The odd thing in this story is why a 68 yr old woman would chuck it all to move from NJ to an old farmhouse in rural Kentucky to live alone with her four dogs. Green Acres? (But at least Eddie Albert had Eva Gabor.)
Or you could be lucky and either you or your spouse or both can do almost anything that needs doing. I am inept, but my husband is handy. For fifty+ years he has taken care of everything. My son does the same. We do think about what happens when he can no longer manage, but so far so good.
Angie's List, Angie's List, Angie's List. I live in Manhattan, own and self manage 6 condos in Texas, all bought over the last 9 years: 4 in San Antonio and 2 outside of Austin. I learned the hard way hiring an incompetent manager at first. Now I have a complete network of solid workman, HVAC, plumbing, roofer, electrician, gardener and the all important handyman. In NYC for my coop, I've used Angie's List to get the best window cleaners in the world for the past 8 years. Plus my contractor for my upcoming bath remodel. My message to the properties in Texas is: "You can have my business today, or you can have it for the next 30 years". "Yes Mam" is the response. :-)
A good home contractor/repairman is worth his weight in gold and hard to find. Many are primadonnas and pick and choose their jobs based on remuneration. A big high paying job will sometimes get priority over your one shot deal. Be flexible and welcome them in when they can come, sometimes after dinner. Prioritize your jobs and don't overwhelm them with little things that can wait. Learn some basic home repairs from Youtube so eventually you can repair simple, repetitive jobs yourself:i.e. unjamming a insink disposer, fixing a running toilet.
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What does the writer suggest when contractors refuse to return calls, or (as in the beginning of this article) show up to give an estimate but then disappear? We have had two major projects done on our home, both running into several thousands of dollars. The first project showed its flaws immediately and the contractor returned to do repairs, which took a bit longer to fail. He was unable to fix those problems because he was in jail for his dishonest, shabby work practices. The next project involved a roof over an addition which was always colder than the rest of the house. I asked the contractor to please add more insulation when the roof was in mid-project, stripped off and showing the rafters. He told me that there was no room for more insulation; however, the addition is now colder than it ever was. It's about 50 in there today. But he was in a big hurry to get to a bigger, more lucrative job. We now have about 20 repairs waiting in our 100 year old home but plans to fix them are at a standstill. I've called multiple contractors and two have even deigned to visit, then *poof!* No one can ghost you more completely than a contractor. Short of outright bribery, I have no idea how to motivate people like this to want to work on our home.
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This 1880 Victorian needs occasional maintenance to keep her at her best. Luckily we have friendly relationships with our neighbors, one whose ex husband is a retired contractor who often points us in the right direction. Careful readings of Yelp reviews also helps in the search. We once eliminated a repair person because he could do EVERYTHING and his 38 reviews were ALL 5 star. Repair people always irritate someone. I treat my repairmen well. A slice of homemade cake goes a long way. We all do better work when someone values us. Get several estimates especially where there are considerable differences in cost. Make sure to carefully read any contract. If you find a good one, please pass on the information to others. Finally try to educate yourself on the work you want done so that you get what is needed instead of sloppy work that doesn't hold up.
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When my husband and I sold our house the realtor representing the buyers asked if we would mind making a list of our service people. I thought that it was a great idea on the realtor's part, especially as the purchasers were not from the area.
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For those who are comfortable with tools, YouTube can be really helpful...it has saved me considerable money on appliance repairs. I always google and check YouTube first before calling in a repair person.
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@TuckNYClved in.
Great advice. A YouTube video can also suggest to you what you don't want to get involved with. A quick look at a video indicated that a minor project that looked relatively simple on the face of it, exceeded my skill and patience level. Time to call a plumber I'd used before. $135.00 later, a good decision.
Unless you are very competent as a handyman and very patient, never buy what is generically called a "fixer upper".
If the budget allows, try to get into a place that is "move in ready" and you'll save yourself a ton of aggravation.
The article offers first rate, practical advice. Generally speaking, I've found all the people that are home contractors to be a quirky and independent lot.
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We're relatively new to our area so aside from refs from our realtor we asked around at our auto mechanic and senior staff at the small local hardware stores. If you see repair vans around the neighborhood frequently, many neighbors won't mind if you ask if they were happy with the service, how any problems were handled, and if the crew showed up on time. Many people don't take the time to leave an online review if they have to sign in or establish an account.
Also I think it is very valuable at a minimum to know the location of the emergency water shut off valve in your house (I found out the hard way when I left a water hose attached in the fall after a hard freeze I had Niagara Falls in my basement; we didn't have these problems in the Southwest!); the location of the fuse box; and how to re-light a furnace. It is also very handy to know how to identify/fix a running toilet and install a faucet or shower head. Many big-box diy stores offer free workshops.
Some repairs or remodels may require the repairer to know what is underfoot or behind a wall. For that it's good to have a set of the 'as-built' plans which are filed with the county assessor, but not always available, ours were destroyed after 20 years. The clerks might have the name of the builder who then might be able, or willing, to supply the information needed for a repair or remodel from blueprints.
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The guy finishing the ground work around our new barn took his machines and went home one morning after reading a FaceBook post my wife made about "mansplaining" because he thought it was about him (it wasn't - it was about me) and felt insulted.
Really.
You never know what will happen when you hire people.
The only way to be sure a job will be done and done well is to do it yourself.
I'll be renting an excavator soon...
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For new home owners - learn how to turn off your electricity and water. Learn where the water shutoff is for the bathroom and for the entire house. Keep a chart of what breakers connect where in the house in the breaker box so you can turn one off in an emergency. Maybe Hurricane Irma won't strike you, but you can avoid extra expense and danger if you learn how to shut off the water and electricity quickly.
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If you belong to a book club, they are a wealth of references. Mine is.
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Another problem is that good, reliable skilled workers come and go for unknown reasons... work permits expire; some have families and decide it’s less expensive to live in their original home country; long-time tradespeople retire, move away for all kinds of reasons, sadly some die or become ill....others join bigger companies or leave and suddenly you don’t know who is being sent to help you out.....we live year round in a summer tourist community and our “old faithfuls” get super busy with much bigger, more profitable projects during “the season” and can’t help us for a bunch of smaller or lower paying tasks.....it’s an ongoing challenge to create the List...
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A simple aspect of creating a bond with good workers is to feed them. If they are on your property over a meal time, this is considerate, time saving and promotes good work by having workers alert and fueled. In the city, I have sent movers and furnace installers to a nearby diner after a grueling morning. Out in the rural areas, I plan a variety of sandwiches and sides. It communicates a basic interest in their well-being and fosters cooperation at a basic level.
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@S.M.on a hot day, water, other appropriate drinks, seems a natural thing to do.
But allowing time to eat is their employers role, not mine.
I think most tradesman expect to work late or early in the summer, for instance, to meet demand or to avoid soaring temperatures.
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@S.M. You’re right, we have an excellent gentleman who has helped
us with several 100-year-old houses we have owned over the past 20 years. As soon as he shows up he is offered a cup of coffee, gift cards at Christmas and lots of respect and appreciation .
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Their employer is you, the person paying them. Treat them like you suggest and never expect a response when you call them for a needed repair. Workers that have been treated poorly have long memories, and they tend to know each other. As difficult maintenance people get bad reputations so do clients.
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Our house was built in the 1850s and badly maintained by the previous owner. We managed to find an excellent handy man and a wonderful plumber, both through recommendations from neighbors. Unfortunately, both are now so busy that they're rarely available. If you're new at home ownership and/or bought a very old house never go for the lowest estimate. You want the best tradesman for the job, not the cheapest, or you'll probably need to have it done again.
If one is available use a local family-owned and operated company for fuel and furnace care and purchase an annual maintenance contract. On the rare occasions we need a repair someone is always here in half an hour or less.
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@R.E. We nearly bought a house 4 years ago that had SO MUCH going for it but it needed a lot of work. We would have bought it if we had known who we could contact to do the work (we were new in town). I figured out realtor could give us recommendations. Her response was she couldn't' recommend her GREAT handyman because she needed him to work on her own rental properties. Sadly we bought something else - something that looked like it did not need work but in fact it did (the "flipper) had basically sold us a pig with lipstick). Finding people to do the work was more of an ordeal than you want to read about here.
Next door probably was the best source of referrals, but we lived here 3 years before we knew about that website. When someone works for us and asks me to post a recommendation on next door or yelp I do it but I say "will you promise to still work for me in the future?" Of course I say it with a bit of a laugh but deep down I MEAN it. People who do good work always end up very busy very quickly.
People need to treat good tradesmen well if they want them to come back. I've heard plenty of horror stories from trades, and people don't even realize they are doing it.
For example: A female friend of mine needed a service and called me for a recommendation. I gave her one. She told the guy how to do his job, then told him his bill was too high. She called me to complain. I said his bill was cheap (it was, she wasn't taking things into account).
He called me and said he'd never work for her again. I told him I got it, I'd never recommend anyone to her again. She made me look bad in the process as well. I don't think she even realized she burnt 2 bridges, and I'm not going to tell her, I'm just not going to know anything going forward.
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@Charles
Why is it that a woman is not allowed to tell a tradesman how she wants the work she is paying for to be done -- but if a man who hires a tradesman conveys his wishes, ideas, or preferences regarding the job, all is good because he is the client?
The lady in your story may have not known what the fair price for that job was, and it should have been explained to her. It's unfortunate that you think you need to "punish" her by ignoring her future requests for recommendations. This shouldn't be about punishing her. She has a piece of property she needs to take care of, and it's good for the neighbors when things get done.
It would be better for all concerned if you had a conversation with her -- you could give her some advice for future dealings wit trades people, and also listen to her side of the story. Freezing her out is of no benefit to anyone.
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If this woman knew in her own head how the job should have been done why was she using a repairman? The problem is internet experts whose expertise is laughable. Being a retired airline aircraft mechanic and having renovated many houses the thing that prevents me from working as a handyman as a side job is dealing with the home owners. They are either rude, cheap or standing over your shoulder making stupid comments. I offered to do someone a favor of installing a toilet, merely sticking a new donut in, bolting it down and hooking up the water for $100. They were so rude I decided not to. The guy that ended up installing it, all 20 minutes of work charged them $500.
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That illustration: oy vey. Seriously, NYTimes?!?
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@Anna
What is wrong with the illustration? I love it.
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@Anna Yes, nothing wrong. The painter on the step is a woman, the one from the back also looks like a woman. The person bringing the cup is a They.
And even if the person bringing cups were a female. Nothing wrong with that either. Man or woman may be kind to workers.
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@Anna
Are you disturbed by the proximity of the two dogs who are possibly imperiled by the electrician working on what may be a live wire? Safety first!
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Ask at your local supermarket. And don’t ask the teenage baggers, ask the middle aged people that are more likely to own homes. This has never failed me for getting recommendations.
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Reputable Tradesmen never undersell the market. The thrill of a bargain will be long gone and the bitter taste of low quality will remain.
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It is also important to look after your contractors so they like working for you. This may sound basic but I hear horror stories from members of my “team” about how they are treated by other clients. Particularly if they are handymen or have small companies they can choose for whom they work.
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How very true. Some workers disappear or retire, finding new ones and establishing a rapport takes time. Being ignorant of electricity in a house built in 1909, I always have trouble in finding an electrician for some rewiring needed from time to time. With the interior and exterior plumbing, and painting of the house trim, I was lucky with the same professionals in our 27 years of house occupancy.
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I make sure to give my really exceptional painter, my handyman and gardening assistant nice tips—which most clients do not do.
It builds loyalty.
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@Jean I'm a little confused about this. If these professionals are setting their own prices, why would you tip them?
Knowing my days of doing all building and repairs myself I started developing and training a crew 40 years ago: my daughters. Between the six of them there is not a trade that can not be covered and all work is handled with care and great craftsmanship. Well, except for the youngest who must be followed with a mop when she paints.
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As others have noted...start by getting to know neighborhood people, make friends, find out which tradesmen and contractors they use. That way when you call one of their resources you can say that you got their name from one of their good customers, a name they will recognize. And if you have a really good experience with, say a roofer, be sure to ask that roofer to recommend a good carpenter or some other specialist you may need. The good guys tend to know who the good guys are. Again, saying that you were referred by someone known to them will usually get positive results.
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I’ve had good luck with another source of recommendations: NextDoor, a locally-based social network site that requires members actually live in the area (and no, I have no affiliation with the company other than using it). Not every area has a critical mass of members, but if yours does, it can be invaluable. I live in a semi-rural area with less than 150 members on the site, but using it to ask my neighbors for tradesmen recommendations has produced good results.
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IMHO - learn to do it yourself. Most home repairs are easy. I have always had the attitude - if I have job, buy the specialized tool as I will be using it again in the future. Approaching early old age, this has served me well.
I do use contractors for snaking plugged drains. Have never been able to do that myself.
When using contractors for large repairs - I always specify - I pay 90% at job completion, 10% 30 days later. This way, if there is any problem - contractor is very motivated to come back out :-) Reputable people have no problem with this. Fly by nighters much more so
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What do you do when after a lifetime of DIY you find yourself afflicted with a disability? I have become bed bound and have to rely on my wife to identify and deal with home repairs.
Currently I have an inoperative ceiling fan and a bathroom needing renovation and repair. The former is a simple fix I think(wiring in a box), the latter was damaged and a quick fix was done to close up.
I can intuit the problems I just can't do it myself.
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@rsercely
I'm a contractor who does 100% of the job the 1st time and needs (and deserves) to be paid in a timely manner. If I were working for someone under your payment terms, I'd simply raise the price of the job to get immediate full payment and receive a 10% bonus after a month. This is not a good way to conduct business with tradesmen or anyone else.
Try using this payment scheme the next time you dine at a restaurant--pay 90% upon completion of the meal, and if you don't suffer stomach pains within the next 30 days pay the remainder of the bill. Let me know how many restaurants are willing to accept these terms.
If you are dealing with "fly-by-nighters" you are going to get what you pay for. Use professionals and treat them in a professional manner.
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The problem I find as a landscape gardener is that few people are willing to pay what it costs to do the job.
Even my plumber had to finally make a basic fee for showing up as he would find other plumbers at the home offering estimates, while the homeowner tried to get the 'best deal'.
And, people wonder why they can't find 'good tradesmen'?
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Once I find an excellent tradesman (I prefer craftsman, given their skills, and two have been women), I ask him for recommendations for other kinds they have worked with. The experts recognize other experts, I have found.
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@Caroline
Absolutely. I found a great electrician thru my plumber.
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There are property management companies that co-ordinate workers for rental properties. It seems that there is a business opportunity to provide similar services for home owners but so far I have not been able to locate one. This business would provide both emergency and routine maintenance services as for a rental but not find or vet renters or collect rent. They should have a roster of trusted plumbers, electricians and handymen to deploy as needed.
It would be the "Call the Super" equivalent for a homeowner for when things go bonk.
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@Gertrude. I have researched this. Those types of companies do exist around the country, but not on a national level. In New Jersey there is Homeowners Hub that matches and dispatches vetted trades people for Maintenance, Repairs and Projects. Subscribers get various discounts and some free services for signing up, though subscription is not required to receive assistance. (full disclosure I am one of the owners). Scaling this concept has challenges but can be done.
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