Posted on by Dean Savage

The Hound Dog Special

My house burned down in the early 90’s. Of course, it wasn’t my house at the time. My family purchased it after it was restored in 1999. Unfortunately, the people who restored it cut some figurative and literal corners.

After demolishing the old brick walls, they got rid of the debris by burying it in the front and back yards. However, when we bought the home it was beautiful and most of the problems were small and not immediately obvious. After some time, door knobs began falling off, and towel racks would spontaneously combust (Ok, there wasn’t any “combusting”). And the main man responsible for the finishing touches went by the name of “Hound Dog”.

So, from then on, any new incidents were officially entitled, “A Hound Dog Special”.

When it comes down to selling your home and making sure it’s in perfect shape, you’ll probably want to find a handyman. But not just any handyman will do. No, no, no. Because you don’t want “A Hound Dog Special”. You want it to be special in a good way, so here are three questions to ask about any handyman you consider hiring:

  • Are they honest?

  • Are they skilled?

  • Are they reliable?

You can find the answers to all three through one or all of these resources:

The Better Business Bureau: It’s been around for 100+ years and it’s completely free. Because they give both good and bad reports of businesses you can usually check out a handyman’s reputation here.

Angie’s List: It’s a paid service (only a small monthly fee) that displays positive and negative consumer reviews. This can show you the character of a handyman from the perspective of their previous customers.

Handy American: It has one of the largest selection of handyman services all over. The only downside is that many services don’t have any reviews. But theoretically, you could find a handyman, and then check look them up on Angie’s List or the BBB website.

With the help of these resources, you are well on your way to finding the right handyman for the job, and expertly avoiding “A Hound Dog Special”.

Looking for a move that’s truly special? Move with Apex!

We follow a set of core values, have an excellent reputation with the BBB. We also provide a free moving estimate.