What Does a Handyman Do and Where Do I Find One?
Looking for someone to do your 'To Do List', or need repairs and maintenance done around the home? Here's how a handyman can help you.
15/07/2020
We all have things that need to be done in and around the home, whether it's fixing cabinet doors that are hanging off their hinges, repairing cracks in walls, or dealing with home repairs and maintenance projects that you don't have the time - or the expertise - to do yourself.
Even I, as a DIY Diva, need work to be done from time to time and on Home-Dzine we often receive queries from readers wanting to do small building projects, minor repairs and home maintenance that they are unable to do themselves. This is where a handyman can, well... come in handy!
If you dislike DIY, or not willing to take the risk of messing things up, sometimes a handyman is the right call.
One project that urgently required attention in my home was that of the ongoing problems experienced with our swimming pool. We'd had pool repair guys out on several occasions, replaced the pool pump once, and the pool still wasn't operating as it should. Since the pool guys, who you would expect to know, couldn't find the problem, even after my suggested faults, I decided to call in a handyman who was an all-round repair guy and had worked on pools and equipment previously. Anyway, the problem was sorted and it was simply a matter of ruling things out and digging a little deeper, and I mean that literally as you will see in this article.
If you are not the type of person who does things for him or herself, or you are not willing to run the risk of taking on a difficult challenge, sometimes a handyman is the right call. But you need to make sure that the handyman is able and equipped to take on the type of jobs you want to be done. There are too many so-called handymen out there that have no idea what they are doing, and this is not someone you want doing jobs for you.
You ultimately want a handyman that you can establish a long-term relationship and can call on when you need help.
Where to Find a Handyman?
The best method of finding a reputable and respected handyman is by word-of-mouth. Perhaps this person has done work for someone you know, or perhaps your neighbour made use of his or her services. What's App makes it possible to talk to so many people and spread the word, that you might just be lucky and find the perfect handyman.
The next step would be to go online and search for a 'handyman near me' to bring up a selection of websites where you can log on to find a handyman. While I think this is a great idea, make sure the sites offer customer reviews so that you can determine the scope and quality of work done previously. One such online site is Handyman Direct, who have been around for a couple of years.
While you are online, you will also be able to check out sponsored ads for a handyman close to you. Many of these ads will lead you to a website or information page where they will list the services they provide. Not all handymen do everything and many specialise on specific jobs and projects. For example: If you are looking for someone to paint the exterior of your property you will want a handyman service that specialises in painting. The same applies for small building projects, woodworking, tiling and so on.
Always make sure to contract a handyman who knows what he is doing and is not going to mess up the job with you having to fork out more to get the job done properly.
Word-of-mouth is the best way to find a reputable and reliable handyman.
Hire a Competent and Reliable Handyman
If you don't manage to find a handyman by word-of-mouth, I have previously had a couple of small projects that needed to be done and ask them to quote on and do these for me. Based on their work ethic as concerns cost and time, as well as the effort to clean up once they're done, I will then consider giving them bigger, more expensive jobs to do. Even asking them to do a small project will give you the opportunity to rate their services before you employ them.
Paying for your Handyman
Taking into consideration that you handyman is probably a one-or two-man operation, they will require some money upfront to do the work required. That's another reason why it is a good idea to hire them for a small project before considering letting them do bigger jobs. In most cases, you will be asked for 50% upfront and 50% on completion. However, if they are doing a big job such as tiling throughout or fitting a new kitchen, you may have to pay upfront for materials. That doesn't mean you are going to have to pay for the whole job up front.