Professionals or Handymen: Which Should You Use?

Do you need a project completed in or around your home? Be it painting, electrical contracting or even construction, you might be considering hiring a handyman to do the job quickly and affordably. However, the phrase ‘you get what you pay for’ is highly applicable in this regard; while a handyman might be able to get your tasks done fast, the quality of his work will often be left up to a number of variable factors.

Smaller, simple jobs might also look easy enough to get away with not hiring professionals, but at the end of the day, many home-owners end up saving more money in the long run by getting the job done by experts the first time around. Here are a few good reasons why you should turn to renovation and design professionals instead of handymen for your next home-related job!

Reliable Rates

 

The services on offer from a local handyman can vary considerably, and of course, so do the rates for these kinds of services. Handymen base their rates on a number of factors, including their personal preferences, the current market, and the size of the job in question. These are jacks-of-all-trades; individuals who know how to perform a wide variety of tasks, but are often not trained or officially skilled in many.

A large percentage of handymen tend to rely purely on experience to teach them how to complete renovation tasks and minor home repairs, so the quality of their work is also based largely on the amount of experience they have and how long they have been in the industry. Paying a flat rate to your handyman can seem advantageous if he gives you an honest quote as to how long the job will take – but if he quotes for a six-hour job and gets it done in just two, you would essentially have paid triple what you should have.

Minor, quick jobs (such as changing electrical outlets or replacing faulty thermostats) might cost you somewhat less with a handyman around too, but again, the quality of his work may vary and you might not get the lasting result you are looking for – which can be worrying, especially when dealing with electrical issues! Turning to a renovation professional, on the other hand, means that you will receive proper, formal quotations, competitive industry rates, and the services of trained experts who know exactly how to complete the job safely and effectively, with no hitches or mistakes along the way.

Guaranteed Quality

When you decide to hire a handyman to paint, decorate or do electrical work on your home, your only guarantee of the quality of his work will be his credentials and his reputation. Of course, a good reputation is a solid start, but this can change unexpectedly with little path for recourse should something go wrong. Essentially, the only way to assure the quality of the work you receive is to hire a professional, accredited organization that protects both you and the investments you choose to make in your home.

Handymen are, to all intents and purposes, the freelancers of the home improvement world. They often work alone, and do not always belong to industry organizations – although some may opt for independent memberships. In some areas, handymen are obligated to hold licenses before they can offer their services to the public, but even so, practically anyone with a few basic skills can rightfully market themselves as a handyman or woman, leaving their reliability largely up to fate.

When you hire a company that supplies expert contracting services, however, you will receive services that are monitored constantly by industry watchdogs, who can also assist you in the case of something going wrong. Some companies even hold their own quality guarantees as stipulated in their work contracts, meaning that you can legally hold your contractors and painters to their words. Aside from a few rare cases, handymen do not provide such contracts!

Invaluable Experience

In every possible scenario, experience is an extremely valuable commodity when it comes to contracting and renovation. You will likely pay higher rates for more experienced workers, regardless of whether they are handymen or professionals. The professionals, however, are also trained in risk mitigation and a wide variety of jobs and services, whereas handymen tend to gather their experience from learning (and sometimes making mistakes) on the job.

A cheaper rate may seem attractive at first, but if your handyman makes a mistake or has an accident, you could be left with serious and expensive consequences. By investing more into hiring professionals, you will be paying for the services of licensed, educated and regulated experts who have the proper insurance, permits and liability coverage needed should something go awry on the job.

Now that you know about the benefits of choosing trained contractors over handymen, which will you be choosing for your next project? Contact our team at Canaima Design today and allow us to improve your home with professionalism, reliability, and the utmost integrity our clients have come to expect from us!

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