Handyman Services Save Homeowners Money
When the real estate market is hot, you’ll love knowing that you can get top dollar for your home in a fraction of the time that it would take to sell at other times of the year. If the market is down, or your agent points out that it’s currently a buyers’ market, you may not get nearly as much as you would like. Renovating and updating your home can help you get the price you want without breaking the bank. Instead of doing all the work yourself, work with a handyman. A local handyman can give you more information about what your home needs, how much each project costs and even how long it will take to renovate your home. Even if you don’t want to sell your home, working with a handyman can help you build your dream home inside the house you already own.
Advantages of Hiring a Handyman
Real estate agents and real estate firms help people sell homes every day, but they also help those looking to buy a new home. Whether you’re in the market to buy or sell, a handyman can give you an idea of how you can transform your existing home or that new home that you buy. You can even get a realistic look at what changes you can make that work with your budget. Many of these workers are licensed and bonded to work in your area and have insurance that protects all workers and your home too.
Working with a Contractor vs. a Handyman
Many homeowners assume that they should hire a licensed contractor to do work around their homes. While a contractor can help you with a more extensive remodel, a handyman can do some of the same jobs and help you save money. A professional contractor may actually hire sub-contractors to do some of the work, which will add to the cost of the job. Contractors can also act as a go-between and carry messages back and forth between you, your architect, electricians, plumbers and anyone else working on the project. Though a handyman typically cannot do the extensive work that a contractor can, these workers can do smaller jobs for a lower price.
Fast and Efficient Service
When buying a home, a handyman can serve as your best friend. Contractors are so in demand that it might take days before you can get an appointment and weeks before construction starts. A handyman can get to work much faster and get your job done faster too. The shorter the job is, the less money you’ll spend. Many handymen have experience with different types of jobs too and can take care of all your problems in one easy and convenient appointment without calling sub-contractors or other workers for help. Let your handyman install a new fence, repair broken lighting fixtures and make other changes in an older home. They can even install weatherstripping and install new insulation to help you cut down on energy bills.
Basic and More Advanced Skills
Whether buying or selling a home, a handyman can help you do a number of jobs around that property. Most have experience with plumbing jobs and repairs like the installation of a new toilet and fixtures, and some have electrical experience too, which means you can replace an outdated ceiling fan or upgrade your outlets. Before putting your home on the market, you’ll want to take care of maintenance issues like cleaning our your gutters and chimney, which handymen can do for you. Other jobs that a handyman can handle include painting of interior rooms and other outside of your home, the installation of new counters and installing new flooring.
Finding the Right Handyman
When you ask your real estate agent for some tips for home sellers, your agent might recommend that you hire a local handyman to get your house ready before it goes on the market. Though you might think that the costs of some of the repair jobs you need are well outside of your budget, a handyman can help you get those jobs done for less.
Before hiring a handyman, you should do your research. Many states do not require that handymen have any type of license or even that they carry insurance. You want someone with insurance and a long history of helping other homeowners in your community. Always ask for some references and see if the handyman has a portfolio available. Some handymen provide potential clients with a portfolio that shows them some of the work they did in the past, and you may even find that locals working in your area put their portfolios online. Before work begins, ask for a written estimate too. This ensures that you get the best person for the job and that you can afford the work.
