Services (garden, handymen, electricians, plumbing, pool services, security) in Dublin

Plumbers in Ireland used to be as hard to get hold of as a day of sunshine, but now that the construction boom has slowed considerably any problem your pipes are having can be patched up in more of a jiffy than before. That isn't to say waiting is over; just that it will get done this month instead of this year.

Many professional workers have been laid-off from the big construction sites and are working independently. This means lots of Dublin Handyman-type adverts. It's usually a safe bet to go with someone like this, but do check that they've carried out similar work before.

Rates

With more service people chasing the same number of clients, and with many of those clients suffering from shrinking pockets, the outlook is good for an expat looking to save a few euro on bills.

You'll notice adverts for both handymen and tradesmen. A tradesman is someone qualified in a particular area - carpentry or brick-laying for example. The handyman could be a jack of all trades, or he could be a tradesman who is branching out; inspired by the recession to take up some other skills.

Though pools are a faux pas in the Celtic Tiger, gardens can often demand some upkeep. There are plenty of bushwackers and landscaping auteurs roaming the city, so consider your needs and choose accordingly.

Booking Services

It's getting easier to tie service providers down to specific time slots, but you’ll still experience rescheduling or large windows of time that chain you to the house. Some services, like the companies installing TV connections, can happily inform you they will come by between 9am and 4pm; expecting you to sit in and wait for them.

Take note of times and get the name of the person you're dealing with; names are the magic key for getting through when your temper is running short.