When to get a tradie and the jobs you can’t afford to put off
Social distancing could be a blessing for your home: Victorians are the worst for putting jobs on hold for more than a year. This is what you can’t avoid to put off, and when you need a tradie.
Dreaded home maintenance and repair jobs are piling up at Victorian households.
Almost every home in Australia (92 per cent) had an outstanding job or project, according to a national study by YouGov Galaxy Research in conjunction with Hipages.
The research showed 80 million jobs had been put off, 21 million of them in Victoria.
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That’s an accumulation of almost $40 billion worth of maintenance work in the past year nationally, and $10 billion across Victoria.
Victorians were the worst for delaying jobs for more than 12 months, with painting, tiling, plumbing and electrical works often put off the longest.
The state’s procrastination habits around the house revealed 70 per cent of Victorian households put off cleaning for a raining day, followed by gardening at 67 per cent and general maintenance at 66 per cent.
A lick of paint was delayed by 47 per cent of the state’s households and 38 per cent put off calling an electrician.
Most people said they postposed jobs because of financial concerns (60 per cent) but 80 per cent of homeowners knew there could be major consequences for putting off tasks around the home.
“We know there are a variety of factors which delay us completing jobs around the home, whether it be lack of time, expertise or money,” said Hipages chief customer officer Stuart Tucker.
“If you can afford to, it’s best to manage all maintenance and repairs as soon as possible with a licenced professional as this usually has the least expensive outcome.”
Mr Tucker shared three tips to help homeowners stop procrastinating.
Firstly, he said to create a plan and put tasks in order of priority.
Secondly, he recommended grouping jobs together by trade.
“Get an electrician to look at all lighting and fixture issues you may have at once, or a plumber to get those jobs done in your bathroom, kitchen and laundry,” he said.
“Ensure you agree all the jobs upfront with your tradie as part of the quote before the work commences — this could help avoid some additional costs.”
Lastly, Mr Tucker said to prioritise urgent jobs that could result in further damage and a more costly fix if delayed.
Jason Charles, of Charles Bros Building Contractors, (pictured) said getting a tradesperson out as soon as an issue arose often saved money in the long run.
“People put off home repairs and maintenance jobs due to being time poor and financial status,” he said.
“Sometimes people think that small jobs can cost a lot of money but you are best to get the right trade out to do a walk through on all maintenance and repairs.”
Using a fully licenced professional for tackling home maintenance jobs was Mr Charles’ number one tip.
“Jobs that should never be put off are replacing or repairing rotted timbers or any structural timbers that look like failing,” he warned.
“Plumbing, blockages and water leaks of any type could cause major issues if not seen to, and that could be creating big costs down the track.
“Electrical works should always be rectified as they could cause major fire hazards and be detrimental to health and safety for all occupants.”
The jobs you can’t afford to put off
Maintenance jobs and home repairs should be done as soon as possible with a licenced professional.
This will lead to the least expensive outcome, according to Hipages chief customer officer Stuart Tucker.
“When jobs are put off or ignored, they can snowball into bigger tasks or have knock-on effects that are often more costly than they would have been in the first place,” he warned.
Plumbing
There are a variety of plumbing issues you can experience around the home, most of which can be costly if left for too long, according to Mr Tucker. “Even a small job like a leaking tap could cost you extra dollars on your water bill,” he said.
“There are also larger issues like burst water pipes or sewage leaks which can affect the structural integrity of your home. If a job like this isn’t taken care of by a professional in a timely manner, the issue will only get worse.”
Electrical work
“If your light bulb happens to go out, there are no qualms in you replacing it and it’s completely up to you when you choose to do so,” Mr Tucker said.
However, he warned any other electrical work should not be put off. “Faulty electrics can cause further damage, power outages and even fires in extreme cases,” he said. “Ensure you call in a licensed electrician from Hipages to take care of the job. You should never attempt to do your own electrical work.”
Roof repairs
Issues with your roof were another job that would only get bigger the longer you left it, Mr Tucker warned. For example, a small roof leak can result in significant water damage if not attended to quickly.
Gas leaks
If one of your gas appliances is leaking, it’s immediately time to call in the professionals. “If carbon monoxide is discharging from a gas appliance, the one and only step you can take is to turn off the gas in your home,” Mr Tucker said. “The rest should be left for a tradesperson who will be able to amend the exposed area.”
Asbestos removal
If you identify or even suspect you have asbestos in or around your home, you should call in the experts to safely and carefully remove it, according to Tucker. Asbestos is a dangerous substance and should not be cut into or altered in any way. If the fibres are inhaled they could have severe health consequences.
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Originally published as When to get a tradie and the jobs you can’t afford to put off