Cambridge handymen to the rescue

Home remedial repairs are unwisely thought off as cosmetic jobs, but they are all too often significant maintenance issues that should not be ignored.  Because if ignored, things go wrong and the services of a local handyman are called upon.

The scuseme team of Cambridge handymen, like Ghostbusters, is on hand to help. From gremlins in the system to gunk in the cistern, you know the things that are playing up, the work that needs doing around the home, but that you’ve never quite got around to. The broken stair tread in Modern Family has an equivalent in most homes – the broken door handle, loose light switch, or tricky window latch.  But procrastination over home maintenance is not just the thief of time; it takes its toll on budgets too.

Leaving things until they burst, fall off, or just stop working leaves you paying premium price call out fees and replacement costs; a hole in your bucket could leave a hole in your budget. And with a frantic finger stuck in that hole as you wait to be bailed out, you have little time to plan and perhaps think about a longer-term, more holistic solution.

So, what if you list those niggles now? – the dripping tap, dropping boiler pressure, cold radiator, broken light switch, or that sash window propped open all summer long with a piece of wood? No time like the present.

Professional Caroline

As part of my work in stadium and event management, football stadia operations offer a useful lesson in capturing and dealing with remedial works.  At the end of each season, amidst the huge sigh of relief, as the last ball is kicked, it is not just players and staff who are tired. The green baize of a few months before is pocked with muddy patches and the stadia fabric and furnishing are looking sorry for themselves.  A repairs list is drafted and works start one by one, from floodlight bulbs to toilet bowls and cisterns.  The ‘make do and mend’ approach during the season makes way for full-scale remedial work to ensure the stadium is match fit for the next season.

Domestic Caroline

You’d think I would carry this philosophy through to the domestic arena.  Two nights before lockdown, my boiler was playing up and the shower was running hot and cold.  No worries; I popped down to the gym for a swim and a shower.  Refreshed, I emerged into torrential rain.  I ran to my old Volvo and fired her up.  Nothing.  No worries; she’s always a bit temperamental and starts in the end.  Not this time.  Two hours later at midnight, the AA had delivered me home.  Exhausted and miserable I collapsed in a heap in bed.  The next morning found me ringing around garages, having put off finding that friendly reliable local garage specialising in Volvo repairs.  Had I Iearned my lesson?

Three weeks into lockdown the intermittent shower temperature turned to an ice-cold waterfall. I leapt out and grabbed the nearest towel off the radiator, but the familiar warm cuddle was gone too – the radiator was stone cold. The boiler was gone; broken down, no heating, no hot water.  And now three months overs its warranty expiry.  Had I dealt with my intermittent car and my intermittent shower when they had tried to warn me, I would have found life easier and cheaper.

Create your home remedial repair list

So be like professional Caroline and not domestic Caroline.  Give your home the same scrutiny it needs, especially at this time when the Covid-19 restrictions and lockdown traffic subject it to the brunt of maximum footfall and wear and tear.  Why not carry out your own repairs remedial list? You will probably find that there is much you can fix yourself.  But if you can’t I know some Cambridge experts who can help.

20 most common callouts for Cambridge handymen

Here are the most common home remedial repair jobs that our scuseme team of Cambridge handymen has responded to over the last couple of months.  Do any of these apply to you?  And, as you look through the list, consider the consequences of ignoring any of them!

1. Loose or rotten floorboards
2. Door handle repairs
3. Broken sash cords
4. Dripping taps
5. Peeling wallpaper
6. Damp patches
7. Broken radiators
8. Disconnected downpipes
9. Rotten garden fence posts
10. Poor insulation around windows and doors
11. Dropping boiler pressure
12. Replace gutters
13. Move electricity sockets
14. New soffits and faschias
15. Redecorate rooms
16. Replace loose/missing roof tiles
17. Replace carpets
18. Repair rotten windowsill
19. Clean carpets and furnishing
20. Fix internal tiling

Connect with scuseme Cambridge handymen

Scuseme Cambridge can recommend personally vetted local tradespeople and home services to help you with any home remedial repairs.  To talk to one of our experts call 01223 520373 or make an enquiry here.

Useful local independent DIY resources

• MacKays of Cambridge – East Road, CB1
• Cutlacks – Mill Road, CB1
• Merlin  Mica Hardware – Royston & Sawston
• Cam Home & Garden – Milton Road
• Madingley Mulch – Coton

About Scuseme

Dawn Giesler, is the founder of scuseme Cambridge, an online marketplace that helps your family run smoothly. She has lived in Cambridge for over 20 years and offers advice based on her own experiences. For more information about all the services and tradespeople they recommend, visit scuseme

Caroline Brazill is a Media, Communications, Marketing and Event Management Consultant.

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