Saving on Handyman Bills

I live on a cul-de-sac where all 11 of the homes were built by the same builder. While our homes are great for the most part, our houses seem to share the same flaws, minor problems for which it can be quite difficult to find a handyman who’s willing to do the small job.

So, when recent winds took off a long piece of metal at the peaks of a few of our home’s roofs, none of us were sure how to get it fixed. Our homes all are two stories high and are quite tall at the roofs’ peaks, so the fix, while minor, is a bit tricky.

So, I recently called my handyman, and scheduled him to come out and fix my home’s roof and two of my neighbors’ roofs on the same day. It worked out great, because by adding all our jobs together, it made it more worthwhile for my handyman to do the job, and because by lumping them all into one day’s work, we got a discount on the repairs. The cost of each of us for the repair just ran us each a little over $100.

If all goes well (the handyman is making the fixes while I write this), I am sure my neighbors and I will collaborate more on the small fixes we need done around our houses. It’s a great budget way to get a job done!

Lauren Kim is the executive editor of MomHomeGuide.com, where she blogs about being a homeowner and a mom.