Companies Specialize In Small-home Repairs

MACOMB (Sunday, January 30, 2005) - When her husband was around, Renee's home was her haven. After he died and she was left to face the home repairs on her own, it became a burden.
"I tried to fix things myself," said Renee, standing on a paint-splattered dropcloth covering her living room floor. "I replaced the broken doorknobs and I installed light fixtures in the basement."

She even repaired the sump pump.

Or so she thought.

When her fix faltered and the sump pump threatened to flood her basement, Renee had no choice but to throw in the handyman's towel. She called a plumber. He came out on a Sunday and repaired the sump pump, but left Renee with a hefty bill.

After that, you would have thought the home improvement gods would have given Renee a break. Not so. That repair opened a floodgate of problems including a leaky roof; cracks in the drywall and a large wet spot that threatened to come crashing through Renee's living room ceiling.

"I asked people who I could call, and they all said the same thing. 'I don't know. My husband usually does it,'" Renee said.

She thought about finding a company through the classifieds or the Yellow Pages, but she wasn't sure what kind of company to call. Did she need a remodeling contractor, drywall expert or a roofer? She worried about repair costs. How do you know if the roof needs work? It could be a matter of a couple shingles.

Then there was the matter of safety.

"When you're a single female, it's hard to find someone you trust, and who can do these types of repairs," Renee said. "I have a son. He's handy with a car, but not a house."

Then Renee heard about the Handy Pro Handyman Service. It is a franchise that specializes in small home repairs -- the kind of work Renee's husband used to do.

"I checked with the Better Business Bureau, called, and I got Joel," Renee said, while walking toward the kitchen where Joel the handyman, clad in jeans and a T-shirt, was painting a wall.

Joel Ambrose is a member of the Handy Pro Handyman Service team. The franchise, owned by Keith and Debra Paul, services homes in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. The Pauls originally owned a home service referral company, but in 1993, after seeing the huge need for handymen and the lack thereof, decided to start a company. Their first handyman was a talented carpenter with more than 25 years of experience. Today, the company employs 14 handymen, including Ambrose.

"When I was at MSU (taking building construction and electrical engineering), I used to work for a company that renovated homes," said Ambrose, "That's how I put myself through school."

Eventually, Ambrose became a manager in an office, but after a few years he decided work behind a desk wasn't for him.

"I like to work with my hands," Ambrose said, putting down the paintbrush and taking a step back to admire his work. "I like people and I like this type of work. I never do the same thing twice. Every day it's something different -- another challenge."

On this day, Ambrose was busy repainting Renee's kitchen, one of several jobs that Ambrose would be doing for Renee. This and the other repair jobs to be done were discussed during the initial free estimate meeting between Renee and Ambrose. At this time, they went over the schedule and budget. Ambrose would paint the kitchen, hallways and bathroom first. Then he would install new doors on the closets and fix the hole and drywall in the living room ceiling. Since Renee's homeowner insurance was covering the cost of repairs on the outside of the house, the leaky roof would be done by a roofing company, which was fine with her.

"I'm just so happy to have someone to do this work," Renee said. "Joel is very good and very reliable."

He's also a minister at Faith Covenant Fellowship Church in Eastpointe. As a minister, Ambrose is able to address the needs of the home and the heart.

"This is a vulnerable population," Ambrose said of his customers. "Being a minister, it's important for me to make sure people get a good deal. As a handyman, I do a good job and I stand behind my work."

Reliable and fair are two factors to consider when hiring a handyman. Another factor is credentials.

"I show people my builder's license and my insurance," said Chuck Pope, owner of House Doctors Handyman Service of Macomb County.

Similar to Handy Pro, House Doctors is a franchise that specializes in handyman services. Pope was hired to install a ceiling fan in a Chesterfield Township home owned by Michelle, a single mother who, like Renee, asked that only her first name be used in the article.

"My son-in-law is pretty handy, but he's very busy," Michelle said.

So she went shopping for a handyman.

The first time she called a handyman service a woman answered the phone. She was very unprofessional. There was no mention of the business name or title, just a gruff "hello" and "we'll get back to you." Michelle hired a handyman to do some brickwork. However, the job site was left in such a mess, Michelle's brother had to track the handyman down -- he worked out of his truck and had no business address -- and insist that he redo the work.

Then Michelle contacted the House Doctors.

"I liked the words -- House Doctors -- and his voice was so friendly," Michelle said of Pope, who took the initial call.

Pope was prepared, and very professional. He presented her with a packet of information explaining his services, his prices and proof of his insurance. Ask a lawyer, and he/she will tell you if an uninsured worker gets injured while working on your house, you become the employer, and are therefore liable to pay for medical expenses.

"When I moved here about two years ago, the house needed help big time," Michelle said. "I wanted the dog to have access."

So Pope built an entrance off the garage. She wanted her home to be bright. So Pope installed a skylight in the ceiling of her kitchen. He has cleaned out her gutters, replaced roof shingles, moved the telephone so her buffet would be flush to the wall and installed a rack above the kitchen sink so Michelle would have a place to hang her tea towel and herbs.

"I love it because all of these little things put together make the house look beautiful," Michelle said.

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