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It is 5:10 am on the 18th May 2012

Getting repairs and decorating done

If you need repairs doing to your home, there is help available to you.

Homeowners

You may have the money to cover the cost of the work that you need doing, but you want someone to help you through the process. If so, Mears Home Improvements Ltd (formerly Anchor Staying Put) can outline all of the financial options for you, so that you can make an informed decision about which is the right way forward.

Mears Home Improvements Ltd provide a range of services for older and/or disabled homeowners in Newcastle upon Tyne. These services include:

Their advisory service is free. If you decide to carry out the work with their help, Mears Home Improvements Ltd will charge a fee of around 10% of the cost of the work. They will organise and supervise the work for you, including doing a final inspection of the work to ensure that it is completed to a good standard. Visit the website for further information, or contact them using the details below.

Mears Home Improvements Ltd also has a Small Repairs service for older people who own their own home and live in Newcastle or Gateshead. This has been set up to help people to carry out repairs to their property at an affordable price. They have a team of Small Repairs Technicians who will visit you in your home and assess the work required. The type of work that they can help with includes minor joinery, plumbing and non-electrical mains work. They can also help with things like changing light bulbs and door handles. They charge a flat fee of £5 or £10 for each job that they carry out (depending on the size of the job), plus the cost of any materials that they purchase on your behalf.

For further information, call the Small Repairs service at Mears Home Improvements Ltd on telephone number 0800 111 4418, or you can write to or email them using their main office contact details which are given below.

Newcastle Trades Register

To help older people find reliable, trustworthy tradespeople, Mears Home Improvements Ltd (formerly Anchor Staying Put) have set up the Newcastle Trades Register, which holds details of tradespeople who have been vetted and had their work assessed by Mears. The list includes:

For further information and contact details, see our section on The Newcastle Trades Register.

Your Homes Newcastle (Council) tenants

If you need a repair doing to your home you should contact the Repairs Centre using the details given below, or you can call into any housing office or Customer Service Centre. You can report repairs 24 hours a day by telephone, or online. You should give as much information as possible, not just about the repair, but also about when you are available to have it fixed.

Most repairs will be carried out within five working days of being reported. The only reasons your repair will not be carried out are:

As you are a Your Homes Newcastle tenant, they will cover the cost of the work that you need doing. They will also organise the work for you and will, where possible, ensure that it is carried out at a time convenient to you.

Many council tenants believe that the council automatically insures their furniture, belongings and decorations against fire, theft, vandalism or water damage such as burst pipes - this is not the case. Your Homes Newcastle strongly advises all tenants to take out household contents insurance. Tenants can do this either through a scheme arranged by Newcastle City Council or by making their own private arrangements.

To join the YHN scheme you can pick up an application form at your local Community Housing Office. Telephone 0191 278 8644 or visit the YHN website for more information.

Private tenants

If you need repairs doing to your home, you should contact your landlord. They are usually responsible for carrying out most general repairs and maintenance and for paying for them. However, you should check your tenancy agreement in case you are responsible for some repairs. If you don't understand the terms of your tenancy agreement and would like someone to go through it with you, you can contact the Housing Advice Centre or Shelter using the details given below.

If your landlord is responsible for the repairs and you are having difficulty in getting them to do the work, or if you are concerned about contacting your landlord and would like some support and advice, you could also contact the Housing Advice Centre, Shelter, or Newcastle Law Centre, using the details given below.

Poppy Calls - The Royal British Legion

Poppy Calls is a free handy-person service for people who are unable to carry out small repairs and minor adaptations to their homes. It is open to people who served in the Forces and their dependants. To qualify for the service you must also receive a means-tested benefit or tax/pension credit. Poppy Calls can help with a range of small household repairs and minor adaptations such as fitting smoke detectors, ramps and care phones.

All of the handy people are vetted, carry identification, wear a branded uniform and drive a branded van. Telephone 0800 032 0306 for further information or visit the website www.britishlegion.org.uk

Other Useful Information

Affordable Electrical Goods

Renew North East is a charity which recycles and refurbishes electrical items and white goods. They then sell these items at greatly reduced prices. Please visit the www.renewnortheast.co.uk for more information.

How to make your home a better place to live information guides

Care and Repair England have published a number of guides on How to make your home a better place to live. These guides include advice on improving your home which are specific to a variety of health conditions. Please click the links below to visit the Care and Repair website.

For more information relating to the health conditions mentioned above please visit the Health Conditions and Illnesses section on Information Now.

Contact Information

Care and Repair England
Care & Repair England, The Renewal Trust Business Centre, 3 Hawksworth Street, Nottingham, NG3 2EG.
Telephone : 0115 950-6500.
Email : info@careandrepair-england.org.uk

Housing Advice Centre
112 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6SQ.
Telephone : 0191 277 1711.

Mears Home Improvements Ltd (formerly Anchor Staying Put)
Hawks Road, Gateshead, NE8 3BL.
Telephone : 0800 111 4418.

Newcastle Law Centre
1st Floor, Charlotte Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4XF.
Telephone : 0191 230 4777, Fax : 0191 233 0295.
Email : info@newcastlelawcentre.co.uk

Poppy Calls - The Royal British Legion
Telephone Helpline : 0800 032 0306.
Email : homesupportadmin@britishlegion.org.uk

Renew North East
1-7 Baltic Road, Felling, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, NE10 0SB.
Telephone : 0191 469 7068.
Email : enquiries@renewnortheast.com

Repairs Centre - Newcastle City Council
Neighbourhood Services Directorate, Atkinson House, Cypress Avenue, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 9JJ.
Telephone : 0845 113 8888, Telephone Helpline : 0191 277 8888.
Email : repairs@newcastle.gov.uk

Shelter North East
1-2 Blackfriars Court, Dispensary Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4XB.
Telephone : 0344 515 1601, Fax : 0344 515 2914.
Email : tyneside@shelter.org.uk

Your Homes Newcastle
YHN House, Benton Park Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE7 7LX.
Telephone : 0191 278 8600, Minicom : 0191 278 7727.

Article last updated May 9, 2012 2:29 pm

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