Add to your core skills to tackle general repair and fixes

Training your team in general repairs and building upgrades could see you enhancing your core business by offering a more complete service - so says Logic4training’s Mark Krull. Here, in his latest column offering advice for small businesses, he looks at what’s driving the repair and maintenance markets and how tradespeople can get involved.

Over the past few years, the majority of us spent much more time at home than at any other period in recent history. Time on our hands and sometimes extra cash for those on furlough, but with nowhere to spend their earnings, inspired a sharp rise in home improvement projects during the periods of lockdown. This trend continued post-pandemic, with more than three-quarters (77%) of UK homeowners investing in their properties in 2021.

The other trend inspired by Covid is a dramatic rise in holiday lets. With foreign travel off the table, or fraught with

New course to cover repairs and maintenance

The new Property Maintenance course from Logic4Training is aimed at experienced trades people as well as those just starting out in the industry who want the skills needed to complete essential maintenance and repairs. The course covers a broad range of topics, including mould and damp issues, basic plumbing, heating, and electrics. Candidates will also learn how to identify building defects, make necessary repairs, and determine when professional help is needed.

Mark Krull, MD at Logic4training, says: “We are delighted to launch a new course to skill up the growing number of people who are undertaking property maintenance and repair. Total household spending on maintenance and repair has risen over 60% in the last decade, making it a valuable business opportunity for tradespeople and property maintenance professionals, particularly with the recent boom in short-term holiday lets.

“We wanted to make this course as accessible as possible. No formal experience is required, opening it up to homeowners undertaking renovation work, self-builders and tenants, as well as landlords who want to save money by bringing skills ‘in-house’. This course delivers the skills and confidence to use tools and ‘do-ityourself’, making the budget stretch further.”

Upon successful completion of the course, candidates will receive a Logic4training Certificate in Property Maintenance. To find out more and sign up for Logic4training’s Property Maintenance training course, use the link below.

◼ phamnews.co.uk/423/21 uncertainty, many more people chose UK destinations for a break. According to analysis of council figures by the BBC, the number of holiday lets in England rose by 40% between 2018 and 2021. In a CPRE research report, findings show that in rural staycation hotspots this increase rose 1000% between 2015 and 2021.

Outside of holiday lets, the rental sector offers a number of business opportunities to multi-skilled tradespeople, particularly in commercial buildings (such as office blocks) and student accommodation where general upkeep is very much the responsibility of the landlord.

Complementary skills

Successful businesses identify opportunity and diversify to meet demand. Having staff in your team with a wide range of skills will enable you to take on more work. Add-ons could be anything from decorating to insulation and general repairs. Many property maintenance tasks do not require formal qualifications, and a number of complementary skills can be covered in one course.

Gaining more rounded skills means you’re less likely to need to call in outside help when completing your bread-andbutter tasks, and more likely to provide a tidy finish that will lead to happy customers and repeat business.

By seeking out practical talent ready to grow your business quickly, you may also come across future engineering stars who can go on to be upskilled in more training heavy areas, such as gas ACS.

Location matters

Where you live will also impact the services you offer – caravan parks, for example, need LPG servicing; homes by the sea suffer from external masonry issues; student areas will have a high turnover of tenants and therefore continued maintenance works at regular intervals.

The ideal customer-base for this type of works is landlords and estate agents, who will have a number of properties that need looking at, at any one time. Flexibility is really important in this marketplace. Consider offering weekend and evening call-outs to cover emergencies – particularly important in the rental sector.

In line with the holiday-let boom mentioned at the start, there has been a sharp rise in holiday let management companies and they will be looking for trades people able to maintain the upkeep of properties on their books. Whether part of a wider business ambition, or just a desire to bring more skills in-house and ensure jobs are fi nished neatly, taking a broader view when it comes to the maintenance tasks peripheral to your core business will help you stand out from your competitors.

Get the course

We here at Logic4training have launched a new course designed to give both beginners and experienced installers the instruction they need to carry out a wide and varied range of repair and maintenance skills. See the tinted box, left, for further details.