Five Things You Should Know Before Hiring A Handyman

Finding a good handyman seems to be as difficult as finding an honest politician. They seem to be few and far between and once you found one that you can trust, you tell all of your friends, because they're having the same problem. Let me see if I can help you solve your home repair problems.

1. Just because you're handyman is an elderly person, doesn't mean that they have enough knowledge to repair your home. With today's financial crisis, there are plenty of people who are retired and need to supplement their incomes.

2. Never give your handyman any money up front. You should always pay a handyman after the job is done and done right.

3. Does your state require your handyman to have a contractor's license? Make sure that your handyman is qualified by the state that you live in and doesn't have any complaints against them.

4. If you're handyman needs to be paid an hourly rate, make sure that you establish a not to exceed price. Some handymen only work by the hour and will tell you that the job shouldn't take more than four hours, but ends up taking three days.

5. Make sure that you get along with your handyman. I have met plenty of handymen that really don't need to work and are often extremely rude to their clients. These clients seem to tolerate this, because the handymen often work for low wages.

In other words, make sure that you get along with your handyman, never give them money up front, check their contractors licensing if required for your state and try to get an estimate in writing of what the job will cost.