Tradesmen Hibernate in Winter

If you’re in need of fixing a leaking roof, a broken furnace or in need of a new gas fire installed, you should probably act sooner rather than later. New Zealand faces a nationwide problem in which the trades industry fails to meet surges of pre-winter demand.

Although this is a nationwide problem, Auckland and Christchurch are struck the hardest. Industry insiders say this is because in Auckland and Christchurch tradespeople are hot property due to the demand for new housing.

New Zealand Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers deputy chairman Dave Strong believes the recession and and households delaying work are also to blame. “There is definitely a shortage of the trades in general. People are wanting to get work done that they probably held off for the last few years, so demand is quite high. Because of the economic downturn in the last few years the training of apprentices didn’t happen as much and this is the backlash.” He told the NZ Herald.

Also to blame are the falling temperatures. People decide they need alterations and new appliances to be installed. Delays are so drastic that some people have to wait a month before getting work done if their request is considered minor. To save time, the NZ Herald offered these five suggestions for beating the winter rush:

1 Book a service for your heating system in advance.
2 Clean your gutters and chimney.
3 Check your roof for leaks.
4 If you’re buying a new heating system, choose a store that offers installation, it might help you skip the queue.
5 Phone around. If your regular tradie is booked out, try someone new.