Learning About Home Repairs From a Handyman

With many home repair services to choose from, how does one go about finding the best one? A more important question may be how one finds the handyman service that is the best fit, given your individual circumstances. Before addressing this question, it might be a good idea to take a look at the current housing market in the US and how this relates to home maintenance. Since the housing market crash in 2008, the home construction industry has changed dramatically. The majority of construction related jobs that were created with the rise in housing speculation have disappeared. In terms of who is buying and selling houses now, the landscape here has also changed drastically. While there are people who buy and fix up rental properties still, and even some who are buying and 'flipping' homes, these tend to be pros who have many years of experience in determining the best possible opportunity. Gone are the days of anyone buying any house on easy credit, and having the value of the house increase in value without a second thought. House Maintenance All houses require ongoing maintenance. Appliances and fixtures wear out from use and age, the ground beneath settles over time creating stress within the frame of the house, and the exterior of the house is subject to exposure to the elements and the ever-present critters, big and little. Many of the resultant problems can be delayed for years, or even eliminated, by the builder and his sub-contractors following construction best practices and exacting building codes, but unfortunately this isn't always the case. But in any case wear and tear on a house will take its toll. As an investment, or as a safe environment to raise a family, a house needs to be taken care of. One may also have a home maintenance service contract. This is a very worthwhile expense to budget in, particularly if the heating or air conditioning is likely to need major work. Heck, maybe the boiler in an old home is starting to make noises. The drawback to one of these service contracts is all the items not covered can be very expensive if handled through the home maintenance contract companies. However the costs of installing a new cooling system far outweigh the relatively small monthly expense of a basic service contract. Many repairs may also be covered by one's homeowner's insurance. This is always worth checking on. At this point, call up from your list of home handyman services and schedule appointments for a free estimate. Pay attention to your instincts when you meet the representative who comes out. How does he dress? How does he present himself? Is it the person who will be doing the actual work or a salesman/estimator from a larger company? One very important point is to get a list of references who you can call, from each handyman service you are getting an estimate from. This can't be over-stated, and the more references the better. Considering Handyman Prices At this point the question becomes how you get the best value for your money. Your individual circumstances will have a lot of bearing on this question. A single mom on a limited budget is obviously going to look at this question differently than a company CEO. Yet both must look at the question of which the best handyman will do the job correctly, without it having to be done again at some point in the future. No one wants to pay for poor workmanship, or to have a job done twice. However someone in a better financial position will have more latitude to pick and choose. Some handy man services make this decision very easy by providing excellent customer service and doing consistently good work, and making this known online, through testimonials and reviews, and by providing references who will explain to you exactly what the experience was like in hiring them. In this case it becomes a matter of deciding whether their price fits your budget.