Maintaining your home, carrying out repairs or improving your home’s aesthetics yourself is a great idea. It offers enjoyment and the opportunity to save money at the same time. There’s no need to use professional handyman services.

Or is there?

In many cases, DIY projects can involve more stress and cost more money than you think. One wrong move and you can mess up an appliance, your furniture, or your home. There is also a high risk of accidents that can land you in the ER, especially when DIY projects involve using electric equipment like an electric drill. Not everyone is an expert at home improvements and DIY projects.

Often, homeowners feel burdened with the responsibility of maintaining the upkeep of their homes. The heady days of owning a new property can soon disappear when the list of things that need attention starts piling up, especially if you don’t feel you have the needed supplies or skills.

It’s a good idea to consider bringing in some extra help, and a home maintenance subscription service can provide that. Professional handyman services can lift the load, whether it’s plumbing, renovating paintwork, or keeping your dishwashers and washer-dryers maintained.

They can relieve you of the responsibility for all your maintenance and renovation tasks so you can focus on other things. They have the necessary expertise and can do tasks fraction of the time that less experienced homeowners will take. This leaves you free to spend your valuable leisure time on family activities and things you enjoy.

What are Professional Handyman Services?

Professional handyman services offer you a team of experts or a single “home manager” for a wide range of regular maintenance, repairs and home improvement projects. They do everything from change out your AC filters and smoke alarm batteries to fixing a leaky faucet and servicing your HVAC.

Common Repairs

“Small” or “simple” jobs can bring unforeseen difficulties or problems to those with little or no experience. Using a professional handyman service means that any breakdowns or failures around the home can be left in the hands of an expert. They are well-versed in dealing with hidden surprises that come along with those easy jobs!

The kind of common repairs that it’s worth calling in a professional for include:

Appliance repairs, such as replacing valves on your refrigerator, washer-dryer, or dishwasher
Electrical repairs, including replacing control boards in your electrical appliances, installing ceiling fans, or repairing outlets
Plumbing repairs, such as replacing faucets, unclogging drains, and even tuning up your sprinkler system
General handyman jobs, like mounting a TV on the wall or installing a security system that you just bought on sale from the store, with minimum fuss and a guaranteed result

Prevention Is Better than the Cure

This adage refers to preventative maintenance, and all homes need this to keep everything running smoothly. Just as with a car, if you take care of your home regularly, you’ll likely have fewer things break down.

Related: An ounce of prevention, a pound of cure

Using professional handyman services for your preventative maintenance tasks ensures the appliances, plumbing and other parts of your home function well. Regular maintenance also helps maximize appliance, HVAC and hot water heater lifespans. Preventive maintenance improves your home’s overall efficiency and can lower your electric bill and appliance replacement costs.

So what do these preventative maintenance services include? To keep your home running effectively – and avoid larger repair bills down the road – a semi-annual service covering multiple aspects of your home, including appliance checks, air conditioner checks, and plumbing checks, is recommended.

Depending on the professional handyman services you use, appliance checks may include:

Inspection of appliance lights and replacement as needed. These lights fail from time to time, and regular checking/replacement is necessary.
Inspection of range burners and oven. This ensures that your oven’s heating elements and mechanical parts are functioning well and do not have any gas leaks.
Replacement of batteries and testing of smoke and CO detectors. It is typically done in fall or winter and ensures your safety.
Provision and replacement of refrigerator water filter. Having your fridge’s water filter replaced will ensure your drinking water is free from contaminants.
Cleaning of refrigerator condenser coils. Clogged condenser coils cannot efficiently release heat, causing your fridge compressor to run for longer than it should. This shortens your fridge’s lifespan and increases its energy usage.

Air conditioner checks may include:

Provision and replacement of AC filters. When your AC filter gets clogged with dust and allergens, this may cause long-term damage. Changing the AC’s filter improves the air conditioning and prolongs the appliance’s life.
Cleaning of AC condenser coils. For an energy-efficient AC, the condenser coils need to be free from any build-up of debris on its fins. This activity, usually done in the spring or summer, makes sure that your AC stays energy efficient.
Disinfection of AC condensate drain line. A clogged AC condensate line may cause moldy and musty odors. Clogging also elevates your AC’s humidity and may cause water damage around the home. Cleaning and disinfecting your AC condensate drain line prevents this.

Plumbing and pipe checks may include:

Inspection of all drains for proper flow. Prevent an expensive plumber’s fee by having routine checkups on your drains.
Inspection of exterior plumbing for proper insulation. Objects constantly exposed to water, such as pipes, have a high risk of freezing in winter. Frozen or near-freezing point pipes may burst, flooding your home and ruining your furniture and appliances. Professional handyman services can ensure pipes are covered with insulating materials to prevent this from happening.
Flushing sediment from water heaters. This task is performed in spring or summer and prevents burst pipes, loss of water pressure, and water tank breakdown.
Inspect faucets and fixtures for leaks. Leaks can cause water damage and also increase water bills. Faucet washers suffer from wear and tear, and regular inspection is an integral part of home maintenance.
Cleaning of faucet aerators. Like a filter, a faucet aerator strains out any debris included in your tap water. This makes the debris build up around the faucet opening, which can cause water pressure issues. Cleaning your faucet aerators means that no pressure issues occur.
Inspection and cleaning the dishwasher drain filter. When your dishwasher drain gets clogged, not all of the water used gets drained, causing unpleasant odors and dishes that are not adequately cleaned.
Sanitization of garbage disposal. A build-up of food on your sink’s garbage disposal makes it less effective and creates unwelcome odors. A clean-through regularly keeps the unit functioning.
Sanitization of washing machines and dishwashers with natural cleansing agents. Hot water and detergent are often not enough to kill harmful bacteria and other pathogens in your clothes washer. A deep clean can be helpful.
Cleaning lint out of dryer ducts and outtake. This improves dryer efficiency and is carried out in fall or winter.
Inspection of toilets and sinks for valve leaks. Just like faucets, any leak from toilets and sinks can increase water bills, damage, and cause mold and mildew in your home.

Is Home Warranty a Good Solution?

Home warranties are a form of insurance that provides you with professional repairs for your home every time something breaks. Evidence suggests that a home warranty is not worth it in every case. Why is this?

Home warranties do not cover many homeowners’ problems when things go wrong
Professional handyman services can do the job at a lower overall cost and are often more reliable and timely
Many appliances have good manufacturer’s warranties to cover breakdowns in any event

Related: Do I really need home warranty?

DIY Repairs: Should You Really Do It Yourself?

It’s true that hiring a professional handyman service costs money. This is not a good enough reason for homeowners to attempt repairs and maintenance themselves. Here are some reasons why engaging in DIY repairs is inadvisable:

Professional handypersons have expertise in what they are doing

Appliances have distinct parts that are unique to them. Unless you are a mechanic or have experience fixing different electrical appliances, you may discover it’s hard to find some of these parts. Professional handypersons know where to source the spare parts needed and get good deals. They also won’t do a “botch job,” which may lead to more complicated repairs.

Doing DIY repairs can hurt you

There is a high risk of electrocution when doing repairs on appliances. Although there are basic safety measures such as turning off and unplugging appliances before starting the repair, these are still not enough. Accidents happen quickly, especially if you are attempting something new. You may also need specialized tools and equipment. So many DIY enthusiasts approach tasks with inadequate equipment, leading to serious accidents and injury.

Tools must be handled appropriately. You can cut yourself with a saw, puncture your skin with nails and screws, or even end up with broken bones because you fell from a ladder. A professional handyman service will have a trained appliance tech who is aware of all the risks and takes preventive measures to work safely at all times.

Botched DIYs will only cost you more money

A lack of expertise means that success is not guaranteed when doing repairs yourself. There are times you will mess up your DIY project. This may mean, at worst, the whole appliance or piece of furniture may need to be replaced. At the least, the same replacement part may have to be purchased again. Not only have you wasted your time and effort, but you’ve wasted much more money than you expected.

And don’t forget the cost of medical intervention in the case of injury or accident. You can rack up medical bills and possibly have to take time off of work. These are expenses you could have avoided if you had used a professional handyman service in the first place.

Build home maintenance into your budget with ease

Using a professional handyman service can be built into your budget, just like how you seamlessly use other subscriptions. People nowadays subscribe for regular provision of entertainment, music, food, digital newspapers, pet food, and more! Buying into a professional handyman service can relieve you of a whole heap of concerns around the way your home operates. It provides peace of mind with no unexpected extra costs or breakdowns.

Freedom from worry about your home repairs and maintenance with a professional handyman service

Whether it is replacing door knobs, fixing the drywall, or spending time on the upkeep of your appliances, professional handypersons are people you can definitely rely on. They help you save your money, time, and effort, leaving you free to spend your valuable time on things that are important to you. You can discover that the benefits outweigh the cost.

If you check out what is on offer, you will find that these services vary in cost and what they provide.

With PreFix, no maintenance or repair is off-limits. You can use this service for the simple task of changing a light bulb to more complex tasks such as a full spring irrigation tune-up for your garden. Membership automatically entitles you to a 30-point preventative maintenance service for your household appliances twice a year.

At $40 per hour, your Home Manager will be able to repair your appliances if they break down. And if replacement parts are required, you do not need to worry about the price. PreFix charges for parts at wholesale price, with no markups! If the repair needs specific licenses, PreFix can also connect you with the licensed contractors you need. In short, PreFix dedicates itself to providing you with a quality home repair and maintenance service without costing big bucks. With PreFix, you can truly own your home without owning its problems. Contact PreFix and transform your living space today.

Are Professional Handyman Services Worth It?