Hiring a Handyman Will Help You With Home Improvement

When home-repair projects fall beyond a homeowner's knowledge or expertise, he or she might want to consider a handyman.

Bringing in a handyman can knock some projects off your never-ending to-do list – those projects that have sat on your list for months (or years) without being tackled, that you would tackle if only you had the time. A handyman has that time and can take on those tasks, at normally a lower rate than a specialist in that area.

Whether it is a painting or electrical project, fixing items around the house or simply replacing smoke detectors, a handyman can get work done for you and normally with a pretty quick turnaround. Handymen are individuals well-versed in a variety of home-improvement areas. These experienced craftsmen provide a variety of services for homeowners looking to get work done on their residence.

Most handymen have a policy of no project too big or too small for them to tackle – whether it be reconstructing an entire room or fixing a leaky faucet. Many handymen have a specialty that is their forte. Check with handymen in your area to find out what their specialty is and whether they have experience handling a project like you need done. Many handymen have a list of their work and testimonials posted on their websites. If they don't have a website, they should be able to provide you with references on recent projects they have done. Check those references to see if the residences are still happy with the job that the handyman did.

Check with references regarding the handyman's estimates of cost and duration of the project. If you are hiring someone for a two-day project three days before you are having people over for a birthday party, you need assurances that workers are not going to be finishing up a job as your guests are showing up. You want to make sure that the individual or firm can handle your job in the time frame you need. If they are spread too thin doing commercial as well as residential projects, your project may take a back seat to the commercial job he has.

You also want some assurances that your costs are not going to rise because the handyman miscalculated his estimate. Get at least three estimates from handymen for a project. You don't have to go with the lowest bidder, especially if you don't have confidence in or a good feeling about him, but you want to make sure that the individual you choose for the work is in the ballpark of other individuals price-wise and that he is not unfairly billing you.

Another good way to locate a handyman is to check with friends and neighbors to see if they know and trust anyone to do the kind of work you are looking to have done.

Checking online reviews and testimonials from sites such as Angie's List, is another way to ensure you are getting someone with a proven track record of getting jobs done and someone with satisfied customers.