As we look to expand our Works Team this year, we thought it would be good to hear from one of our current team members. Let's get an insight into the responsibilities, duties and benefits they have as an Ultralets Maintenance Engineer.

 

We asked Tom, one of our Maintenance Engineers, a few questions to help us all understand a little more about his role within Ultralets. Let's see what he had to say:

 

 

Well, it mostly depends on the task I have been given. Let's say it's a maintenance job, first of all, I would take a look at the job that has been given to me on FixFlo and make a judgement call on the time it may take and any materials I might need. I would then head on over to the property, either with keys or meet the tenant there, which would have been confirmed by the office beforehand.

 

If I looked at the job before heading to the property and decided I would need some additional materials, I have the freedom to be able to head to a local trade supplies store like B&Q or Screwfix. Being trusted with an expense card saves so much time and hassle, having to go through a long-winded purchase order approval system that I know many places use.

 

Refurbishments are a bit of a different set-up. I will usually be sent over the job details and the allotted time that has been quoted to the landlord. I will tend to head over to the property on day one to do a scan through the full property just to visually assess the extent of the works, then I would get to work.

 

 

The flexibility is great, I can choose to work when I want to and I can take an early finish or take a day off if something comes up that I need to attend to. I know that there is a lot of choice as to the length of my working days. Let's say I start a paint job in a property and it runs past the end of the day, if I am nearly finished or think it would be best to wrap it up that day, I can stay as long as I need to get the job done and I just submit the hours that I worked.

 

I also know that I would be able to pick up some work on a weekend if I knew I needed a couple of days off mid-week. The office keeps us in the loop about the growth of the business and the new properties we take on to manage, so I haven't worried about not getting any work through at any point with Ultralets.

 

 

 

Not being a Hull-native I really like getting to understand the city more. Working on properties all over the city, I get to see a lot of places you normally wouldn't see around Hull. The nature of maintenance work also means that you can almost guarantee your next job will never be the same. This gives me a chance to develop all of my skills, whether that be painting, plastering or plumbing. Ultralets also help to push me to develop more skills, asking if I would be comfortable doing a job that may not be my main skill set and giving me the opportunity to take on the job and develop my skills.

 

The work is challenging in terms of being given a problem and being the one person tasked to fix it, but the good thing about Ultralets is the company culture and teamwork. If there is an issue or defect that someone doesn't know how to fix, or they aren't 100% sure about their solution, we can reach out to Jack or one of the other maintenance team members for a second opinion.

 

I find the work to be very rewarding, I can walk into a run-down, dated property and at the end of a refurb walk out with it fresh, modern and inviting. There is also a deep satisfaction to be gained from being given a problem and coming up with the solution to fix it to restore someone's facilities or improve someones living conditions. When you are responsible for restoring services and facilities for a tenant, at that moment in time you are the one person that they are relying on to get back to normal, there's definitely some pressure there but once I have completed my work, there is a satisfaction to it.

 

I also get to meet some great characters in the tenants that are in the properties I am working on. I find myself in some great conversations and get to learn a lot about Hull's diverse people.

 

 

There are a lot of benefits to working with Ultralets. I have been given a company van, knowing that the company have the payments and insurance covered and all I need to do is top up the fuel with the company fuel card. Living in Hornsea, a company vehicle has enabled me to continue to work, doing what I enjoy and providing Ultralets' maintenance service in the Hull & surrounding area.

 

Then there is the expense card. It means a lot to be trusted to make necessary purchases for the work I am attending, it absolutely cuts down on the time it takes to resolve maintenance issues. I also have flexibility on the locations that I can buy materials from, like B&Q or Screwfix. Of course, this is within reason, large purchases will always need to be authorised but if I need an extra tin of paint I can nip down to my local store and stock up.

 

I mentioned before about the company culture and teamwork, the company understands that things aren't always straightforward, and is more than happy to lend extra hands if something unprecedented happens during a job. I also know that my opinion is valued, for example recently in a refurbishment, I could tell that the new kitchen layout wasn't going to work logistically - I fed that back to the office and got it amended, they didn't challenge me or tell me to leave it. It's really nice to have someone back at the office that is listening and valuing my professional input.

 

I also really like that the jobs are allocated and arranged in the office, the only admin work I need to do is to submit my timesheet at the end of the day for the hours I worked and the materials I purchased.

 

 

Taking down wallpaper! Who knows how easy it is going to come down, or what is waiting underneath. It's a roll of the dice, in the best case scenario it all comes off in one big sheet. Worst case scenario I could be there for hours and hours taking it off one tiny flake at a time revealing a huge patch of damp.

 

 

All the lads are great team players, they are always willing to come down and lend a hand or to foot a ladder. I can depend on them for advice and support if there is an issue that may be out of my capabilities. Any new team member that joins us will immediately feel at home and be welcomed with open arms.

 

 

I'm really excited at the prospect of continuing with the Works Team as the business grows, we are getting really busy but we are up to the challenge to keep Ultralets providing the best all-around service it can from lettings to maintenance. The future is looking good and I'm excited to keep it going. I've never once woken up dreading work. Every day could be different and that excites me. The company culture is fantastic, it sounds cliche but we are all just one big family supporting each other!

 

 

If this sounds like the right work environment for you, why not get in contact. You could be working alongside our maintenance team, taking care of our client's properties.

Apply here to join Hull's highest-rated letting agent.