Looking for advice for handyman service to provide.

[Derrick Blackwell]

I’m interested in starting a service business and was wondering what unlicensed specific handyman services are most needed for investors. I’m considering pressure washing, roof gutter cleaning but I’m open to other ideas. Thank you 

[Scott Mac]

I will just give you some of my random thoughts.

When renters leave, sometimes they leave a "plethora" of stuff behind.

Mattresses, dressers, couches, and general debris of all sorts.

Making the apartment or home ready for the next renter is called a "Turn".

Property owners Mr. and Ms. Smith are going to turn their rental unit (make it ready for the next paying customer).

The "Make Ready" people, Turn the "Unit" (if it's an apartment), or "Rental Home".

Make ready job number one is the "bulk clean out" of the inside (and sometimes outside) of the  mattresses, dressers, couches, and ALL general debris left behind (in some areas it goes to storage, in some areas it goes to the curb, in some areas it goes to trash (there are laws regulating it).

Some places will be broom clean when the renters, leave and some will be full of stuff.

Getting rid of the debris and leaving the area broom clean is a JOB.

Turning also involves plaster repair (that is a skill to do it right) and knowing how to make the correct finish, and making it invisible.

Claiming you are skilled in drywall repair when you are not so good at it, will lead to losing customers quickly. So If you want to learn this, watch YouTube and practice. A good drywall repairman is a valuable member of the turn team.

Also there is a prime-ing and painting to do, swapping out brass fixtures for silver colored ones, and a biggie--door replacements for kicked interior doors.

Changing front door locks, changing interior door handles, knowing how to true up the locks to the lock plates so they work like hot butter.

Knowing how to repair a broken screen, knowing how to change water hoses on a washing machine, every year.

Being able to give a front door a smooth paint job with no brush streaks, steel, wood, fiberglass and antique doors with varnish on them.

If you and your customer both have an iphone you can use facetime (free video chat) to connect real time, and the customer can see what you see as well as hear you. It is smooth, and seems dependable. It comes with the iphones.

Don't drink on the job, don't play loud music on the job (earphones are your friend), don't lear at the lady renters (you are there for business), and dressing like a (successful) workman in clean clothes everyday will probably go a long way in making a good first impression, on both the owner and the renter.

Clean boots or shoes are a positive. Remember you are going indoors, into peoples homes, pay attention to the cleanliness of your footwear.

Do not drink on the job, or smell of alcohol during the workday. Skip the beer until after hours.

No owner likes sending a  crude aggressive workman to service his renters, so even though your day may be going to ****, and your wife just hit you over the head with a cast iron skillet for forgetting her birthday--(again), don't let the renters know that. Meet them with a smile and a good attitude, even if it's an 11pm call to shut off the water due to a broken pipe.

And most important of all be able to do workmanlike quality for the jobs you do.

Good Luck!