Annette Jacobson prefers to call herself “Handyma’am” instead of Handyman.
She is based in San Diego and is a Home Maintenance Specialist.
Most homeowners believe that a handyman, sorry Annette, Handyma’am is an unskilled person who just does odd jobs or a contractor’s laborer who does side jobs. That is not the case. A true Handyma’am is a person whose background and experience qualifies them to be a contractor. They just do not do jobs like complete remodeling of a bath or kitchen.
David Klein, owner of highly rated Handyman Connection of Maryland wrote in Angie’s List, “Aside from electrical, plumbing and HVAC, oftentimes you don’t need a license,” Klein says. “And even most of the electrical and plumbing we can do without licensing. For plumbing, a license is required if you’re changing lines, but we can install a toilet. For electrical work, they have no business touching the circuit box or routing wires . . but we can change a light bulb or a fixture.
A homeowner must be aware that there are numerous people passing themselves off as handymen who are just doing side jobs or casual jobs. Be sure that anyone that comes to your home to perform repair work is licensed and insured.
Annette tells us, “The specialty of being able to service a home completely, whether its electrical or plumbing or to repair a wall comes from experience. I’m very passionate about helping people and doing a job right. When people spend hard earned money on a product or service, they deserve a good product or service.”
Plumbing problems and painting seem to be the most asked for services to be provided by a Handyma’am. When you are faced with one of those types of problems, you can get a feel as to whether or not the person you call can do the job by listening to their answers to your questions. They should be able to answer most of your questions and tell somewhat of what the problem is in that phone call. If you are having problems explaining what the exact problem is, ask the person to come take a look and diagnose it for you. A reputable company will charge an inspection fee but will waive the fee if you place the order while they are there.
Quick action on the part of a homeowner will help keep the repair costs down. For instance, if your water bill seems excessively high, you may have a leak somewhere. It may be going down the toilet; there may be a break in the line underground or a slow drip under a sink somewhere. An early call to a Handyma’am will measurably reduce the amount of any repair costs. Something else you can do that will save hundreds of dollars over time is to service your water heater, flush it out at least once a year. Learn where your water shut off valve is so you can take quick action if a pipe breaks or a leak does occur.
You can contact Annette Jacobson of I Am Handyma’am by calling 760-576-4430
See more about Annette Jacobson on http://www.realestate.sandiegoprofessionaljournal.com/annette-jacobson/