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How to Handle Home Maintenance Emergencies Under Lockdown

By Jamie Richardson | May 4, 2020

The rapid spread of COVID-19 has sent a chill around the world not only because millions of people are suffering from the disease but also because of the economic impact, and the sense of fear comes with not knowing what will happen next. 

However, life must go on, and for those of us who are living under lockdown, this means dealing with home maintenance emergencies. For example, what do you do if you must call a plumber while there is tremendous uncertainty about the spread of COVID-19? The simple answer is that you call the plumber and try to protect yourself, your family, and your plumber or electrician as best as possible.

In order to expect a good job from your plumber, it requires them to have only the best training and plumbing tools.” In the age of COVID, this also means that they wear a mask when they are in your home. Keep in mind they are coming to help you, but they are also on the frontlines of this crisis, and as such, they should be wearing the proper protective equipment.

Besides the need for people visiting your house to wear a mask, you will also need to keep in mind that even if you aren’t living under a lockdown, social distancing has made it harder to arrange repairs. This is especially true if you are trying to organize repairs for a rental property.

Even with the state of emergency, many governments have not altered their guidance to landlords requiring repairs, but there is also a need to take common-sense precautions. As such, you might need to prioritize repairs based on whether they are deemed urgent or not.


The same is true if you are renting as you might need to work with your landlord to work out the best way to handle a home repair. This could include delaying repairs or even doing them yourself – in some cases. This could be used to offset any rent due so that it could be a win-win for everyone.

In terms of what is considered an “emergency” repair during the COVID crisis, these would be issues that impact the health, safety, or security of the homeowner or residents. For example, gas leaks, carbon monoxide, plumbing issues, or electrical issues would constitute an emergency.

If you are renting, then you will usually call the management office to schedule a repair, and your landlord will have to deal with the logistics. But if you are a homeowner, then you will want to have a list of repairmen on hand as this will make it easier to get help fast. If you do not have a list, then you can check online for reviews or ask around to find out who comes highly recommended.


From there, you want to contact the repairman or their office to determine the best way they can come to visit your home. While you might be stuck at home, you will probably want to ensure that your family is in a separate part of the house, and as mentioned, everyone should be taking precautions such as masks and handwashing.

One thing you might want to keep in mind is that some repairmen or agencies might have decided to shutter during the various states of emergencies. As such, you will want to check if they are still operating during this time, and if not, is there anyone else they would recommend.

Beyond this, remember that you should take sensible precautions when whirlpool appliance repair Edmonton services comes to your home. This includes keeping a distance of at least six feet and to disinfect surfaces. Doing so will not only minimize the risk of transmission when the repairman is in your home but also ensure that commonly used surfaces do not become places where the virus can hide.

Remember, this is not to say that every maintenance specialist is a carrier; however, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Many maintenance specialists are following similar precautions during this time as they are in the unfortunate position of meeting people whom they might not know – as such, there job is high risk.

Another thing to consider is your situation. If you are in isolation, then you will want to make sure you enforce even stricter distancing measures. This could include only talking to the repairman via video chat or the phone. Doing so will help to fix your home repair while maintaining isolation measures.

The COVID-19 crisis has impacted the lives of billions of people around the world, but life still goes on, and this means that things around the house will continue to break down. While the lockdowns have made getting repairs done more complicated, it is not impossible. 

Just prioritize the work that needs to be done, and they reach out to the right person to determine how and when to get the job done. This way, being stuck at home will not feel unbearable.

Jamie is a 5-year freelance writer who enjoys real estate. He is currently a Realty Biz News Contributor.
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