There are so many occasions when calling in a specialist to repair a niggly problem just seems ridiculous and a waste of money, and yet you know that you are not able to sort it out yourself. In such cases, it is a matter of ‘put up with it or dig into your wallet and pay a specialist to get it right’.
Hate those dreaded call-out fees?
Bearing in mind that specialists/professionals necessarily charge a call-out fee before they have even seen the problem, then top it off with additional labour and parts costs, it becomes an expensive operation to repair a small problem. If you are not a do-it-yourself person, and you can’t persuade any of your more competent friends to rally round and help, there is little else you can do but call in the professional specialists.
Need a good job which doesn’t have to be perfect?
But what if there is a solution which will not break the bank, so to speak, but will sort the problem out in as near a professional manner as possible? Simply call in a handyman who has experience and knowledge of the problem you have, and it will get sorted without the costs a specialist would charge. Bear in mind that I am not referring to complex and intricate problems which definitely need the expertise of a specialist, but to the smaller things and jobs which you cannot do yourself and certainly need help with. For instance, small plumbing jobs like a leaky tap which your amateur home remedies have failed to sort out, or a large crack in a wall where a simple patching with Polyfilla doesn’t hide the problem and it keeps reappearing. And what about that damp patch on the wall which is sprouting mould at an alarming rate? And those flowerbeds which are constantly being overtaken by the lawn and should have a brick surround to keep them tidy? And the cupboard door which is falling off its hinges but screwing the hinge back doesn’t help because the screw holes in the frame are too big so they don’t hold the screws securely? What if you want to put up a rustic wooden fence between the backyard and the front garden, but you need to support it with cemented uprights and you haven’t got the energy or know-how for the job?
Get the experience and skill without the hefty price-tag
Call in the handyman. These are the types of jobs which don’t really need a specialist contractor, but someone with a level of knowledge and experience – and perhaps a couple of workers – who can come in, sort it all out, and be happy with the rate that he has charged. As a rule, handymen do not charge for callouts, and will likely base their costing on the time and materials needed to do the job. Wonderful! You will have a budget which is affordable and possibly negotiable and even be able to buy the materials directly yourself without any additional middle-man inflation on cost. Much of the work which has been carried out for me by handymen has been of amazing quality, sturdiness and professionalism, with no latent problems and often with a lot of helpful advice thrown in for free. What is particularly great about this kind of relationship is that it is a win/win symbiotic contractual agreement where you have a problem sorted properly – if perhaps not entirely perfectly – without breaking the bank.
Be aware of the cons as well as the pros
I am not advocating the use of a handyman for every job, because there are some issues which definitely need the input of a specialist, and there are inevitably times when the cheaper job was not a permanent fix and recurred some time later. A handyman will not usually give you a written guarantee of the effectiveness and longevity of his work, and sometimes he has disappeared off the scene by the time the problems recur, but this is a chance we all have to take. A good handyman who comes with word-of-mouth referrals has usually been around for a reasonable period and is likely to be available well into the future, but be aware that, as his reputation grows, his prices and availability will be affected as a result. That is the nature of business and a good reputation, but many handymen who have repeat calls for different jobs from the same client will always try and accommodate their loyal clients as far as they can.
Let’s explain the difference a little more clearly
For the sake of clarification, let’s look at the difference between a specialist in the medical field and a general practitioner. Your GP can sort out most minor or less than serious illnesses and conditions without needing to think twice, but when those issues become more complex and problematic or life-threatening, you will need the services of a specialist. Doctors do carry out routine operations, but major surgery needs more expert skills and more serious illnesses and conditions need the attention of specialists. So it is with handymen and professionals. They each have their specific areas of expertise, but both have an equal part to play in resolving problems, and both are valuable to us. Let’s give a shout-out to both generalists and professionals – we applaud them all!
