Grrr...

Since I bought my current house, I've found it difficult to get people in to give me quotes for jobs around the house - upgrade heating, fix windows etc. I don't know why that is. Even before Covid kicked in, it has been a massive ball ache.

Another example is that my roof has been leaking. It's weird that it only happens when the wind blows in a certain direction and the rain finds a way in. But I first noticed it about 18 months ago and it has slowly, but surely, been getting worse. either that or the direction of the wind has shifted from west to east to the opposite direction.

I tried three or four people at the start of the year and everyone told me the same thing.

"Too busy."

"Can you come out, price up the job and pencil me in any way? The roof is leaking it needs fixing."

"Sorry."

Cut to a few weeks ago. I found another roofing guy. He promised to come round the next day and estimate. He never showed up. I followed up this week and lo and behold, he actually turned up today and quickly estimated the job.

And then the bombshell.

"I won't do it unless you get your neighbours on board. It's pointless for me to fix one side of the chimney and have it leak from the other!"

It made sense, but that meant I now have to go and talk to my neighbour about a job that will cost a couple of hundred pounds that he might not even need right now. Obviously, the emphasis is "right now". If his chimney isn't leaking, it will in future.

I need the work done. If I have to, I'll pay for the entire thing, which will add about a third of the price.

It's frustrating though because I hate talking to people that I don't know. And now I have to talk to my neighbour about money. There's other stuff that needs done - our shared fence is on its last legs, for example. So, if I pay for the roof work, he can pay for the fence. I just hate the conversation and I'm already stressed out about it, even though my neighbours are nice people (even if we don't really interact).