hi im am moving over in july and i think i will work for my self as a handy man is there much work i do have experience as im a maintenance man over here in the uk thanks for any help

Erm australia is quite a large place, Where in OZ?

Find the state you are going to then research licences required to work, what trades you intend to cover will bring up different requirements, in different states. Also research insurance regulations, in some states there will be a limit on what work you can perform.

Economic downturn means many skilled and licenced tradies are already now doing this work too, might be far more competitive than it was.

Depending on exactly what sort of work you are after, you may need to look at getting a licence etc. General "handymen" are not as common in Aus asin the UK because of licensing restrictions.

Crossed with your post, sorry!! He's coming to Qld I think.

hi yeh im going to brisbane im part qualified in electro technical technology ( so not quite an electrician but just general handy work fixing things decking maybe a bit of gardening a bit of everything thanks for replies guys

Plenty to research then

I think qld has been discussed in depth, maybe if the OP does a search there is rather a long thread on why you cant just stick a random number on a white van, and start doing trade work. And how the QBSA (great search too) feel about that

Gardening wont require a licence, dont forget liability insurance, step on someones property here and you need to be covered big time.

Decks, your right into liability there, wouldnt be touching any of that without licence and insurance.

Not quite an electrician, OMBG, dont touch anything then, big no no unless fully qualified etc.

QBSA website sounds like your first step.

so i have to have a license to lay decking lol wow over the top, isnt there a general license that covers small works repairing stuff ect? or would it be better to get a job with an established company in maintenance my job title at the minute is buildings maintenance manager i have had this job for about 2 years

all together i look after 6 large buildings i do everything apart from majour pluming etc i will arrange for someone else more qualified to come in and do it

Have you checked any online job sites? Understand you want to be self-employed but the sites might give you some idea of demand.
Try e.g. http://www.careersonline.com.au/aujobs.html

As I said you need to check the QBSA website if this is what you intend to work as. In brief, in qld, you can perform handyman jobs up to $1100 without a licence, over that its illegal to do that work. But its more complicated than that, is it electrical?, plumbing, then it could be $10 of work and your not allowed to perform that work, certain trades need licences.

Decks are a nightmare, anyone can chuck one up/repair one, recent cases of them collapsing and injuring/killing people are common. In OZ where decks are often off the ground or around a wet pool, add a nation that like to sue you get the picture why there are regulations

he other thing that you`ll have to watch is a limit on the size of job that you can undertake without a contractors licence i`m pretty sure is 1100 bucks which isnt a right lot

true but i only intend on doing smallish jobs is it hard to get work done or is it easy and cheap?

Real estate agents would be the go. The have many 100's of properties on the rent roll list and tenants always break stuff.

You'd be surprised how quickly a small job can go past the minimum amount. Even if the customer buys the parts/wood/spares etc you have to include that. I think it's you who's coming on your wife's student visa? So you'd only be able to work 20 hours a week in term time, how that works if you're self employed as a handy man I've no idea. Would you need to keep detailed time sheets?

What should be really simple, sounds like it could be a nightmare of paperwork and organisation. Good luck.