—
Not too long ago, a woman could rely on her husband, brother, uncle or dad to do all the necessary repairs and maintenance around her house, but not anymore. Women are doing it for themselves these days — but more importantly, most homeowners simply don’t know how to do tasks and projects that keep a home looking good and functioning properly. Thus, you probably need to hire a handyman.
I can’t tell you what you need in a life partner — or how to get your relatives to help around the house — but I can tell you how to hire a handy service provider to fix up your home and do the projects you desperately need done. Without further ado, here are the qualities you should look for in a handyman (or handywoman) near you.
Certified
There are different regulations for handy-people across the country, usually determined by state or municipality — so, you should check your local regulations before you set out on your handyman search. For example, where I live in Arizona, handy-people need a certain level of license, depending on the types of services they offer. Thus, I familiarized myself with those licenses before I began looking for a handyman near me.
However, even if your region doesn’t have strict regulations for handymen, you should still look for certifications that indicate professionalism and skill. For instance, your handyman should be a member of the Association of Certified Handyman Professionals (ACHP).
Insured
You have homeowner’s insurance to protect you in case someone (including a hired professional) gets injured on your property. Still, you should look for a handyman that comes equipped with his or her own insurance policy. Handyman insurance is a variety of liability insurance that keeps the professional financially protected from accidental damage.
For example, if your handyman causes a house fire while working on your electrical system, their insurance will help you pay for damages to your property. If your handyman runs a successful business, it’s also important that they have a business owner’s policy and worker’s compensation, so if one of their laborers gets injured on the job, you won’t have to file a claim.
Skilled
It should go without saying that you should only hire a handyman who knows what they are doing. While certification and insurance both hint that a handyman has experience and knowledge, you should test this by asking plenty of questions about the jobs you want done, including what materials and techniques they’ll use, how long the process will take, etc. If your handyman seems to hem and haw or offers to “get back to you on that,” you might want to look elsewhere.
Reliable
Your handyman is going to be inside your home. It’s important to remember this when making hiring decisions because most people would hesitate to invite just anyone past their front door. You should be able to trust your handyman to respect your belongings and the people and pets around your property. There aren’t many interview questions that will help you establish trust; instead, you should listen to your gut instincts, pay attention to the vibe and feel free to move on if you just don’t like the guy (or gal).
Honest
An offshoot of reliability is honesty. An honest handyman won’t try to convince you that a difficult project is cheap or simple; they won’t tell you have availability when they’re booked; they won’t give you one price at the start and increase the number by the end. Instead, an honest handyman is up-front and open with regards to almost every aspect of their business, from the price of materials to their hourly fees to whether or not they are qualified to complete a certain job. You should avoid hiring a dishonest handyman at all costs.
Focused
You don’t want a handyman that doesn’t make your job a priority. If your handyman shows up to do your job halfway before running off to some other gig, you need to find someone else for your next project. Other signs that your handyman isn’t focused include talking on the phone, taking smoke or snack breaks and leaving for more parts or tools. Your handyman should be able to show up, complete the project and leave with few interruptions.
Women and men across the country simply don’t have the time or skill to do their own home projects — but plenty of handy-people do. Handymen and handywomen that are certified, licensed, skilled, reliable, honest and focused are worthy of your money, so you should start looking for one nearby today.
—
This content is made possible by site supporter Digital Solutions.
Photo: Shutterstock