The water stays cold, the dishwasher is on strike – a professional is needed. If you hire a handyman, you should inform yourself well in advance.
Craftsmen are indispensable for work around the property. However, things don’t always go according to plan.
You are actually about to move in, but are renovations still going on? Annoying for the customer and for the commissioned company: If the company is responsible for the delay, it will pay for the damage incurred. For this, however, the completion date must have been specified in the order as binding. Otherwise you have to send a reminder first. That is, you explicitly ask the company to complete the work within a certain period of time. And if your search handyman near me and they don’t even show up at a promised appointment? Even then he gets a second chance. However, if he has received a reminder and allowed the deadline (one to two weeks) to elapse, you can withdraw from the contract.
Obtain a cost estimate or agree on a fixed price – this is how you avoid surprises.
Defects: With the acceptance, a customer confirms to the handyman that the result is correct. The company can now issue the invoice, and the limitation period begins. You should therefore not accept bad work under any circumstances – unless it is only an insignificant defect. But then the acceptance report should show that certain, precisely defined work still has to be carried out. So check carefully: Ideally, you have specified the scope of the desired services in detail in the order. This makes it easier to assess whether all tasks have been completed. If you spot mistakes, take photos. List extensive work in a defect log. Then ask the handyman in writing to make improvements within a reasonable period of time.
Correction: If the handyman repeatedly fails to rectify errors, customers can rectify defects themselves or place the order again. The costs then incurred must be paid by the company originally commissioned. You can even ask for an advance. You can also withdraw from the contract or reduce the wages. Claims for damages are also conceivable, for example if moisture damage occurs due to inadequate sealing work.
The invoice: Every tradesman’s invoice must explain services in a comprehensible manner: list the materials used and every working hour precisely (and without breaks). The hourly rate for semi-skilled helpers and trainees is different from that for master craftsmen and journeymen. Travel times must not be accounted for as working hours. If the entrepreneur controls several customers on one tour, he has to split the travel costs. “To avoid surprises, you should obtain a cost estimate,” for the handyman head or from their association. “Or you agree on a fixed price. You always only have to pay this price, even if the work turns out to be more expensive than you thought.”
