At Handsome Handyman Services our approach to home improvement services is a little different than what you might expect:

• we are more efficient,
• we give you faster turn around,
• and that means less stress,
• getting back to enjoying your home sooner!

We provide small to medium remodeling services within a  residential setting. Handsome Handyman Services home improvement services division is skilled in all the major, required disciplines:

• BATHROOM SERVICES
• EXTERIOR CARPENTRY
• INTERIOR CARPENTRY
• PLUMBING SERVICES
• ELECTRICAL SERVICES
• PAINTING SERVICES
• DRYWALL SERVICES

There are many projects we can complete for you, and only a few services that we do not provide. That means that we can deliver your project without the need to schedule multiple trades people around your job. That will shorten the overall renovation time, reduce down time during the project, and make scheduling simpler.

So if you have a busy life and worry about interruption of a home renovation project, you want to work with us. With Handsome Handyman Services working for you there will be no more delays caused by subs who cancel in the last minute. You can relax and go about your life and know that we are getting the job done and will be with you from beginning to end. Working with us will save you not just money, but peace of mind.

We can help you whether this is your forever home and your plans are to make this renovation project last… forever, or you are trying to prepare for resale and need to carefully plan and calculate the return on investment for that project to maximize your bang for your buck. In any case, we utilize our extensive knowledge and resources to provide superior and more comprehensive services over others in the home improvement field.

Handsome Handyman home improvement and renovation services has delivered quality results over a wide range of renovation projects. Drawing on our resources of, and background in, real estate project management and brokerage allows us to provide a superior overall customer experience.

Whatever the scope of the project from small to large in scale, we focus on what matters most to you by getting to know you and your family.

We understand our customers all have different needs and ideas about how they want to renovate their space. Most importantly… we want to know the why, or the reason for the home improvement project, which brings into focus different goals.

HOW CAN I TRUST MY HOME IMPROVEMENTCONTRACTOR?

Get recommendations from your friends and family and then check in with the Better Business Bureau for a list of members in your area. You can also talk with your local building department, they will know which home improvement contractors routinely meet code requirements. or pay a visit to your local supplier (a bath showroom if you looking for a bathroom renovation, etc) which sees contractors regularly and knows which ones provide quality work and are prompt with payments.

WHAT DO I SAY WHEN INTERVIEWING A CONTRACTOR?

Once you’ve assembled a list, we recommend that you reach out to each of your potential home improvement contractors and go through these questions:

• Do they take on projects of your size?

• Are they willing to provide professional references, from past clients with similar projects?

• Can they give you a list of previous projects completed similar to yours?

• How many other projects do they have going at the same time?

• How long have their employees or subcontractors been with them?

The answers to these questions will reveal the contractor‘s schedule, how reliable they are, and how comfortable you will be throughout your project. Which directly affects how smoothly the project will go.

WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP IN HIRING A CONTRACTOR?

Based on the phone interviews, pick three or four home improvement contractors to meet for estimates and further discussion. A real professional contractor should be able to answer your questions satisfactorily and in a manner that puts you at ease. We believe it’s crucial that you communicate well because this person, or people will be in your home for hours at a time. On the other hand, don’t let a smooth personality fool you. Check in with your state’s consumer protection agency before you hire a contractor to make sure they don’t have a history of disputes with clients or subcontractors.

DO YOUR DETECTIVE WORK

Now that you’ve got a short list, it’s time to put on your detective hat. Call up former clients to find how their project went and ask to see pictures of the finished product. But it’s important that you shouldn’t rely on results alone. Even more important, visit a current job site and see for yourself how the renovation contractor works. Is their job site clean and safe? Are workers polite and considerate inside the homeowner’s property?

TIME TO START GETTING QUOTES

You have your short list of renovators whose track records look clean and whose work ethic seems admirable. Now it’s time to stop looking back at past work and start looking at the future of your project. A well seasoned contractor will want not only a complete sope of work but also a sense of what clients want out of a project and what their budget is. To compare quotes ask everyone to break down the cost of materials, labor, and subcontractors. Generally materials account for 15-30 percent of the total cost; the rest covers labor and overhead.

BE BRAVE WHEN IT COMES TO TERMS

Another important tip for a successful home renovation project is to workout a payment schedule ahead of time. Payment schedules can speak to the home improvement contractor’s financial status and work ethic. If they want 75% or even 100% the bid up front, they may have financial issues or be worried that you won’t pay the rest after you’ve seen their work. For most small to medium projects, a 50% deposit is common and typical. For larger projects a schedule usually starts with 20 percent at contract signing, and payments of 25-35 percent evenly spaced over the duration of the project and a check for the final 5-15 percent when you feel every item on the punch list has been completed.

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR… MOSTLY

“Always toss out the lowest quote,” says BJ. “This guy is probably taking short cuts or, worse has no intention of finishing the job! Literally a third of home improvement contractors these days are essentially criminals. ” Beyond evidence of proper training and professionalism, your personal comfort should inform your decision. The absolute most critical factor in choosing a home improvement contractor is how well you and he communicate. In the end, it’s better to spend more money for peace of mind hiring someone you’re comfortable with.

SEAL THE DEAL!

You must remember to draw up a contract that details every step of the project: payment schedule; proof of liability insurance; a start date and projected completion date; specific materials and products to be used or clear language giving the contractor the right to chose. Insisting on a clear contract isn’t a sign of a lack of trust. It’s a sign of trust and confidence! It shows that the client takes the contract seriously and wants it to be certain to include any detail that they feel is necessary. Lastly, remember that as soon as a change is made or a problem uncovered, the cost just increased and the project end date may have to be moved.

When it comes to choosing a home improvement contractor to transform your space into the home you envision, quality and trust should never be compromised. Working with the right professional is an absolute must. With over 20 years experience and a real focus on customer satisfaction, you can trust us for your next renovation project. Our home improvement services and installations are thoughtfully planned and designed to provide you with the highest quality finished product within your budget.

This is partially a myth, not EVERY home improvement contractor charges a lot of money. There are many ways clients can save money by working with the contractor to reduce what is called, “the scope of work,” or how many steps the contractor is going to complete. For instance, we can quote you building a new wall all completely finished and painted. Or we can work with you to develop a quote where you will paint the wall and finish it yourself, saving us time will save YOU money! We are happy to provide cost saving steps for those DIY’ers out there and even write up our quotes with options for clients to provide some of the labor.

Every project has a unique timeline. Not only that but many of the more complex home improvement projects have many steps to be completed, and some may require that work stop for a while and then begin again. For example drywall projects are notorious for the need to wait for compound to dry on the wall before it can be finished or painted!

There are many factors that can affect the timeline of a project as well. Primarily your schedule, do you as the client want to be present all the time, or will you be gone during the day, or gone for a week? Other critical factors are material availability, i.e. sometimes tile or wood species will require special ordering. Items that are not readily available and may take weeks to be delivered.

Let’s not forget weather as a factor also. Any exterior project is subject to mother nature’s schedule, and may change on an hour to hour basis. We typically try to pivot to interior projects during inclement weather.

A home renovation project budget should include all the costs associated with the project. Savvy clients will include things like; interest costs on loans, cost of time away from work, cost of temporary alternative housing, etc.

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At the least it should include enough to cover the cost of the contract for the renovations, as well as 10% reserve for additional unforeseen costs.

Be sure to review the scope of work and be certain that if there are any sub-contractors named or their services are being used, that those costs were included in the total contract. You don’t want a big bill at the end of the project from a sub-contractor that you didn’t include in your budget!

The first step is to select your home improvement service provider or contractor. (See our tips on hiring a home improvement contractor.) After that, designing the improvements and coming up with an overall plan for the project including budget are critical first steps. Once you know what you want to do, (or have to do as the case may be), in order to make the change you want, then you can calculate the overall cost of the project.

Some home improvement services can help you with the design step of this process if they have experience with general contracting or multiple areas of home improvement. We offer design, planning and estimating services and do not charge for these services.