April 2003
How much should we pay for a woman?
Doesn’t a heading like this catch your attention? I read
what I thought was an article in a journal that I had picked
up. In fact it was a clever advertisement from an insurance company
that I would say caught the eye of many people, especially women.
The article read as follows:
It was in the newspapers a while ago. A financial analyst in
America (where else?) has worked out, using an unknown method,
that the value of that most mythical figure….the typical “mum” ….is
a staggering US$508,700 per annum.
Now this value was computed by looking at the average salary
paid to people working in the 17 key occupational positions a
mother fulfils in her typical 24-hour-day, 7 day-a-week, 52-weeks-a-year
role. And even then, the National Organisation of Women said
that the figure was understated.
In these enlighten days the role of a mum can be played by
either partner so that the figure applies to whoever is the caregiver
(or, if the role is split between partners the value is split
equally).
What the article was trying to do was simply ask you to give
thought to what might happen if one of you were taken out of
the picture either by disability or death. As this situation
would apply to many people who read my articles I thought I might
include it as food for thought.
Attention all workaholics:
I heard some interesting phrases that will help put life in
perspective for those that work long hours so that you or your
family may enjoy a higher standard of living.
Fly first class because if you don’t your kids will.
Treat every day as if it were your last because one day it
will be.
We’re not here for a long time, we’re here for
a good time, so make sure you enjoy it and have fun.
And finally, when we are lying on our deathbed and about to
confront our maker, we don’t say, “please God, give
me one more hour at the office”. No, we say, “please
God, give me one more hour with my family or the people I love
or the things I love to do”.
I used to work 60 to 70 hours (sometimes +) a week. I’m
now down to a respectable 40 to 45. My wife said to me if you
don’t slow down you will end up killing yourself and I’ll
be forced to go and do a lot more shopping for all your hard
work. “What,” I said, “buy more clothes, I
think I’d better slow down”.
Get a building permit: (Part two)
As you probably read in the last newsletter, not getting a building
permit for construction work you do around home could end up
being the most costly exercise you ever make. However, the reason
for this follow-up is that the day of the DIY carpentry to the
home renovation may finally have come to an end.
Since the leaking building scandal hit the news noises have
been coming from the powers-of-be that one of the recommendations
will be that the building industry be registered, just like plumbers
and electricians. In other words, building work will only be
able to be carried out by a qualified or registered building
contractor.
One could suggest that the “do-it-yourselfer” could
still carry out the work under the umbrella of a registered builder
(or whatever they decide to call them) and that that registered
builder could inspect and approve the work, the same way it currently
happens with other registered trades. The problem is that the
registered builder is still liable for the work. I, therefore,
believe registered builder would be a fool to put his name to
someone else’s work especially when that registered builder
is liable for 50 years (if he lives that long or hasn’t
set up a shell business). Coupled with the fact that work carried
out in this manner and not overseen or supervised directly by
the registered contractor is still illegal and insurance would
still be affected if not cancelled.
Whatever happens, its interesting times and more red tape ahead.
How to employ your friends or family
If you cherish the relationship you have with your friends and
family, for goodness sake set the same rules for them as you
would for a stranger. Often when carrying out construction work
at home there are timetables to work to, and other subcontractors
to work in with. All too often friends and family are employed
as part of a favour, and because of that there is no sense of
urgency and no commitment to completion.
So if you want to come out the other end of a project still
mates, I suggest you enter into it in a professional manner.
If you want a really good job done you must be prepared to pay
them really well. If you want the work carried out with a specific
time frame then it must be agreed to before work starts. Getting
work done for mates rates almost never works and is a recipe
for disaster.
The Sheffield Homestead, start of a
new era.
Late last year we sold our Heritage Homestead showhome. We
had it on display in Masterton for a little over three years
and in that time I estimate we would have had in excess of 7500
visitors. I don’t believe that figure would be too far
away as over the first two weekends of the showhome opening we
had 1500 visitors from a head count. Of course many of those
early visitors were people like you who subscribe to our newsletter
who had a special invitation to the opening one weekend before
the public opening.
That last showhome had a lot of visual appeal and I suppose
you’d have to say that it could be categorised as a character
home. However the new showhome will be different in so far as
it will be distinctive by its period design. This showhome is
based on a 1910 Victorian bay villa style, and although it will
be authentic in many respects and have the charm of that era
it is designed for modern living.
We don’t have any brochures or costings yet although
they will be available soon.
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