I need some advice.

[Avalux]

I have a few minor things around my house needing repair and not sure what to do. It's the first time in my life I haven't had a man step in and do it for me (yes, I know).

So - things need fixin', and I don't know how, and don't really have the time to figure it out and do it myself. Any suggestions on how I can find someone trustworthy that I can pay to do it? I don't much want to buy a membership to Angie's list, and no one I know was able to give me a name.

Every time I think about it I get nervous, and I've only got a few weeks to get this stuff taken care of before family arrives from out of town.

[2theleft]

1. homeadvisor.com is free.

I just signed up and sent out a request for bids. Haven't actually hired anyone yet, but have some friends at work who have used with success. Very much like Angie's list, but no cost to the customer.

[Avalux]

2. Thank you so much!!

I'll check it out, might be just the solution I need.

[Duer 157099]

3. I know you said you didn't want to do it yourself, but....

it might actually be much easier than you imagine and almost 100% of the time you can Google to find out exactly how to do it.

There is huge satisfaction going that route. You learn something, you gain confidence and it just feels really good.

What sorts of things are they that need fixin?

[Avalux]

4. It's little stuff....

In a bathroom, the hot water faucet knob broke off, so I had to shut off the hot water. That needs to be replaced. I also have a toilet that isn't working properly. And then I have a door that isn't shutting properly because the house has shifted. It's an old house.

How hard is it to replace a faucet?

[Duer 157099]

6. Easy.

The difficult one might be the door. I once tried to fix something like that, being a lifelong DIYer, and found it required more strength and tools than I had (door needed planing etc, not trivial for me).

The other things should be fairly easy. Google. Or even ask here. Good luck. You can do it (if you have a little time and determination).

I can't count the number of things I've fixed around the house (and garage, and even car), all with the help of Google. Haven't had to replace an appliance for so many years, because almost always it is something really easy, believe it or not.

[Avalux]

8. Thanks for the encouragement.

I might try the faucet myself. It's fear on my part mostly; haven't really had to do anything like this myself and it feels like a huge mountain blocking my way. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed and think I should just give up my house and move to an apartment. But I'll try Google and see what happens.

[Duer 157099]

9. If it is fear blocking you, then I really encourage you to face it.

Number one, because it isn't really that bad, and two, you will feel tremendous accomplishment.

Just make sure to turn the water under the sink off first before removing anything that might spray water...

Measure twice and cut once. Read a few DIY pages that you'll find via Google first and just make sure you understand everything they tell you to do BEFORE you begin, and make sure you have the proper tools etc. If you do that, I bet you will succeed at it and then you'll try even more. Really.

[Avalux]

10. I think you're right.

Youtube will probably be a big help. If I can watch someone do it then I can figure it out, right? You've helped me to feel as if my problem is solvable. Thank you.

[gvstn]

11. Replacing a faucet is fairly easy.

If you can shut off the hot water then you can probably replace a faucet. You have to measure the space between holes on your existing faucet (so know if it is one knob controlling all water or two knobs and how much space in between. It sounds like you have two knobs so that should be a standard distance for bathroom faucets. My advice is don't buy the cheapest one available on sale but buy a quality one that will last a long time with virtually no maintenance. In the $40 to $50 dollar range rather than the $15 -$20 dollar range(or better yet go with something like Delta or Moen which can get pricier but a plumber will charge $100 just for labor from my experience).

The replacing is turning of hot/cold water and then under the sink should be three bolts/nuts you have to loosen. One holds the fixture in place and two are the hot and cold taps. They can be hard to access on a bathroom faucet so eye it up to see if you think you can get to it. If you can get to them then it is just a matter of removing the three connections and removing the old faucet and then fitting the new one and tightening things up.

Toilets that are "leaking"/running too long because of fill problems are easy to fix, I just get a new FluidMaster kit and replace that mechanism. If it is clogged up or not flushing strong enough that is a different problem.

I can only say that professional plumbers seem to charge really ridiculous rates (I paid $110 for a leaky bathroom faucet fix that involved a $20 Moen cartridge when the guy was already working in that bathroom on a more expensive job replacing a tub diverter. I really think he should have charged about $50 for the 10 minutes it took him to replace the $20 part on the sink. My experience with my Dad's "handyman" is that he charged more than a professional for small jobs. So definitely try to get some type of decent estimate before giving a go ahead.

[Avalux]

12. That was very helpful!

I did manage to turn the hot water off - and yes, the hot and cold water are separate. It's weird - the faucet that broke is probably about 5 years old; the lever knob just snapped off when I tried to turn it.

I'm going to try to replace it tomorrow. Thank you for your post.

DU is the best!!

[gvstn]

13. I looked at my bathroom faucets before posting

And they are a nightmare to get to, but I have had others that were easier. Again, from my experience with a plumber who did a very good job when I needed access to the main sewer connection which involved digging up my whole front yard he charged a reasonable rate; I found him ridiculously expensive for simple jobs. He replaced faucets in my shower but with very cheap brands that I never felt comfortable with and they leaked a few years out. I worked at a grocery store and when they tried to replace faucets with home-quality they broke in a few weeks and I realized there was a difference between commercial grade and home-use plumbing materials. Go for better home grade materials and they will be more likely to be trouble-free.

Take a look at Home Depot or Lowes and see what is available for bathroom faucets. Spend something in the $30+ range even if something cheap is available. Getting under a sink is not comfortable but the actual connections are not that difficult. If your family can go without water for a few hours then try disconnecting the original faucet and then going to the store to find a replacement. You will know exactly what you have and what you need to replace it and then when you get home the connections should be simple.

[Sweet Freedom]

16. Toilet may be easy, too.

Depending on what the problem is. If it won't flush or stop running, you may just need a new flapper or the chain may have disconnected, both easy fixes. The mechanism inside the tank is pretty straightforward. If you can't find help online, I have found that the employees at hardware stores are always helpful.

I can relate to your trepidation. I moved last year and the list of fixes in my house was overwhelming, but I had to get them done, so I went for it. I remember my mom being really impressed with everything I learned to do and fixed myself. (The only things I couldn't do were those that required special tools.) I say go for it. You'll be surprised how much you can do, how cheap it is, and how empowering it feels.

[DebJ]

5. The best service I have received has come from people referred to me by a neighbor

who lived here ten years before I moved into the neighborhood. We were having terrible experiences with SEVERAL electricians, just TERRIBLE. Then I remembered that I had used an HVAC company after seeing their truck in his driveway, and so I asked him. Now I'm almost in love with this new company of electricians, in light of my previous experiences with inept, uncaring people who either didn't show up when I had taken a day off work, and didn't call, and didn't apologize for not showing up,and when they did show up, screwed things up. Even something very simple like switching out an outlet with a new one....they installed a new outlet by carving in another hole in the wall, leaving the bad one there. (That's what happens when hubby supervises, one and only time he did, and the last time hopefully, LOL.)

My neighbor is one of those people who can be a real pain as a customer. He demands excellent service, accepts nothing else, and wants a premium price, too. If a company does work for him, you want them!

Another source of help was from a man I know who owns two rental properties, and who was in the flip a house business for awhile. I got two general handy-man types to hang up curtain rods and switch out some ceiling fixtures. Cheap, and got the job done, though I soon had problems getting the rather expensive and heavy draw-rods to work properly. But good enough for simple jobs, and definitely less expensive.

On a humorous note (to me, anyway), coincidentally I just checked out Craigslist two days ago, so the timing of your question hit my funny bone . I would like to meet some women and or couples my age who might like to meet new people to socialize, play board games or do other banal things together in my price range of no more than a night out at the movies. So I checked out 'Strictly Platonic" under the Personals section. The first posting that I clicked on turned out to be from a man who wanted to provide household repair, general handyman type services, in exchange for, shall we say, payment via intimate services. (Wouldn't that technically be prostitution?) Every other posting had nothing whatsoever to do with 'platonic'. Not even the one posted by the guy who 'yelled' in all caps. "Doesn't anyone know the definition of platonic?" He wanted to BEGIN platonic, but was seeking ultimately,sex. Humanity is so sad. But sometimes, I have to laugh.

[Avalux]

7. Yep that's prostitution.

I have a hard time with strangers in my home; been taken advantage of before (won't happen again). I'm still trying to network and find someone that way but thought I'd ask here too. I'm glad you found a business that did good work for you.

[Generic Brad]

14. You don't need a man for any of that

I'm a guy and I pour my heart and soul into my profession which also means I have no time or capacity for home repairs. I either hire the maintenance guy in my building (not one of your options - I know) or I hire contractors from among relatives of work associates.

If I try to fix something, I will on,y screw it up and make the repair more expensive.

[lululu]

15. doors

I am much more comfortable fixing doors than plumbing.

The only problem with doors is that they can be very heavy. So watch your balance and also don't let them set down on your feet. When rehanging them, I use books or something to get them up almost in line with the hinges. But you may not have to take them off the hinges if it's the top or side that needs planeing(sp?) or the frame. Also, it is not hard to move the thing in the frame that the the latch goes into up or down if the latch not going in properly is the problem; you just need a chisel and some type of wood patch if it is moved enough so that the screws would go into empty space.

youtube is your friend, but watch several different videos before deciding what to do. Not everyone who makes videos is an expert.

Also look at online reviews of businesses, although one of the plumbers and the electrician I found are one people shops and so have no reviews.

Eventually I have found a good set of honest, competent people for repairs, but it took several tries in each category. (I found two good plumbers, one female.)

update: I think places like home depot or lowe's run free how to do it workshops on saturdays or some such.