Anxiety Of Life

I am making my way through my work. Still booked out for 5 weeks. People are asking me to do more work and recommending me. So that is very pleasing.

Something still eats at me though. When I was in a full-time job. I was relaxed because I knew I would be in work for the next year. (With the exception of redundancy and sacking).

It’s not like that anymore. I am getting some anxiety. Will I have work in the next few months? What if it stops? What then?

Its great having the freedom of being my own boss, but is it worth the anxiety?

Booked for 7 Weeks!

Work is going well at the moment. I have work booked for the next 7 weeks. That is really good news for me. 7 weeks!! They aren’t massive jobs; garden walls, decorating, laying patios…that kind of thing. I did however get offered a big job the other day…building a garage. Ummm..hello…I am a DIY handyman not Sir Robert McAlpine construction company. I politely turned it down.



So things are going rather well. I am still anxious at times. I worry if I am up to the job. I am slower than most builders, but I am cheaper than most builders. I charge about £100 a day. That is £15 an hour. Reasonable I think compared to some tradesmen out there.

Well it must be reasonable if I am booked for 7 weeks. Hopefully my work goes well and I will be booked for another 7 weeks. Here goes…

I have been getting some outdoor work recently. It’s great. It’s the reason I wanted to do DIY. I have been building a garden wall. The wall is only small and runs around the garden. Its purpose is to stop weeds and earth getting onto the grass.

The reason I am posting is to let you know how great it is to work outside. I know the novelty will wear off when rain is lashing into my face, but its great to breath fresh air and not be sat on my ass all day.

I hope everyone tries to get out as much as they can.

First Job

I have been getting some work, nothing too serious. I had to decorate 3 bedrooms for a few neighbours and decorate a bathroom. I’m glad it’s not too strenuous because I am starting out, and to be honest I am just relieved to get some work.

Everything went well. The clients were pleased. The wife tells me to stay patient and the more good work I do the more people will gossip about me (Gossip in a good way! – I hope.).

I have 3 kids (a girl and 2 boys, 20, 18 and 14), a dog, 2 cats and a wife to support. So waiting for DIY work to arrive is not easy. I sometimes contemplate applying for another office job, although that would be admitting defeat. I could go back, but to a life I didn’t enjoy, on less money and with less responsibility.

I will stick with the DIY life for now…



This is a picture of one of the rooms I decorated. It is a really nice room actually. Luckily it had no furniture in it so I didn’t have to worry about moving furniture or using any dust covers, except for the floor of course.

The Beginning - Preparation

Printing the fliers wasn’t so bad. I did a simple design on my PC. Then took the file, saved in a MS Word document, to my local printer. They printed off 500. They are about the size of a postcard. I will load an image of one up soon. The cost to get them printed was £150.00. Not cheap, but they started to bring in customers.

I went around my local area posting them through front doors. The most response I got was from the flier I posted in my local shop. I posted them in many local shops, yet the responses came from one particular shop. Weird.

I got lucky with the van. It’s a good size VW Caddy. It cost about £2000. It’s in good condition, messy inside though. I purchased signs on the outside that are magnetic. They match the fliers and cost £100 each. I just attach them to either side of the van when working. At night pull them off.

So I’m prepared…kinda.

The Beginning

Where shall I start? I will start from the beginning. I was born in Bristol on a Monday morning…wait…not that far in the beginning. Ok, I will start from 2007. I quit my job. Why? Easy decision really. I did not like it and they made my life hell. So I quit. Stress was getting the better of me and I was left with no choice.

Quitting was the easy bit. What do I do next? DIY, I can do DIY; I had done lots of it in my last property. Everyone needs an odd job done here and there. Builders are too busy for the small job. Who will lay a small patio or build a garden wall. I will. I can decorate, plaster, build (small scale), etc.

Everything seemed in order. I will make the fliers on my pc and take them to a printing company. I have some tools already. Purchase a van next. Take it from there.