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I'm having my first full taste of ServiceMagic, and am very happy, indeed. The Benzo Company not only has an excellent tagline -- "Where well planned meets well built" presented in a clean, attractive font and format on their work trailer, Chris Laurenzo is an excellent, attentive home handyman. From what I've seen of his pricing, work ethic, and overall sensibilities, I'll also gladly use him for any larger building projects I find myself in a position to have done.
Chris installed deadbolts in four, steel-wrapped, exterior doors that have been waiting for deadbolts since I moved in. Back in 2004, I installed the new deadbolt on the door that already had the necessary holes drilled, then wimped out rather than drilling the new holes needed to install the deadbolts in the other four doors. That seemed wiser than having to replace the doors themselves after my clumsy drilling efforts destroyed them. This Girl Homeowner is reasonably okay drilling guide holes for nails and screws, and sometimes using the drill to install the screws themselves. Cleanly aligned large holes at a 90-degree angle through both metal and wood? Not so much....
Chris also replaced the half-broken light over my garage doors, a light that's out of reach of any ladders I have. And he repaired two drawers in my kitchen that broke this year. Metal slides are all very nice, but when they mount onto plastic end brackets, 30 years of service is likely to do them in. Especially if you put as much stuff in your kitchen drawers as I do.
( That brings me to Environmental Impact Statements and the 5-Year Rule. )
Progress. Progress is good. It took me 20 years to find a home handyman I wasn't living with at Toad Hall. It only happened then thanks to Realtor Bob and only because I was putting the house on the market. On the handyman front, I'm well ahead of my usual game here.
Three cheers for ServiceMagic, and the friends here on LJ who mentioned having success with them in other parts of the country. I still think well of Angie's List, especially in denser markets than one finds here in Wales. The ServiceMagic approach helped me look further afield than I would have on my own, and led me to a great home handyman. Huzzah!
Chris installed deadbolts in four, steel-wrapped, exterior doors that have been waiting for deadbolts since I moved in. Back in 2004, I installed the new deadbolt on the door that already had the necessary holes drilled, then wimped out rather than drilling the new holes needed to install the deadbolts in the other four doors. That seemed wiser than having to replace the doors themselves after my clumsy drilling efforts destroyed them. This Girl Homeowner is reasonably okay drilling guide holes for nails and screws, and sometimes using the drill to install the screws themselves. Cleanly aligned large holes at a 90-degree angle through both metal and wood? Not so much....
Chris also replaced the half-broken light over my garage doors, a light that's out of reach of any ladders I have. And he repaired two drawers in my kitchen that broke this year. Metal slides are all very nice, but when they mount onto plastic end brackets, 30 years of service is likely to do them in. Especially if you put as much stuff in your kitchen drawers as I do.
( That brings me to Environmental Impact Statements and the 5-Year Rule. )
Progress. Progress is good. It took me 20 years to find a home handyman I wasn't living with at Toad Hall. It only happened then thanks to Realtor Bob and only because I was putting the house on the market. On the handyman front, I'm well ahead of my usual game here.
Three cheers for ServiceMagic, and the friends here on LJ who mentioned having success with them in other parts of the country. I still think well of Angie's List, especially in denser markets than one finds here in Wales. The ServiceMagic approach helped me look further afield than I would have on my own, and led me to a great home handyman. Huzzah!
