One thing to be aware of with electric ‘up and over’ garage door openers is to be sure an fit the emergency door release. This is normally a steel cable which extends from a flush-mounted lock on the face of door to the mechanism release handle inside the garage. Using the lock for access, this cable can be drawn through the door from outside to release the door in an emergency.

I fitted such a door opener but stupidly tested the door before fitting the emergency release cable. While the door was shut somebody inside the house caused the electrics to trip. Without electricity the door wouldn’t open and in this instance the consumer unit (to switch the electrics back on) was in the garage. To make matters worse there was no other access to the garage other than the main door.

Fortunately some ingenuity, a carefully positioned hole and a wire coat hanger saved the day.

When does domestic waste become commercial waste?

If you look up the definition of commercial waste you will get many answers and some definitions say it is the waste product of any commercial activity. In other words, if a householder buys a flatpack wardrobe then the packaging is domestic waste unless he has employed someone to put it together when it becomes commercial. Of course leaving waste packaging with the householder is unlikely to cause them a problem and they could get rid of it free either by having it collected by the bin men or recycling it at the tip. But once the handyman assembler takes the packaging away, perhaps as a favour, then he has to dispose of it commercially and this will invariably be at a cost to him.

I can’t get much in my van apart from my tools so I am rarely able to take away much. So the odd bit of timber trimmed from an oversize door or whatever is easy to put amongst my own rubbish but customers should be mindful that waste disposal generally has a cost. Therefore if a lot of waste is expected like with a bathroom refit then a skip should be provided and an allowance in the budget made for this.

The UK Guild of Handymen code of conduct says that waste should be collected up for proper disposal. Essentially this means not left strewn about and proper disposal means nobody would ever fly tip anything. But since the waste can be as little as the dust from drilling a few holes to very much more it is hard to be prescriptive.

If customers are in doubt they should talk to their handyman and agree what is to be done.

People are starting to appreciate that members of the UK Guild of Handymen represent the ‘face of experience’ and our entry criteria test this before handymen are accepted as members.

This experience can bring useful benefits to home owners especailly when trying to sell their houses.

There’s nobody better than a handyman for tackling a whole collection of jobs in a house that is to be put on the market or within one that is not selling.

While jobs are never ‘skimped’ there can be some things that have a major impact on the first impressions a potential buyer has, while others are relatively unimportant for selling. This is where the experience of many years in all types of work can pay dividends.

I will often guide people in the things they want doing so their budget is best spent on the things people will notice the most.

For instance, a shabby looking shower enclosure with mould growing in the silicone sealant and discoloured grout can be refreshed quite easily to look almost as good as if it had been retiled. Whereas money spent fixing a toilet that sometimes doesn’t flush is unlikely to make much difference.

Sellers should trust the judgement that comes with years of experience.

I’m always happy to do any work I’m asked, but I’m even happier if the customer is delighted because I have saved them money by not doing relatively unnecessary jobs. And if they are happy then when they move I’ll probably have more work to do in their new home and they might even recommend me to their buyer so I’ve ended up with two customers where previously there was one.

One of my most treasured tools is my scalpel. In fact I have a few of them. They are all Swann Morton number 3 handles and I buy 10A blades which I have to get from a model shop because normal tool shops don’t sell them.

I use them for trimming away old silicone sealant from around baths and showers and I also have one always at hand when I’m paper-hanging.

There are dozens of uses besides, so don’t think they are only for brain surgeons, graphic designers and model makers—they are also for handymen!