This is a sponsored post in association with Local Heroes
We Ross women are not entirely without domestic skills.
My Dad was an electrician, so I’m fairly confident taking on small jobs in our new house. Over half-term, I set to cutting MDF to size and turning the wardrobes in the spare bedroom into cupboards for bedding and wetsuits.
Flea and I also created this rather fetching gallery wall at the end of the kitchen. Most of the photos we bought, but the gorgeous image of the woods was taken and sent by my friend Tom, who is an amazing photographer. He wanted to give me something calming to look at during Lockdown 3 and I think it’s perfect! (I’m not 100% sure it’s totally straight, but you can’t have everything)
All that said, I think one of the real skills to DIY is knowing when you really shouldn’t do it yourself. If there’s anything involving plaster, plumbing or electrics, then I’m calling in the professionals.
During lockdown, I’ve really struggled with having people in the house, and that includes tradespeople. But when Flea needed a new bathroom mirror and light, I knew we needed a qualified electrician.
When it comes to finding tradesmen in a new village, it’s hard to know who to call. That’s why I love directories like Local Heroes, that make it simple to find vetted, qualified professionals for jobs that I don’t want to take on myself. With Local Heroes, you can identify local professionals in 13 different trades, from plumbing to plastering. You can log-on and book an appointment at a time to suit you.
The other advantage of booking through Local Heroes is that it has created simple guidance about tradespeople & COVID-19 explaining how you can keep safe during the pandemic if you have a tradesperson working in your home.
This is a huge thing for me since I had someone doing some work on our garage, and they waltzed into the house without a mask, sanitiser or (apparently) a care in the world. It’s the easiest thing in the world to do when you’re not concentrating, like offering someone a cup of tea or a biscuit or passing someone a fitting when they’re up a ladder.
When our electrician visited to install new lights in Flea’s bathroom, I spoke with him ahead of time and mentioned that I’d like him to use sanitiser and a mask, and he was totally prepared. He actually opened all the windows in the room where he was working and made sure he washed his hands every time he came into the house. So much less stressful!
How to hire a tradesperson safely during the pandemic
So how do we keep safe when tradespeople are in the home? Here are some top tips from Local Heroes:
- Don’t book anyone to come to your house if you’re exhibiting symptoms of Covid. That one is basic common sense!
- Talk to your tradesperson before the appointment to make sure you’re both comfortable on what you’ll do to ensure everyone is safe. With Local Heroes, there’s a messaging platform that makes this process really easy.
- Clean any surfaces the tradesperson might touch before their visit, and clean again after the visit.
- Leave all the doors open between the front door and the work site, so that the tradesperson doesn’t need to touch surfaces unnecessarily.
- When your tradesperson arrives, ensure they know where they can wash their hands, and make sure you have soap and towels available.
- Throughout the appointment, use social distancing – that means no shaking hands, no cuppa and definitely no biscuits! Ideally you should both wear masks and minimise the time you spend in the same room, if you can.
I’m really pleased that we’ve learned how to hire a tradesperson safely during pandemic. These little bathroom lights mean I can finally take a bubble bath with soft lighting (and an episode of something suitably low-brow on the iPad) – which is the perfect antidote to the stress of everyday life these days!
