Handyman - Tips on Successfully Finding One

Like all people in careers of service, there are good and bad professionals in the handyman field. The key is to find one of the good ones. Here are some ways to do just that.

As you live in a home for any length of time, chances are you will begin to dream about changing it in some way. If it is something as basic as changing the colors of a room’s walls, you will probably be able to handle the job yourself. If it’s something like changing the entirety of your kitchen, however, you will need the experienced services of a good handyman.

The first thing you should do is simply ask around. Hit up your co-workers, friends, and neighbors for advice on who to call. You’ll find that people who have had a positive experience with a handyman will be more than happy to share their findings with you. The same holds true for those who have had a negative experience. They will not be able to help but tell you every juicy detail of how a contractor screwed them over, quite probably exaggerating along the way. Nonetheless, these interactions will give you a very good idea of who can be trusted and who cannot be. If you hear the same name come up time and again, you’ll know you’ve stumbled on to someone you should call right away.

If your quest was successful in giving you a few names, give those professionals a call and tell them about the project you have in mind. Make it clear that you’re not looking to hire anyone right away. This will let the handyman know you are shopping around and that he might want to put on his salesman hat for a few minutes. Not that you want to be fed a line, but many contractors are extremely busy and it is obvious when you try to talk to them on the phone. Letting them know you’re getting ready to do a project and you’re looking around for the best deal/workmanship may buy you some extra friendliness. And if it doesn’t? Oh well, too bad for them, right?

No matter what you’ve heard through the grapevine, you’ll want to do a thorough background check on any potential hire. Contact their references and look them up on the Better Business Bureau as well. You may even use a basic search engine to run their name through it and see if anything of interest comes up. When you’re inviting someone into your home, you want to know you can trust them.