Breaking News: Handyman Services Save Homeowners Money!

Whether you’re standing around the water cooler, talking shop in the garage or sipping wine at a dinner party, there’s a lot of talk these days about which home remodeling projects are a good investment and which ones are best left for better economic times. That said, the smartest choice for you, your home and your bank account might be shifting your attention away from major remodels and giving your local handyman a call instead.

Playing the Handyman Hand: Smart Moves for Hard Times

What advantages does a handyman have that your average general contractor is lacking during times of economic hardship? Let’s take a look.

• Bigger Isn’t Always Better—To put it simply, why pay to remodel your entire bathroom when installing a new sink and upgrading your shower fixtures will do? We live in a society where the reigning mantra is “more, more, more,” and the world of home improvement is no exception. Handymen specialize in just the opposite: smaller jobs that cost less money, but that make a big difference, nonetheless.
• Reasonable Pricing—Because handymen focus on smaller jobs around your house, they usually charge less for their services than a contractor would. Sure, a contractor might deserve the big bucks if he’s coordinating work between your architect, framers, concrete guys, drywallers and painters, but if you’re opting for home improvements on a smaller scale it doesn’t make sense to pay all that extra money for services that you just don’t need.
• Quick Service—While you often have to schedule appointments with other contractors weeks or months ahead of time, most handymen will fit you in as soon as possible, especially if you have a pressing need like a plumbing leak, frozen pipes or a failed heating system. In fact, once you find a good handyman, it’s not a bad idea to put his number on speed dial. You won’t find better peace of mind as a homeowner than knowing you’ve got competent Mr. Fix It just a phone call away.
• One-Stop Shopping—A handyman, by definition, is a jack-of-all-trades. That said, you can save yourself a lot of money, time, and frustration, by calling a handyman to tackle all of your household needs in one visit, rather than paying separately for the high prices for specialized contractors like plumbers, painters and carpenters.
• Solutions that Save You Money—Some of the smartest home improvements when it comes to raising energy efficiency and cutting energy costs are the most common sense—a fact that’s important to remember as winter sets in. Simple green upgrades that are well within the ability of most handymen include weather-stripping, caulking and sealing doors and windows, maintaining your heating system properly, and upgrading insulation—all of which can dramatically lower your utility bills during cold winters and tough times.

The Handyman Can!

In fact, since we’re on the subject, there’s almost nothing that a handyman can’t, or won’t, do. The short list includes (but isn’t limited to!):

• Plumbing installation and repair
• Electrical work, including hanging ceiling fans, light fixtures and installing new outlets
• Home maintenance tasks, such as gutter cleaning, power washing and chimney sweeping
• Roof repair
• Drywall patching
• Interior and exterior painting
• Small scale installations, such as replacement windows, shelving, sinks, countertops, vanities and cabinetry
• Basic carpentry
• Insulation upgrades
• Tile, laminate, hardwood, and other flooring installations

Doing Your Handyman Homework

If you do decide that hiring a handyman is the right choice for you, make sure you do your homework ahead of time. Unlike specialized contractors like plumbers, electricians and even general contractors, handymen aren’t required to pass any tests or obtain licensing to go into business. That means that anybody with a toolbox, a tool belt and a phone number in the yellow pages can call themselves a handyman, whether they know what they’re doing or not. In order to make sure that your attempt to save money doesn’t end up bleeding you dry, be sure that you get bids from at least 3 handymen, and ask for and check, references before you hire. It’s the only way to ensure that your handyman hire is going to provide you with the tip-top service you deserve.

1 Comments

1. Nancy Meehan, May 5:

   After the expensive Contracter left, there was a ton of issues to be resolved. My punch list, that I knew a Handiman could handle much cheaper. I’m very pleased with the referrals I got from Home Advisors. One Handiman in particular was willing to help me with a smaller budget. He came and went in the first week, but week two, he devoted his whole days to me until even I ran out of projects ! I’m so appreciated of his kindness. He even brought me coffee in the mornings, the last few days he was here. I will always have his name and number in my phone address book!