Choosing the Right Calabasas Handyman

The Calabasas resident woes echo throughout the land – leaking faucets, faulty floorings, running toilets; one after the other our house problems pile up, oftentimes left unsolved. Reasons behind this are abundant: one does not have enough time, one does not have the right skills, and so on and so forth. Whatever the reason may be, our house repair problems remain, and rather than fiddling around with the thought that we’d fix it one day, we should do something better: hire a handyman.

But wait, isn’t that just as time-consuming? Isn’t letting a complete stranger into your home risky? Aren’t you bound to pay more if you hire somebody else rather than fixing the problem yourself? Yes, my fellow Calabasas citizens, I know exactly how you feel. Hiring a handyman brings about so many questions, you just don’t know where to start. So let me save you some time by giving you some tips and cautions that you need to know before dialing that number and hiring someone to do the job for you.

First things first. I bet you know this already, but there are two types of handymen you can hire: the independent, and the company handyman. The independent handyman could simply be a neighbor in Calabasas with the right skills, or a professional freelancer. The good thing about independent handymen is that the cost you pay is generally lower. If your problem is a simple change of locks or fixing window panes, then you don’t have to pay the doubled or tripled cost of hiring a company handyman.

This does not mean that an independent handyman’s skills are limited, however. There are many independent handymen out there who can do a variety of jobs – from plumbing to fixing electronic appliances. Your task is to choose the right one.

How do you do that? Most often that not, word of mouth is a reliable source for independent handymen. Your mom and dad might have been hiring someone’s services over the years, and this is an excellent place to start because they already have an idea of what the handyman can and cannot do. If they have established a relationship for years, then you don’t have to worry about poor behavior or even worse, criminal activities.

You can also try asking your Calabasas neighbors, but make sure you ask them the right questions. Be sure to ask what kinds of jobs were done for them, how satisfied they were with the handyman’s work, and what kind of behavior the handyman displayed.

Another option is to leaf through the yellow pages or search online. Professional freelancers nowadays have websites of their own, from which you can check what services they offer and what rates apply. For specific jobs, such as fire damage restoration or mold detection, the internet is often the easiest way to compare.

Never be satisfied with just what you hear or read however. Always do a background check. Ask the handyman for two to three references, and be wary of who you are calling. Make sure that you are talking to a former client or a former employer.

Check for criminal records as well. The local police should have records if any complaints were made against the handyman. Never take this for granted, unless you want to add to the growing number of handyman horror stories.
An alternative to hiring an independent handyman is employing a handyman from a reputable company. Company handymen cost significantly more than independent handymen, but they save you time and effort in doing background checks. One phone call to the company, and they’ll send you the right person with the right skills right away, provided that you explained your problems in detail. Most company handymen are either qualified or licensed, too. You don’t have to worry about criminal records as well, because the company has most likely already screened them for you.

When choosing a company handyman, call the company first and ask for concrete details on how they operate. Do they give estimates over the phone or on site? Should you buy the materials yourself or will they buy it for you and include it in the fees afterwards? Choose a company handyman who you feel is most convenient and most efficient for you. Don’t always go for the lowest estimate, as they may be excluding other fees that you should pay for. Always ask for the possible cost of all the services and other fees combined.

Once you have decided to hire a company’s service, make sure that the appointed time and date is clear for both sides. When the handyman arrives, ask for identification, and make sure that the photo ID matches the person you are talking to. He should also be wearing a presentable uniform with the company’s name or logo on it.

Choosing a handyman is easy, but choosing the right handyman takes a little more work. The time and effort you spend however, is a good investment for a possible long-term relationship. My fellow Calabasas citizens, your leaking faucets, faulty floorings, running toilets should suffer no longer. Hire the right handyman today, and have a happy and safe home tomorrow.