Before another year passes...

[tyghra]

We've moved out of the flat and into the new house.  No renovation required.  Bliss.

Still have old house in Goulburn.  Renovation has stopped. It's mostly empty.  Needs a spot of painting and regular garden maintenance but will be on the market soon.  Mostly dependent on funds being available but that should change imminently

Comments

[kareina]

Thanks for the newsy update!

I am curious why you don't charge for the repairs. Set a rate at twice the local minimum wadge track the hour

Sorry, hit post by mistake

[kareina]

...track hours each repair takes, including getting out tools and cleaning up after and charge by the hour. Then you can say "sorry, I don't do repairs anymore, but could make an exception if you pay X/hr." That should discourage most from imposing, and a few will pay for your time.

Or set rate even higher...

[tyghra]

Oh I hear you and believe me I know how to quote for jewellery jobs. It was my professional life

[kareina]

I understand the part about "would rather just say no", but when it is a really good friend or someone who you feel like you owe a favour it can be hard to say. So if instead you say "Sorry, I don't do repairs (+/- reasons you state above), but because you are special I can make an exception if you can afford to pay me X for the time" and make X at least twice (or perhaps ten times if you really, really don't like that sort of job) what you would charge for the same amount of time to make a new item that might be enough to get most people not to give you repair jobs at all, and if someone wants to use the friendship to get you to do one anyway, the extra cash will compensate for the down sides. Basically I am all for anything that helps reinforce that "no" and, when the exceptions to "no" come up (because with friends it isn't if but when they will ask for an exception) find a way to make the exceptions not be as much of a problem for you

[tyghra]

Yes you're right. I'll probably have to suggest that I 'can' do the job but only as an exception if they can pay for the time I could be doing other, more enjoyable work.

I went to knock all of the jobs over today and due to the house move, I realised I'm missing a small toolbox somewhere. Better now than during a paying job I guess!

Yes to the personal touch of LJ. I posted something on FB the other day that was a longer read on the impermanence of life and being with a quote I liked tagged in. Usually there are a number of silly quips thrown my way but only two people actually hit the 'like' and I think of both those people as more ponderous than most. It reinforced what I like about it here, or keeping a personal journal. I don't care if no-one responds here. It's my place rather than a bulletin board. Not that I don't enjoy the fun aspect of fb but it often lends itself to either complete silliness or ends up as a stage for the drama llamas.

Nice to have heard from you :)