Builders Holidays 2018 - See How Many Are Taking Them And Why You Should

A recent survey of over 1500 self-employed tradesmen and builders revealed only a minority will observe the traditional builders holidays.

A recent survey of over 1500 self-employed tradesmen and builders revealed only 17% will observe the traditional builders' holidays in 2018. We explore the potential reasons why and if you should take them.

There was a time when builders and tradesmen would automatically take the designated annual builders' holidays around the month of August. It was never a discussion, major contractors would simply down tools to follow union guidelines and smaller contractors would be forced to follow suit. This practice crept into the domestic home improvement sector, with many self-employed tradesmen following suit. After all, we all need holidays - this simply followed protocol with customers being mostly accepting of the tradition, even if it fell mid-project.

The recession put paid to all of that, however, with many builders and self-employed tradesmen opting to power through and make money while it was on offer. A ‘Needs Must’ scenario if there was ever one, as there was no certainty on ‘the next job’ and no backlog of work on offer.

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Now, in 2018 with a hugely improved economy and home improvement jobs up over 40% on the Onlinetradesmen service alone in the last 12 months, 83% of tradesmen who responded to our survey have still indicated the need to ‘Power through’ and to forego their annual break in the interest of cash flow.

There is absolute merit in making hay while the sun shines and all of that, but where does the widespread reluctance in taking the break to holiday with family or friends still come from in 2018 with work for tradesmen so abundant?

Its likely complicated, with many having personal reasons to resist, but the overriding feeling from the survey results is that many tradesmen and construction workers still eye the sector with some uncertainty. After experiencing the unparalleled heights of the Celtic tiger construction boom, and the subsequent nosedive of the recession, many still harbour a deep suspicion of the so-called ‘recovery’. Throw in the global turmoil of Brexit, Trump and a deeply confused and lagging property sector - and hey presto, there are valid grounds for this thinking.

But like every argument, simply having grounds does not make you right. It difficult to ignore the fundamentals of a consistent surge in the volume of home improvement projects nationwide, the increasing availability of home improvement credit for homeowners being peddled by all banks, buttressed by the undeniable upward swing in the overall Irish economy. When combined, they provide a decisive and compelling counterargument to the doubters.

At Onlinetradesmen.ie we have experienced record increases in job numbers across all trades categories over the last number of years. Since 2012 ‘flagship’ projects such as house extensions and large refurbishments have more than quadrupled. Jobs for plumbers, electricians and landscapers are up an average of 30% year on year.

This couldn’t be a coincidence. The scale, cost and range of all the home improvement project types on our service is too broad for it to be an anomaly. The sector has recovered, and the fundamentals are vibrant again.

So if you are harbouring doubts about taking a break - take your holidays. Get some rest, recharge your batteries and plan out the rest of the year. The opportunities will be there when you get back. The world might have changed a bit (it seems to every day at the moment) but if you’re good at what you do, You’ll still be in demand.