, I'm not having any luck finding one' church communities often love to be helpful.

Well, a mile means it's a special journey ... as opposed to a wander round the corner. And parking fees, or a 2.5 mile walk just to see if somebody's got a card in a window

Not seen nice neighbours. They've had all the work going on, and the fences are high (can't see people over them) ... and I don't like to "bother" people.

I don't go out, so don't browse. Browsing is what you do when you go out .... church communities is a good idea.... there's a food bank at a church half a mile away, they'll be "do-gooders". Good plan.... I'll pop down there (they've got a car park, so I can drive, rather than walking a mile JUST to see if it's open today or not).

I don't mind walking somewhere if the desired outcome exists, but to do a big walk to find it's unproductive is just annoying.

PasturesNew

GDB2222 wrote: »

At £20 per hour for the work, it would pay you to spend £100 on some decent basic tools and doing the work yourself. At th end of it you'd still have the tools for next time.

You can make a lot of damage ... and potentially have an accident ... wielding alien tools around without a clue. I would also have to learn what the heck I was supposed to do. I found a thread on MSE where somebody had a similar problem - thread just ended up with people squabbling ... and no clear cut answer.

I'm also weak and unsteady up a ladder. It's not a good idea to be useless, weak and up a ladder with alien power tools if you live alone....

PasturesNew

You won't believe the new stupid thing I just achieved.... I've got to get a rotary line - I knew there was a hole in the garden. I know I need to measure the diameter of that to get a pole to fit. I assumed the insert would be in there. When I looked, it wasn't, so I need a metal insert too.

So .... I wondered how deep the hole is. It can't be very deep can it. So I got a stick I thought was long enough (about 18") .... and put it in. I didn't expect it to be deep, so I let go of the stick ... stick fell a long way ..... now I can't reach the stick. That hole's deep .... so I've measured it, with a tape measure this time .... it's 27" deep!!!

Now got another job on the list: get the stick out ......

Readers have to understand: some of us are simply ... useless at things - and every job creates a new one!

Nikkster

lostinrates wrote: »

unless you want to keep him in the garden shed!

Tempting!

Nikkster

PasturesNew wrote: »

Now got another job on the list: get the stick out ......

Is it a special stick?

PasturesNew

Nikkster wrote: »

Is it a special stick?

Well, no ... but it's in the way for putting the metal insert into the hole. It's either get the stick out - or dig another/new hole .... tried to dig one of those holes once before - you have to hammer it into the ground ... takes a lot of time/effort and the best I ended up with was a ground stake that was still sticking out of the ground by 1.5".

Getting the stick out is the easiest option. Just trying to work out a genius method, using only what I've got available ...... hole is about 2.5" wide or so.

Nikkster

PasturesNew wrote: »

Well, no ... but it's in the way for putting the metal insert into the hole. It's either get the stick out - or dig another/new hole .... tried to dig one of those holes once before - you have to hammer it into the ground ... takes a lot of time/effort and the best I ended up with was a ground stake that was still sticking out of the ground by 1.5".

Getting the stick out is the easiest option. Just trying to work out a genius method, using only what I've got available ...... hole is about 2.5" wide or so.

Aren't the poles of rotary washing lines hollow? So, providing the pole could be manoeuvred over the stick it would be ok?

PasturesNew

Nikkster wrote: »

Aren't the poles of rotary washing lines hollow? So, providing the pole could be manoeuvred over the stick it would be ok?

They are hollow - but in the ground is a metal (often steel) stake.

http://www.diy.com/nav/rooms/cleaning-laundry/laundry/rotary_washing_lines/Universal-Ground-Spike-For-Rotary-Washing-Lines-11697716

You make the hole, drop the stake into it.... then the washing line fits into that.

Nikkster

PasturesNew wrote: »

They are hollow - but in the ground is a metal (often steel) stake.

http://www.diy.com/nav/rooms/cleaning-laundry/laundry/rotary_washing_lines/Universal-Ground-Spike-For-Rotary-Washing-Lines-11697716

You make the hole, drop the stake into it.... then the washing line fits into that.

I've met one of those before

So I guess you need the stake too? maybe the hole is so deep that the stake would fit over the stick?

If not, at least you've got something to keep you amused for a bit - working out how to retrieve the stick using only items that you already have at home