How to use the internet to get a high quality cleaner.

The pressures of a hectic lifestyle are more than enough to overwhelm a working mother.  Excelling at work, home, and in your personal relationships is already a balancing act and adding a critical mother-in-law to the mix doesn’t make for a stress-free environment.  To avoid the nagging and complaining of your husband’s mother, make sure your home is clean and neat on her arrival.  You may not have the time to actually clean your home to a sparkly shine with your busy schedule.  Getting a cleaner, however, allows you to go on with your schedule and get a clean house at the same time.

Traditional methods of getting a cleaner are time consuming and tedious.  With your already jam-packed schedule, I am sure you don’t have time to place a classifieds ad, contact a local business owner, conduct interviews, or run background checks.  Forgo all of the work necessary to secure a reputable cleaner with stellar credentials and use an online freelance network.

An online freelance network is a web site designed to connect cleaners with homeowners looking to have work done.  To find an online freelance network, go to google.com and perform a search for “freelance cleaner”, “freelance network”, or “freelance contractor”.  With these three keywords you should be able to locate a number of networks.  Fool around with other keyword combinations and see what your search yields.  Once you have located a network, browse the contractors to get a feel for the type of cleaners this particular network attracts.  Your first stop may not be the network for you.  If you don’t see any cleaners that catch your eye, head back to google.com and find another network to browse.

Once you’ve hit upon a network that you like, use the search feature to locate cleaners in your local area.  Online freelance networks allow for member contractors to create profiles.  These profiles will display all of the cleaner’s credentials.  Without calling to ask questions or set up an interview, you can find out if the cleaner is a member of the Better Business Bureau, how long she’s been in business0, and her specialties.  Read the profiles and get ready to post your job.

Once you have determined exactly what you want done, post your job on the site.  Most online freelance networks are free, but some do require that buyers (that’s you) pay a small fee for accessing the service.  After only an hour or so, you should have at least one contractor interested in your job.  If her credentials are sufficient, you’ve found your cleaner in record time.  If you want to pass on your first interested cleaner, wait a little while.  There will surely be more respondents.  How do I know?  Online freelance networks usually have more member contractors than jobs.  This means that a large number of cleaners will be competing for your work.  This is also great for your bank account.  With the fierce competition, prices are held to a relative bargain.

Ditch the frantic cleaning and get a cleaner to work a little magic in your home.  Your mother-in-law will never know and you’ll be stress free.

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3 essentials to a great cleaning experience

Bringing someone into your home is always a bit nerve wrecking.  Homeowners sometimes struggle with hiring a cleaner because they want to make sure their home and possessions are secure.  Besides property issues, homeowners want to be sure that the cleaning gets done to their liking.  By making sure that your cleaning candidates meet the following standards you should have a much more pleasant experience.

1. Excellent referrals and background check.

Ask your cleaning candidates for referrals.  Testimonials are nice, but a referral will come complete with contact information.  Use it!  Find out what past customers have to say about the candidate’s performance and professionalism.  Ask specific questions about the issues that are most important to you.  For example, do you want to know if the candidate is prompt?  Maybe you’d like to find out if her work performance slacks over time?  Take advantage of referrals and get answers to your most important questions.

Also ask to see a background check.  If the cleaner doesn’t have one available, ask them to submit to one that you’ll pay for.  Most homeowners are put at ease once they see that their cleaning candidate doesn’t have any convictions or a history of questionable behavior.  Excellent referrals and a background check make for a strong starting place with domestic help.

2. Bonding, insurance, and money-back guarantees.

Most companies are both bonded and insured.  Insurance and bonding takes away much of the risk of strangers coming into your home.  Independent cleaning people usually don’t have these credentials. They may, however, be members of the Better Business Bureau.  This is a big plus because you are able to call and get objective information from a reputable source.  The BBB will also be able to give you information about customer complaints.  Offering a money-back guarantee can also limit some risk associated with a new cleaner.  Either way, you want to know all of the details so that you can make an informed decision.

3.  Child and pet safe products.

If you have children or pets, using a company that places a focus on these types of products is key.  Most companies now offer some type of green or eco-friendly service.  Make sure to ask extensive questions if these services interest you.  You may want to know which product lines they use and their green cleaning procedures.

These are three of the most important aspects of cleaning services.  Getting clear answers about your candidate’s experience and background, bonding and insurance, and specific products and procedures will make your decision to move forward much easier.

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Once you’ve determined that you need to hire a cleaner, it is best to set up an interview with the candidate.  The domestic help industry is known for scams.  Take the time to discuss your expectations and requirements with the candidate.  Also, ask the following ten questions to get a good idea of whether or not you’ve found a good fit for your job.

1. Are you or your company bonded and insured?

Most cleaning companies will advertise this fact.  It is quite attractive to property owners and takes away a great deal of the risk involved with bringing someone into your home or office.  Most independent cleaners won’t have these credentials.

2.   Are you a member of any trade organizations?

There are quite a few trade organizations specifically for the cleaning industry.  These organizations require that members follow certain guidelines as well as maintain ethical business standards.  While there is no trade organization police, individuals and companies that are members usually follow the guidelines of their organization.

3.   Do you have proof of trade organization membership?

Make sure to ask for proof of membership.  Some companies will not be truthful when asked about membership in trade organizations.  Ask to see a certificate or badge and make sure it is up-to-date.

4. What training have you undergone?  What training does your company provide?

Anyone can claim to be a professional cleaner.  The best cleaners are going to have undergone training.  It cannot be assumed that everyone knows how to sufficiently clean a bathroom or kitchen.  Companies that are concerned about their reputation will definitely offer training to their employees.  Individuals can sometimes receive ongoing training as members of trade organizations.  Ask what areas she considers herself an expert and which she has just attained basic proficiency

5.  Do you have references that I can contact?

This is especially important.  Don’t take her word for it.  Ask for the name and number of any reference and actually call.  If she doesn’t have references on hand, ask her to call you the next business day with the contact information

6.  What is your physical address?

Much independent cleaning work from home.  This is acceptable; however, you should still get the address of anyone working in your home.  Just like any company, cleaning companies that don t provides an address present a red flag.  Consider how you will reach them if their phones are disconnected

7.  How long have you been in business?

This is a simple question; however it will help you determine if the company has sufficient experience.

8.  Has your company run a background check on you?  Can I have a copy?

Most reputable cleaning companies will run background checks on all of their cleaners and should have no problem providing you with one.  Independent cleaners almost never have background checks.  If you’d like to proceed with an independent cleaner running your own background check is advisable.

9.  Will I be able to customize my cleaning or are there set schedules?

This question will help you determine whether or not there is any flexibility in the work that you have done on your scheduled visits.  Some cleaners will allow for you to customize what work you’d like done at every visit.  Others will follow a checklist that you selected at the start of your services.

10.   Will you wash windows, iron, fold laundry, etc.

Are there specific tasks that you would like completed, but aren’t mentioned in the company’s literature.  Ask about them.  Independent cleaners are usually more flexible.  Companies focused on customer service will often offer extra services that can be added to your job for free or a nominal fee.

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How hiring a green cleaning service can keep your children safe

There has been a glaring spotlight placed on traditional cleaning products lately.  Completely green cleaning lines have popped up all over, not just at the health food store.  You can now buy laundry detergent, toilet bowl cleaner and all-purpose cleaner free of harsh chemicals.  Though eco-friendly products have been around a long time, they have gained immense popularity over the last five or so years.  These products have gained such popularity that many cleaning services offer a “green clean”.

Parents particularly like these green services because they cut down on the amount of chemicals coming in contact with their children.  This is one of the best reasons to use a green cleaning service.  You can throw out all of your traditional cleaning products and allow a cleaning service to clean your home in a more eco-friendly way.  This will greatly limit the amount of chemicals in your home.  By replacing the necessary cleaning products with their green counterpart and allowing the cleaning service to do the heavy duty work, your children will be much safer.  The air in your home will be cleaner and fresher, your carpets won’t be full of chemical residue, and your toddler won’t discover the dangerous cleaning products under the sink.

Besides the benefits of green cleaning, hiring a cleaner gives you an opportunity to spend more time with your children.  One of the most common complaints from working parents is not having enough time to spend with their children.  Using a cleaning service will give you a chance to devote more of your day to your children.  What parent wouldn’t want that?  You’ll also be less stressed in the process.  Coming home to a clean, fresh smelling home makes for more pleasant interactions with your family; no running around trying to clean, cook dinner, and do homework.  With the cleaning out of the way you can get on with your regular routine in a more calm and peaceful environment.

We are all aware of the dangers of stress.  If you want to eliminate some of the stress in your life, consider hiring a cleaning service.  Free yourself from the demands of keeping your home clean and tidy and focus on building stronger family relationships.  If you want to keep your home free of harsh chemicals, ask for green cleaning products.  You’ll be more relaxed and your family will love the extra time you have available.

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Chances are, hiring a general contractor will be in your best interest if you have a job that requires more than two types of tradesmen to work on the same project over the course of more than a few days.

Unfortunately, when people start thinking of “general contractors”, visions of dollar signs, disappointment, and reality TV start floating through their minds.  Don’t be discouraged thinking you don’t need or can’t afford a general contractor.  Sure, you may pay more, but every penny will be worth it, especially if you do your due diligence and hire someone with excellent references and the professionalism to do what he was hired to do.

A general contractor is supposed to make your life easier.   Many people don’t realize this.  They think the contractor is just one more overpriced person to pay and one more to cause problems.  Untrue.

The contractor is your lifeline to everything you need done.  He’s like your project concierge, if you will.  He knows the right people to hire, the best places to get supplies, and he is the one who will coordinate all the tiny jobs that need to be done so that you aren’t on the phone constantly trying to coordinate what should be happening.

He also has the expertise to know where to begin and how to progress through from start to finish.  Even a bathroom remodel might sound like “heck, I’ll never find anyone to help me do my new bathroom because it’s so easy”.  In truth, a bathroom remodel can be a tough project that is only successful when handled appropriately.

A bathroom remodel needs – at least – a plumber, a cabinet/vanity installer, maybe a window installer, a painter/wallpaper expert, and a master tiler.  A plumber can certainly uninstall and install a new Jacuzzi, but he’s not the one who can figure out how to swap tubs.  Take down the door?  Open the wall?  Only a general contractor can figure this out.

Now that the old tub is out, what’s next?  Without a contractor, you could make some serious mistakes going forward.  Your individual work crews aren’t experienced with the whole picture – they only know their own little piece.

Do the walls get done next?  Or does the new Jacuzzi get installed?  When does the new skylight get installed?   Without a contractor to oversee and manage the entire process, you could end up with a project that runs into some costly mistakes.

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Replacing a roof can indeed cost a small fortune.  For larger homes, it will cost a larger fortune.  If you are doing this as a necessary upgrade rather than as the result of a devastating natural disaster, you will be paying for this out of pocket and not relying on your home insurance company to be writing a check.  Researching local roofing contractors can indeed be an eye opener.

Get as many estimates as you can from roofing contractors that have experience in what you need done.  If you want to change from shingles to Mexican clay tiles, you need someone who has done this over and over.  In other words, don’t just go by estimates.

Before getting estimates, however, you should have your own work plan written down.  Without this, you will be getting estimates on work you don’t need, understand, or want.

When the contractors show up for the estimate, watch what they are looking at.  If someone wants to add services you didn’t know you needed, or you don’t believe you need, ask other contractors if they see the same problem.  For instance, if you have a roof leak over your kitchen yet one contractor is telling you that you must have your entire roof replaced, don’t do anything until you get a second or even third opinion.

Don’t go after the lowest estimate, either.  Typically you get what you pay for.  If there is a reason you like the lowest estimate – the contractor is local, has great references, or can start the next day – ask how he can do the work so cheaply.  This is important to know.  He may already have the supplies from a canceled project, or maybe work is slow.  You need to find out for sure that he isn’t missing anything important.

On his estimate look for something that includes the cost of cleanup.  Many installers forget about this and do a very ineffective job of removing trash and debris.

Next, understand your financial obligations.  A deposit is sometimes required, but the amount, the reason, and the method are what you need to think about.  If a contractor tells you he wants a deposit to be make sure he is being paid, he already knows he can put a lien on your house until he’s paid in full.  If he needs supplies, offer to buy your own or even go with him and pay for them yourself.

Your goal is to not give him any cash up front.  Some people can take the money and disappear forever, or at least, not show up for weeks or months.

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Handyman work can be as simple as replacing a bulb to the most complex of wiring jobs. A handyman has become indispensable in our society and this work is something that needs to be done on time and efficiently. The handyman is literally a jack of many trades and has varied skill sets which makes him do so many different kinds of work in a house with ease. Handyman work consists of repairing, maintaining, re-doing, renovating, and building.

Handyman work in the repairing area consists of fixing various fixtures and appliances, like faucets, pipes, garbage disposal units, electrical switches, ovens, smoke detectors, ceiling fan, refrigerator, range hood, fences, jammed doors and drawers, garage door opening unit, window shutters, sliding windows, thermostat, heater, air-conditioner and many more. It is rare for a single handyman to be able to repair all these different things and most handyman work is specialised. There are certified handymen who specialise in repairing heaters, refrigerators and air-conditioning units, and they might not be able to fix a plumbing problem. There are other repairs which do not require much of specialisation and these odd jobs can be done by most handyman. Repairing walls and broken tiles will require masonry skills and such handyman work can be done by a person having such skills.

There are also a number of maintenance jobs included in handyman work. This work consists of cleaning of gutters, maintaining swimming pools, maintaining showers and cleaning tubs of any deposits, daily checking of thermostats and heaters in commercial establishment, cleaning carpets of any stains and so on. This handyman work has a repetitive nature and the handyman can be hired on a contract to do this work at regular intervals.

Handyman work also involves a fair amount of odd jobs which come up as and when the need arises. Few of the odd jobs can be tile work, pressure washing, weatherproofing, small carpentry jobs and so on.

The handyman work can also extend to building an entire new structure and fitting it with the different fixtures. Such works will usually require a license, and the handyman should be  professionally qualified for the job. This type of handyman work will involve carpentry, plumbing, electrical wiring and masonry. This type of handyman work is paid for the whole project and will depend upon the work involved and whether the materials are supplied by the handyman service or by the owner of the property.

We can now see that handyman home repair can comprise of many different jobs requiring varied skill sets. Before hiring a handyman you need to assess your requirements and the type of handyman work you are expecting to get done. This will help you to choose the right handyman as each handyman may specialise in a particular skill. Posting your project online on a website can get you quotations from the different handymen in your area and make the task of choosing the right person much more easier.

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Yes.  No matter what you need to have done to your roof, you need a professional roofing contractor .  This doesn’t mean you can head to your local hardware store and start pulling names off their neighborhood bulletin board.  This means you need to find a licensed professional.

Chances are, you yourself aren’t an expert in any type of roof repair, construction, or replacement.  More than likely, the only thing you’ve done to your roof is to climb up and clean the gutters.  For anything more detailed, you need to hire someone who can evaluate the problem correctly, give you a fair price, show up to do the work, and get it done right.

Many handymen and misc. types of laborers claim they can fix roofs.  If you’ve ever been to a local big box home improvement center, there’s a good chance you were handed a business card in the parking lot by someone who, among other things, listed “roof repair” on his long list of abilities on his card.

This is not the type of person you should be hiring to fix one of the major portions of your home.  Done wrong, he can and will cause you more problems in the long run.  Between shoddy work and possible issues with the local zoning and code ordinance authorities, you could have a major problem on your hands.

Also important to keep in mind is the fact that only a licensed professional will have the appropriate level of liability insurance and bonding.   This helps take care of any personal or property injury and mishaps while the roofing contractor is working.

Roofing can be a messy project.  One of the major problems that homeowners encounter, and one that few homeowners even think about beforehand, is – what  happens to all the shingles and tiles up there now?  Well, they get tossed to the ground!  And broken, shattered, and strewn all over.  You will also have nails all over the place, too.  If these old roofing supplies are not placed neatly on a tarp which can be carried away, you will have broken tiles, nails, wood splinters, and even worse, all over your yard for literally years to come.

A licensed roofing contractor will know how to prevent this devastating and dangerous mess, and he will be liable for any injuries to your property or your family if there is damage from disassembling your roof.  This includes everything from throwing a tile that ends up going through your car windshield, to having your four year old step on a rusty nail.

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The refrigerator door hasn’t closed tight in three months, the kitchen chairs all wobble, and your sliding glass doors are showing internal moisture buildup.  You’ve already thought about “calling someone” but after you found out the basement was flooding, you knew it is time to finally get a handyman.

If you have never actually thought to get a professional handyman, or even thought about using a handyman before, don’t worry.  It’s not all that tough.  There are many reputable, reliable and well priced options at your fingertips.

First, you need to find two or three who can come over and give you bids on the jobs you need done.  Where do you find them?  Actually, there are some easy, reliable and affordable options.  Although there are some large online companies who charge membership fees to join and then allow you to search for all types of workers and handymen who have been background checked and reference checked, most people don’t want to pay to find people they might not even want to hire.

There are other choices, and most are much easier – free for the most part.  Your best bet is to use online sites like www.Get-a-contractor-now.com.  Of course, there are others, too.

Ask friends and family –  there’s nothing like a good reference to get started.  Don’t be afraid to ask what projects were done and what was paid.  People are usually more than happy to brag about great deals they got, and if they find a reliable handyman (or anyone….) who did a good job for a fair price, they will be more than happy to pass on the information.

Just be sure to get more than one bid unless, of course, you’re having a real crisis and there is no time or opportunity to do any due diligence.  If your refrigerator door really isn’t closing properly and it’s about to rain, you probably don’t have much time to do much other than calling companies until you find one that can come over immediately.  At that point, price shouldn’t be your major problem.

Remember that not all handymen are the same.  Getting a handyman includes making certain you are talking to the ones who do the type of handyman work you want and need done.  Don’t waste your time getting bids from anyone who says, “Well, I don’t really like laying tile but I’ll come over to see what you need done because I need the work.”   He’s probably not going to be the one who does a perfect job.

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It seems that anyone who can handle a paint brush or a hammer has a business card that denotes himself as a professional handyman.   And, he might be right!  But, more often than not, he’s simply a man who can handle a paint brush and a hammer – not an extensive list of skills, and probably less than what you were hoping to find.

Someone who refers to himself as a professional handyman should certainly be able to deliver on his assertions.  He should have broad skill sets, perhaps even hold a license in a particular area (that he may or may not be using any longer), and have years of experience and references in the areas in which he is seeking jobs and offering to provide services.

The term “professional” of course has an entire host of implications and definitions, none of which implies that there is any type of license required in any state.  A professional handyman describes himself as a professional in the same way an office manager would describe himself as a professional.  No license – just a great work ethic.

However, someone who does add the word “professional” to his business card or advertising (postcards, job boards, even newspaper classified ads) should be assumed to be a cut above, although there is no guarantee since there are no rules or regulations by which a handyman work needs to be abide.  For instance, there is nothing stopping a teenager – whose sole claim to fame is mowing lawns during the summer – from having business cards proclaiming his expertise as a Professional Handyman.

More often than not, someone who describes himself as a professional handyman will more than likely have his skills and specialties listed at least on his business card, if not everywhere he advertises.  On top of have a concise list of what he can do, he also would more than likely have a web page (even a free page that his ISP sponsors; not necessarily an expensive professionally done site) that would act as his resume, and provide details on his experience.  He may also have photos of recent jobs he’s accomplished, quotes from happy customers, multiple contact methods, and perhaps even a professional email address (info@joethehandyman.com for instance).

It’s up to you, the buyer, to decide how professional someone really is.  Fancy business cards and websites and even good references won’t guarantee that the person you choose is going to turn out to be the perfect choice.

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