They say only two things are sure in this life: death and taxes.
But anyone who owns a home knows that another sure thing is that houses constantly need little repairs and projects done. There just never seems to be a point when everything is completely 100% in order for years at a time—especially if you have to depend on doing everything yourself.
But why deal with the hassle of doing all the work yourself when you can hire a handyman?
When you need small jobs done around the house, you know you need someone you can trust. No one wants to be taken advantage of. And you sure want to find someone who you can feel safe with being in your home.
After all, you are calling a handyman to make your life easier, less frustrating, and less difficult. You don’t want to end up bringing someone who will do a bad job or who will not treat you with respect and the highest degree of professionalism.
So how can you know for sure that you are making a wise choice when it comes to hiring the best handyman to help with your honey-do list?
Checklist to avoid hiring a bad handyman
You want someone who:
- Is insured.
- Passes a background check.
- Is reliable.
- Has good reviews online.
- Responds professionally and respectfully to negative reviews online.
- Has significant experience.
- Is willing to provide referrals.
- Can show quality before and after pictures of previous work done.
- Is responsive when you call.
20 Questions to ask when hiring a handyman
- Do you have insurance? What does it cover?
- Can you show me your background check paperwork?
- What is your policy concerning timeliness?
- What can you tell me about how reliable you are?
- I saw a negative review online, would you please explain your side of the story?
- How much experience does your company have?
- How much experience does the man coming to my house have?
- Do you have any customers I could call for references for your home repairs?
- May I see some before and after pictures of your work?
- May I have a list of the services you provide and the types of jobs you handle?
- If something is too specialized for you to do it, will you refer me to a licensed professional who can handle the job? How does that process work?
- May I have an estimate before you start on the job?
- Will you let me know ahead of time if you find that there are more expenses than you expected?
- How many hours do you expect this job to take?
- How do you handle scheduling jobs?
- What other home services do you partner with?
- Are you a handyman near me or do you charge a service charge to travel to my location?
- Are you a handyman or contractor?
- Do you have a cost guide for your list of services?
- Do you have all of the tools and equipment you will need for the project? If not, what will you need to get or rent and how will that affect the final price?
When you keep up with home improvements, it saves you money. It’s a lot easier to repair a small problem right away than to let it fester and go without repair for months or years until it becomes a major expense.
Your time and peace of mind are priceless.
With a handyman service, you can avoid marriage stress, the frustration of trying to do things yourself that you aren’t comfortable doing, and save a whole lot of free time.
