Handymen-for-hire keep homes healthy

Kimberley McGee

Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2000 | 8:52 a.m.

The eaves of a home sag, the screen door creaks, and that clinking sound in the middle of the night is still a matter to be determined.

Instead of climbing the rafters or crawling under the sink themselves, homeowners are turning to skilled handymen to fix the little things that can become larger problems in the future, according to Kaile Warren, owner of the Maine-based business Rent-A-Husband, Inc., and CBS's "The Early Show" home-project consultant.

The trend, he said, toward using multiskilled handymen instead of contractors for simple home repairs stems from people's lack of how-to knowledge due to technology, affluence and a loss of interest.

"Women assumed growing up that because someone was a male they could fix things," he said. "But that's not true anymore. Those skills haven't been passed on because people are getting on-line more with their computers than getting their home in-line."

Warren formed Rent-A-Husband in 1996 to educate the public about home maintenance and reduce fears that many homeowners have about the industry.

"If you ask most people, they don't know who to call to (fix) things. It's really a craps shoot," he said. "They don't know who to trust."

A handyman is more than just a fix-it guy who rings the doorbell (if it's working), Warren said. He's a consultant, a doctor and brings dream homes to life with tile flooring, paint and a little elbow grease.

"Everybody needs a handyman," Warren said. "The environment is working everyday to reduce your house back to the elements. People's lives are becoming busier and busier so they don't have the time to work around the house, and the passing down of skills has skipped a generation, so where do you make up for that loss?"

With skilled handymen, apparently.

Las Vegas Handyman Inc. owner Mike Ives said booming local home sales as well as the population have made the area ripe for handymen -- that is, if they are licensed, bonded and have the multiple skills required to handle the approximately 20 residential repair calls he receives daily.

Ives hires mostly men over age 50, and assures homeowners the craftsmen are properly credentialed so that their nerves can be soothed with trust.

"It takes a lot of experience to do the things we do," Ives said. "Homeowners want more stability and professionalism, and that's why we are here."

Lee Galati recently opened a franchise of Handyman Connection here after years in corporate management because he saw the same need Ives has experienced.

"Homeowners don't seem to trust craftsmen, and craftsmen don't trust homeowners so this allows them to do so," he said. "When you bring someone into your house to work on it, it's like a doctor; it's a personal relationship and they want someone who is professional that they can trust."

Galati said his phone rings about 20 times a day, with desperate pleas from new Las Vegas residents who have few acquaintances in town.

"They are grasping and they want to find someone they can trust," he said. "It's not like a small town where you know everybody anymore."

The homeowners who hire Galati's fleet of 15 employees -- mostly retired craftsmen -- are typically those who view their home as something they are proud of, worked hard for and want their home to reflect their station in life.

"Either they don't have the knowledge or the tools or would rather go to the lake on Saturday instead of work around the house," Galati said.

Then there are those who truly need his help -- immediately. Galati recently had a call from a man in a wheelchair who had a major, possibly disastrous leak in front of his home. He had no one to call to come over to simply shut off the water, and was panicked.

"A lot of people feel very alone in a town like this," he said.

Bringing it home

After the death of her second husband, Viola Shoemaker moved to Las Vegas from Colorado to be closer to her two grown sons.

The 6-year-old North Las Vegas town house she bought three years ago needed a few small adjustments. She hired the House Doctor to install support railings in her bathroom following her knee surgery earlier this year.

"I hate to ask my sons to do it," she said. "They aren't always easy to get a hold of and when I'm with them I want to be with them, not give them (chores) to do."

The handyman service offers her freedom to be independent from her family, she said, and she feels safe with the friendly staff.

"Anything I would need, I would call them " she said. "I always had husbands to do it before. They were real handy, but I'm not. This way it was all done for me, I don't have to worry about a thing."

Lorraine Mittleman needed a slew of contractors to repair a rental unit after a tenant vacated it with a vengeance.

Her husband has taken care of such things in the past, but lately the couple don't have the time or the desire to patch up another wall or light fixture.

The personal attention of the craftsmen, and the fact that they were available nearly every day of the week, was a relief to the busy grandmother.

"You felt like it was a small outfit and you could call him anytime and they would come over immediately," she said. "But they are professionals, too. I found that (the craftsman) really kept his word. They are more personal than contractors."

Climbing ladders to paint walls, hang wallpaper or bending on her knees to lay flooring is nothing new to two-year homeowner Diana Jordell.

"I'm used to doing most of the things I need done myself," the 43-year-old said. "And I grew very weary."

She was skeptical of using an outside craftsman at first. "I've had such horrible luck," she said. "People don't show up or they do the job poorly and don't take responsiblity for it."

The service was a pleasant surprise, she said. "I can leave the house and feel safe," Jordell said. "They are conscientious, responsible, really friendly."

Diana Moffett also said she thinks of herself as handy around the home, "except when it comes to electrical and plumbing stuff, then I need to call someone."

She was overwhelmed by the number of contractors in the phone book when she went looking for a professional to install ceiling fans in her year-old home. A coupon for the House Doctor encouraged her to try the service.

"They had the skills to do a multitude of things and they are willing to do any tiny job," she said.

Although she has neighbors and friends who could help her, she wanted the assurance (and the insurance of a bonded craftsman) that the job would be done to her satisfaction -- and with no strings attached.

"People at work say they can do this but I would rather have it done professionally," she said. "I don't want to feel obliged to them. I guess that's what some people keep husbands around for."

The real thing

Dennis Barnett has 40 years of experience in the construction business and couldn't bring himself to retire completely from his craft.

"I still want something to do, and it's a hands-on business -- like an artist who paints a picture, you can look back with satisfaction on what you have accomplished," Barnett said.

He said his client list ranges from retired couples to single women and young mothers.

An aging fellow craftsman hired the younger Barnett to fix a pesky faucet that leaked.

"The guy was a retired carpenter and knew what to do but he was at an age when he didn't want to crawl around under the sink," Barnett said.

And why should he, when Barnett is more than happy to pull up to his home -- tools in hand, a smile on his face and ready with a bit of conversation while he fiddles with faucets, fans or frames?

Meanwhile a single, young mother, who he has helped in the past, prepared a "honey-do" list for Barnett and has asked him to stop by this week.

"She doesn't have anybody to do anything like this (for her) and it's easier for us to go out there and be a 'house husband,' " he said.

But Barnett said there's also the flip side.

"My wife's always complaining that I'm doing all the other jobs -- and not the stuff she needs me to do."

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