A day in the life: Wayne Rimmer, Maintenance Operative at Portus Property Management

Meet Maintenance Operative Wayne Rimmer and read what a typical day looks like for him at Portus Property Management.

I’m a maintenance operative at Portus Property Management, writes Wayne Rimmer. No two days are ever the same, and that’s exactly why I enjoy it.

Starting early

My day starts at 4:15am.

I’ll get up and head to the gym for about an hour and a half. It sets me up for the day. After that, it’s home, shower, breakfast and then I log on to my device to see what jobs I’ve got lined up.

By 7:30am, I’m on the road.

A lot of miles, a lot of variety

I can be travelling anywhere between 10 and 100 miles in a day. Over a week, I’ll usually clock up somewhere near 700 miles. I’ll normally do four or five jobs a day, depending on how technical they are. Some are quick fixes, others take the whole day.

Today, for example, I’m dealing with a damp issue. I’ll have to cut out plaster around a window, reboard it and replaster. That’s me here all day. Other days, it could be anything - plumbing, electrics, fitting a bath, fixing a leak, replacing a socket or sorting a door handle. It’s such a broad role.

That’s what I like about it. Every day is different. It keeps you engaged.

How I got here

My background probably isn’t what you’d expect. I trained as a chef and worked in hospitality for 16 years. Long hours, high pressure - but I loved it at the time. I reached a point where I’d achieved a lot - awards, rosettes - but I needed a new challenge.

I ended up moving into engineering and maintenance work - and it just clicked for me.

Over time, I built up my skills across everything - plumbing, plastering, electrics and decorating. Then I found my way into supported housing and that’s where things really changed for me.

It’s about people, not just repairs

What I do now isn’t just about fixing things. It’s about the people I’m working with.

A lot of our customers have additional needs, and when something goes wrong in their home, it can really affect them. It can cause frustration, anxiety - sometimes that problem becomes their whole focus of their lives. So for me, it’s important how I interact with people.

I treat everyone the same. I talk to them with respect. No talking down to anyone. That’s how you build trust.

I’ve even taught myself Makaton and some British Sign Language so I can communicate better with customers who are non-verbal or deaf. It makes a big difference. You break down barriers and start to see the person, not the condition.

Knowing your customers

One of the biggest parts of the job is getting to know people. I always say about 60% of the job is knowing your customer.

When I turn up, I want them to feel reassured. If they’ve seen me before, they know the job’s going to get sorted.

Sometimes it’s the small things that matter most - taking a bit of time, understanding what makes someone comfortable, adjusting how you work around them. That’s how you build relationships.

Why I do it

I usually finish around 4 or 5pm, depending on how the day’s gone. Then, more often than not, I’ll be back in the gym in the evening.

It’s a full-on day, but I enjoy it. I actually get more job satisfaction doing this than I ever did before.

In my old job, you didn’t always see the impact of what you were doing. In this role, it’s immediate. You fix something, and you can see the relief straight away. That’s what makes it worthwhile.