Where to start on becoming a handy man

[Antz2015]

Hi All,

I need advise I want to change careers as I have developed a strong passion and interest in DIY. I am keen to learn more about DIY and increase my skills so far I can paint walls, skirting boards, put up shelves, hang pictures, cut grass, change handles on doors as well as know how to remove a sink from the wall.



I want to increase my skills to have a job as a handy man can anybody give me a idea of where to start from? I want to know how can i increase my skills and get practice at getting better in the areas of plumbing, painting, carpentry, and take up other jobs or skills as well? Is there anybody or company that is taking volunteers or people to work on weekends to learn the craft of a handy man?

Read more: //www.diynot.com/diy/threads/handyman.451542/#ixzz3yTUfYMlc

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

The transformation from doing DIY, to actually selling this as a service and competently undertake the many tasks at hand, would not only mean improving your skill set but also your knowledge on the many regulation and required BSs that should be complied to. You will also need to take out the correct public liability insurance, that relates to the services you sell/perform.

 

[ntb]

You are unlikely to get a job as a Handyman. Most are self employed one man operations although there are a few franchises out there and either way, I don't think anyone will pay you a wage just so that you can learn some skills and then set up on your own.

I suspect that most come from one of the trades or have spent decades doing practical stuff alongside their career and then gone for the slow lane once the house is paid off and kids gone. It's not something that is going to make you good money and may take a few years to build up so you will need some other way of paying the bills for quite some time.

The stuff a Handyman gets asked to do is generally (but not always) the small jobs that are not really financially worth it for the actual trade they belong to or combinations of jobs that no one trade would do. Consequently you need to be knowledgable across a broad set of skills and you need to know when it is in the best interest of the cusomer to get the proper trade in. You also need a big investment in tools and this gets expensive because you are covering multiple skill sets.

I don't want to put you off but you do need to understand what you are getting into. I suggest that you make it a long term goal and start by helping friends and relatives with their stuff at the weekends whilst saving up and acquiring tools.

 

[noseall]

Handyman is an ambiguous term used when describing someone who carries out less profitable tasks on buildings such as lawn mowing, hedge trimming (often with the owners tools), gutter cleaning, fixing tap washers, easing doors etc. Basically jobs that are deemed too trivial for a large (expensive) building firm.

To get started put yourself forward as someone who is prepared to do these jobs, letting as many people know as possible. One satisfied customer will tell another three. And so on. Some homeowners won't mind you using their tools as long as they appreciate your position and the fee you charge.

Once you have accrued some cash, start collecting your own tools relevant to the jobs that are most frequent. It's at this stage that you can consider charging more. Having your own transport is a must. Usually it's the old estate car that was demoted once the wife got her hands on the new one. Once you can afford a van, be careful, your 'handyman' status will be in jeopardy.

 

[ntb]

I can't think of a single customer with the necccesary tools for the job except for the possible exception of simple gardening tasks and basic decoration.

 

[noseall]

I can't think of a single customer with the necccesary tools for the job except for the possible exception of simple gardening tasks and basic decoration.

Er...quite so, hence.....

such as lawn mowing, hedge trimming (often with the owners tools), blah, blah.

 

[noseall]

I can't think of a single customer with the necccesary tools for the job except for the possible exception of simple gardening tasks and basic decoration.

Like what a handyman might use you mean?

 

[ntb]

Not this Handyman.

 

[noseall]

Not this Handyman.

Roger that.

The OP is just starting out so my guess is that he probably doesn't own a van with a towing hitch, a trailer and a load of (work) gardening stuff. However, I can see the sense in going down this route if you are to compete with others that are better equipped than you.

 

[ntb]

Well I don't need a van or trailer. I thought I might when I started out but any big materials get delivered direct to site or to my workshop as appropriate. A roof rack is pretty handy though.

If you haven't got a lot of money for tools, I'd much rather narrow the focus to one or two areas and buy decent tools for them rather than arrive empty handed. It's not a lot of money to get decent set of brushes and rollers. Hamilton are plenty good enough, no need to be splashing out on Purdy or trying to use the customers gunked up pound shop specials.

Similarly, it's possible to get decent second hand, proper forged gardening tools instead of some nasty welded Chinese rubbish the customer makes available for you to snap in half. Some of mine have been used by two generations of family before me.

 

[noseall]

Hi All,

I need advise I want to change careers as I have developed a strong passion and interest in DIY.

You can get tablets for that.

 

[Antz2015]

Everybody are you saying I should start off with gardening I suffer from heyfever so would be a bad idea is i get it so bad i vomit, What about painting and decorating and basic plumbing as i know i can do that. I am looking at college courses to further enhance my skills.

 

[DeadBeat]

i would be looking at college courses or apprenticeships. pick your preferred specialism and concentrate on that, you will make more money as a qualified plumber or gas safe engineer or whatever, and if you want you can do those little jobs on the side. alternatively you can learn to plaster pretty quick, or you could do painting and decorating, all of which you could find a course in no doubt. you want a specialty to make the bigger money, if your the best painter in town your going to make more money, than the guy who can cut hedges and do a bit of painting as well. also joinery courses are available, you could specialise in building bespoke kitchens, try to get an aprenicship at a kitchen builders place, or you could do the same with hardwood staircases and so on. Just need to get your foot in the door with a course or an apprenticeship and you should be on your way.

 

[Burnerman]

Please don't take this the wrong way, but have loads of practice on your own property before venturing into other peoples.......things will go wrong and when they do, you'll be expected to make good afterwards - for free. The fact that you won't make any profit in this instance is the easy bit.
John

 

[Antz2015]

Hi all, I ave considered a apprenticeship but I am two old to become a apprentice, I am 28 years old. I am looking at colleges to be able to study multiple trades but not sure yet. I know i need experience within the trades i want to learn such as plumbing, tiling and a few others which is why I need to gain the experience. What other ways can i try to gain the experience? I already ask members of family if they need any jobs done, plus I practice witin my flat handyman tasks. Any more ways to practice?