Getting the jobs done

In anticipation of the tax rebate I secured last week from the Inland Revenue, I have this week set about spending some of it. Unfortunately, the aforesaid rebate hasn't ACTUALLY arrived yet but I am sure it will in the next day or two. It had better. I've got a man coming to relocate a fence on Friday.

You see, there have been a few jobs on our household 'to do' list that have been sitting there so long they are gathering their own dust, which isn't bad for an abstract concept. One of these was to get the top opener of the bathroom window fixed so we can open it when the shower is going, thereby letting the steam out into the big wide world and not trapping it in the bathroom so it can aid mould growth on the walls and ceiling. We had got past the stage of 'the whole window will have to be replaced' to 'it's only the side friction bars that need doing and we can get those for a few quid each and do it ourselves.' So that saved us some money before we even started. Andy research the practicalities of changing these bars. He declared it was a two person job- one on the inside of the window, one on the outside balanced atop a ladder. Apparently, top openers, although small, are VERY HEAVY.

As soon as Andy mentioned 'ladder' and 'very heavy', I had visions of imminent death, or at the least major paralysis, so I thought 'This is a job for Rated People.' Rated People is a website where you register jobs you want doing and then tradespeople with the relevant skills put in bids to do the job. You can then choose your tradesperson based on price, availability and ratings they have received from previous customers. I have used the site twice before and been very pleased with the work done on both occasions.

So I posted the window job and by the end of the day had been contacted by two companies. One of them was from Essex and didn't quote me a price. I thought, it's going to cost me extra for travel costs, so I plumped for the other chap who was only 6 miles away. 'I can come out this afternoon at 4,' he said. 'Great,' I said. 'How much?' 'Twenty five pounds, including parts,' he said. 'Bargain,' I said and the deal was done.

Bolstered by what appeared like another success, I posted another job. We want to move the back fence further down the driveway to create a patio area for our lovely chunky wooden garden furniture (well, it's not very lovely at the moment because when the hens had free range of the garden they rather liked sitting on the backs of the chairs and benches and pooping on them. And walking up and down the table, pooping on that too. But once I set to with a wire brush and a bucket or two of hot soapy water, the furniture will be good as new. And it needed re-staining this year, so was due an overhaul anyway.)

When the furniture first arrived four years ago, (not a random act of appearance, I bought it at a garden show) it was located on a convenient concrete slab and we used it a lot, eating outside nearly every evening during the summer. The following year the greenhouse arrived and needed a concrete base, so the furniture was moved onto the existing (and very wobbly patio) which was okay, although it was a bit close to the drains. Then the Eglu and the hens arrived, and the furniture was squashed even closer to the house and we hardly used it at all last year 1) because of the chicken poop and 2) because last summer it rained and was not conducive to outdoor eating.

But this year, the furniture will have a new home. It will be down the side of the house on the top part of the drive. I have visions of a lovely new fence and gate, painted Mediterranean blue, maybe. The space will be filled with pots and pots of flowers and herbs. The walls on either side will be resplendent with wisteria and clematis which I shall train over a pergola and on summer evenings, Andy and I shall sit al fresco, 'neath the scent of the flowers, eating homegrown organic salad and new potatoes, or homemade sundried tomato and rosemary foccacia, and homegrown strawberries and raspberries feeling throughly smug with our life.

And then I was contacted by a tradesperson to do the fence job. And it turned out to be the same chap who was coming to do the window. The chap arrived promptly at 4. It took him precisely 10 minutes to mend the window with no need for a second person balancing precariously on a ladder outside. He then did me a quote for the fence which I accepted. 'When do you want it done?' he asked. 'Oh, as soon as possible,' I said, eyeing my many tomato plants that are in desperate need of the patio space currently occupied by the furniture. 'Friday be okay?' he said. 'What? This Friday?' I said. 'Yes,' he said.

Now that's what I call service! I made the tradesman, who shall be called Guy, because that's his name, a cup of tea, and he admired the chickens and told me about his mum who lives on a small- holding in Lincolnshire and has just bought three cows.

You see, just when life was starting to feel a bit stodgy, a bit 'wading-through-treacle' like, a little spot of excitement happens. With a Bank Holiday weekend imminent and the promise of lovely weather here in the South, I am very excited about spending time creating our new patio garden area. I spent all day today planting on masses of bee flowers ready to put into borders and pots. And tomorrow, I'm off to buy a wire scrubbing brush!

How exciting is that!!