One of the realities of middle class homeownership is upkeep and maintenance. Since these are routine, it’s best to have a trusty handyman to be on call. The problem is getting a good handyman service is rare these days.
There doesn’t seem to be a decent handyman near me, and I seem to just hire random people for the different maintenance tasks. The lack of quality just showed. For one job I had to fire two groups of workers for piss-poor workmanship.
Even in the village Viber group chat or Facebook group, neighbors are always looking for carpenters, electricians, and plumbers, hinting that even those that ply their trade aren’t good enough to be go-to handymen.
But why is it hard to find good workers these days and how can I find a good handyman near me?
Why Does a House Need Regular Maintenance?
It is unfortunate since the need for home repairs is constant, having a good handyman makes homeownership a lot less stressful. It’s even one of the arguments in the rent vs. own debate. Renting puts the worries of upkeep and maintenance to landlords. For homeowners, it’s all on you.
Unless you don’t really care about your property, you will need to have things fixed sooner or later.
Wear and Tear
Wear and tear is just a reality for any object. It’s basic physics. Every time you turn on a faucet, open or close a door, flip a switch, there’s wear and tear happening with the valves, hinges, and connections. Any outdoor fixture will fade, corrode, or get brittle due to exposure to elements. While some components can last a lifetime, there’s a good chance considering how modern things are built to break.
Accidents and Other Damage
Accidents can also happen. You and your family members can cause damage to your own property. And yes, damages can be intentional too.
Faults and Shortcuts During Construction
Another cause that would require a house to undergo repairs are faults during construction. In my case, this has been one of the pain points of homeownership. We had our house constructed not even 10 years ago but over the years we’ve discovered that our contractor took so many shortcuts and did shoddy work that we’ve needed all sorts of repairs since. A faulty pipe connection can require you to tear out ceilings or tires.
Why Are Handyman Services Bad Right Now?
But why is there a shortage of good construction workers?
Poor Work Conditions
Construction work isn’t exactly a field where everyone wants to be in. It is always associated with hard work, dirt, danger, and poor pay. It’s also been treated as a fallback for those who can’t get the right education and opportunities to do office work. So, you end up with a labor force that composed of people driven mainly by circumstances and not interest or passion.
It’s sad, really, that we don’t give manual labor its proper due while we glamorize shoddy DIY work on that Home Buddies Facebook group.
Lack of Proper Skills
Many handymen don’t receive formal training. There are vocational courses available but not everyone gets to take these courses as well. As such, most lack the foundational skills, much less the modern approaches and techniques.
Lack of Proper Tools
Since many of the available “handymen” and construction workers today are just surplus laborers, they also tend to lack the proper tools of the trade. I’ve had “plumbers” arrive on site without fusion machines even if I explicitly told them that the pipes I needed fixing were PPR and carpenters .
Sadly, this poor investment of tools is also true for some so-called professional construction services. A friend asked one to handle some minor renovation work at his place. He asked them to put in wall anchors for some art he planned to hang. Unfortunately, when they drilled into the wall, they struck a water pipe. Forget checking as-built plans for guidance.
The crew, which advertised themselves as a professional group and was charging a premium price, didn’t even had a pipe locator as part of their toolkit.
Unscrupulous Contractors
Instead of hiring workers directly, you can hire a contractor or a construction services company instead. They do command a premium. Sadly, it has also been my experience that not all “professional” crews are actually professional. Like in the case of my friend, I noticed that some of these companies can be unscrupulous and simply hire low-skilled workers, only they look nicer with their crisp uniforms.
Unavailability of the Good Ones
These said, there are some very good workers out there. It’s just that they aren’t as many and as available as we expect. Those who are skilled and receive proper training almost always find themselves employed by larger construction firms locally or abroad, making them inaccessible to our market of frustrated homeowners.
What Makes a Good Handyman?
If ever I’m looking for a good handyman service, I’m looking for the following:
Skilled and Knowledgeable
It’s pretty important that the person has the right skills to do the job properly. This is why before I let them commence with the work, I often give them a sort of interview by asking them to walk me through what they plan to do first. The good ones should be able to verbalize their knowledge.
Equipped with Proper Tools
A good tradesman should have all the proper tools to get the job done. Anyone who shows up on site without toolboxes and a work belt is immediately suspect in my book. Tools can make all the difference when performing fast and quality work. Even heavy duty power tools aren’t that expensive anymore these days. If you’re hiring a contractor, they should be properly equipped with all the fancy construction tools available today.
Shows Care and Goes the Extra Mile
One thing that I’m always on the lookout for is if they show extra care in general. If the worker just pounds or hacks away, without taking precautions like putting some covering to minimize or prevent damage to things within their work area should be an immediate red flag. The good ones always shows a bit more care or malasakit.
Fair and Honest
I don’t mind paying a premium for quality work. But I do mind when it’s obvious that they are just there to milk money off of me. Good workers should be able to provide a good diagnosis of the issue and estimate on labor costs, materials, and timeframe. The great ones can even anticipate potential scope creep (to be fair, some issues can only be properly diagnosed once some prep work has been accomplished).
How to Find a Good Handyman
To find a good handyman, try to do the following:
- Use contractor services (then “pirate” their people) – One of the advantages of hiring a professional service is that they can provide a warranty for the work. Based on experience, their workers can also be quite capable. Some of them are open to freelancing, especially during their days off. Ask them if they’d be available for such arrangements.
- Start with smaller work – You can test a handyman’s skills first by having them work with smaller tasks like replacing faucets and fixing light fixtures. This should give you an idea how they work, if they are capable of doing good work, and if they will ask for fair pay.
- Match your needs – Some handymen may be capable but they may not be an expert in all your repair and maintenance needs. Keep in mind that construction workers have specializations. Paint, masonry, electrical, plumbing, and carpentry all require distinct skill sets and knowledge. If what you need extensive work in a specialized area, go for a handyman who’s an expert in that.
- Be prepared to pay – If you want quality work, then be prepared to pay for it. One of the reasons why many handymen tend to just focus on the money first is because homeowners are cheap. Don’t be barat, especially if the person is already asking fair compensation.
Once you find a decent worker or contractor, build a good relationship with them. Taking care of them will only encourage them to take extra care of your home too.