Groton, Connecticut is the home of The Electric Boat Corporation, the contractor who is in charge of building new submarines for the Navy and they are the major employer in the area. Pfizer Pharmaceuticals also has a plant in the area. Groton Connecticut is eight miles from Mystic Seaport, one of the most popular tourist areas on the East Coast and it is only three miles to the nearest Amtrak station in New London, making commuting to New York a good possibility.
There are some unusual facts about the houses for sale in Groton Connecticut. First of all, there are condos available in most price ranges, which is unusual. While this does occur elsewhere, it is more prevalent in Groton Connecticut, which means you have a wider choice in more price ranges. For instance you could have the choice of a large condo or a smaller house for about the same price. Most houses for sale in Groton Connecticut today are on plots of land less than a quarter of an acre. There are larger size lots available in the higher price ranges. Being right on the waterfront has a huge impact on the prices of the houses. It is nice to be able to walk out your back door and set sail, but you do have to decide if the extra cost is worth it.
Come up for a visit and be sure to go to Mystic Seaport and check out the museum. Make a mini vacation out of it and if you like what you see, then it is time to go house hunting.
Check out this sample of the houses for sale in Groton Connecticut today. It will give you a good idea on what you will find. A five room two bedroom mobile home for $15,500 A five room three bedroom mobile home for $38,900 A three room one bedroom condo in a four unit building for $79,900 A five room three bedroom mobile home for $89,995 A four room two bedroom condo in a four unit building for $116,900 A five room one bedroom condo in a detached house for $149,500 A four room two bedroom turn of the century cottage for $155,000 A three bedroom condo on the top floor of a three story building for $176,900 A six room two bedroom ranch for $189,900 A seven room three bedroom ranch on a third of an acre of land for $199,000 A five room two bedroom condo in a brand new development for $206,900 An eight room three bedroom colonial on over an half acre of land for $339,900 A three room one bedroom cottage right on the waterfront for $575,000 A six room three bedroom contemporary colonial with a home office for $640,000 A seven room three bedroom colonial for $760,000 A thirteen room five bedroom colonial on close to an acre of land for $849,000 A two year old seven room four bedroom colonial right on the water for $1,349,000 An eighteen room seven bedroom Victorian mansion on three quarters of an acre of land for $3,150,000
Way up north, in St. Lawrence County, New York on the border of Ontario Canada is Black Lake and the town and village of Hammond. Secluded, remote and great fishing. Imaging owning your own fishing cabin in one of the few unspoiled wilderness areas left. Hammond is less than a three hour drive from Rochester New York, two hours north of Syracuse and less than two hours from Utica so while it is secluded, you can still get to a major city and air port. Distance does not matter to a dedicated fisherman. It is the fishing that counts.
Black Lake is a fresh water lake and you can catch almost anything here, that is if your talent and luck are working for you, but with the amount of fish available , it is harder not to catch anything. You can end up eating any of these for dinner. Perch, bluegill, crappie, northern pike in the 10 to 15 pound range, largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, catfish, and monstrous muskie. Now this is a fisherman’s paradise.
When looking at cabins at Black Lake, New York, think of it not only in the terms of looking at fishing cabins, but also as an investment in your future. As you can see, there is a great range of prices and the cabins you will look at depend on how much time you are planing to spend fishing at Black Lake, New York The cabins all come with large plots of land, plenty of space to expand and add on in future years. This is where the investment comes in. In the future you may have to decide on keeping the property or not. When it comes to selling, you will for sure make a profit, especially if you have improved on the property. You also have the option of renting the property out. As a matter of fact, renting the lodge out just during the times you are not personally using it will be a good source of extra income. You can decided when and how much and one of the local Realtors would be glad to help you with it. Then there is retirement to consider. How great would it be if you could live by the lake year round and fish to your heart’s content.
The first thing to do is to come for a quick vacation and see if you want to make more permanent plans, just don’t forget to bring your fishing pole.
A three bedroom farm style house for $34,000 A two-bedroom mobile home on 14 acres of land for $49,500 A one bedroom log cabin on 4 acres of land for $49,000 A two-bedroom cottage right on the waterfront for $55.000 A one bedroom cabin on the lake for $60,000 A three-bedroom mobile home for $ 69,500 A three-bedroom farm house for $69,500 A three-bedroom Georgian colonial for $89,000 A four-bedroom colonial for $97,000 A three-bedroom waterfront cabin for $179,900 A two-bedroom cabin on the lake for $215,000 A two-bedroom chalet on the lake for $235,000 A three-bedroom chalet on the lake for $499,000
The higher the space rent the lower the value of the mobilehome. As the cost of space rent rise to $1100 per month, the mobile home cannot be resold. Over $1500 per month mobilehome owners will abandon their home and the park owner will acquire the house. Then the park owners can and will sell the mobilehome to a new owner with new lower rent of $700. Then the circle of unfair and unethical practice is repeated , this happens forever.
Park owners increase the rent on each sale/transfer up to 10%. It causes the rent to rise up to 259% for the 10th resale. In addition to increasing rent on the sale of the mobile home, the park owners increase rent annually by 5%. This annual increase is more benefit than lending a mortgage loan at 5%, 30 years fixed. Still, park owners do not lend a penny for this similar mortgage. And it is 30 years because the mobilehome owners will abandon their home sooner or later. To understand this evil scam, compare to the minimum payment by government or your salary increase based on inflation, or the price of the house increase in the market.
By restricting sublease, the California Mobilehome Resident Law kills the property right of the homeowners. This allows for the park owners to steal the value and in other words to rob mobile homes from innocent people. The law makers mistakenly treat the mobilehome owners as tenants who have no property, basically the same as if they were renting a apartment.
To run away from any potential punishment for this evil scam, park owners sell their park and this requires evictions to all of the mobilehome tenants, disregard the Detrimental Reliance/Estoppel doctrine.
Poly-Butylene (PB) plumbing has a well deserved bad reputation. This gray plastic plumbing system has failed in thousands of applications and has been the subject to class action law suits. If you have poly-butylenes plumbing in your home, mobile home or Recreational Vehicle (RV) you need to get to know how to make basic repairs. Replacing the PB system with Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) is your safest bet. In many RV applications this is near impossible due to limited access. On a tight budget you will be forced to live with gray nightmare. Here are a few tips to simplify life and reduce the possibility of water damage.
First and foremost is water pressure regulation. City water pressures can vary greatly. Over pressurization is the main cause of PB failure. Most RV’s are equipped with water pressure regulators that minimize the possibility of over pressurization. Many mobile homes do not have pressure regulators. If you have a PB system installed, make sure you install a pressure regulator. Thirty to forty pounds per square inch is all the pressure that a PB plumbing system ever needs to be exposed to. If you are going away for a few days are longer, turn the water off just in case. It is better to be safe than sorry with PB plumbing.
Second, do not max the hot water temperature setting. Hot water heaters, especially in systems that have back flow preventors, can over pressurize the system. Your water temperature should be set to the mid-range if adjustable. Remember that PB is plastic. The hotter the plastic becomes the more likely it is to fail. By reducing your hot water temperature, you are reducing two potential causes of PB failure. Another good idea is to add a timer to the hot water heater controls. Then the heater will only operate at times of day when hot water is needed. Not only will this reduce the chance of over pressurization, it will reduce your energy bill.
Third, know your plumbing. Take a little time to locate valves, fittings and piping runs. The hot water lines are most likely to fail so pay very close attention to them. Know what size piping you have installed. The outside diameter and the inside diameter of the PB tubing is important to know when buying replace parts. Keep on hand a small supply of repair couplings and tubing. One important repair part to have on hand is isolation valves. Should you have a leak, you can install isolation valves. By isolating the leak, you can use the rest of the water system while repairing the damaged section. Ball valves are least prone to failure, making them the best choice for isolation valves.
Finally, know how to install the PB fittings before you need to install them. Being plastic, the PB fittings should never be over tightened. A good rule of thumb is hand tighten and add one full turn more. Hand tightening is not an exact science. If the tubing is in a bind, meaning it is not lined up properly, it is more difficult to tighten. Proper alignment is then critical for proper installation. Practice installing a coupling before hand to become familiar with how it all works. Make special note of how many threads on the fitting are still exposed. Also note how the fitting looks when you take it apart.
Ferrell style compression couplings are the most common. In this type of fitting the PB tubing slides through the nut or cap part and the cone shaped Ferrell in the inside the nut. This is known as a compression fitting because as the nut is tighten on the threaded part of the coupling, the nut tightening compresses the Ferrell around the tubing. In between the nut and the Ferrell there is a metal ring in the fitting. This metal ring is designed to compress and grip the tubing. That rule of thumb full turn after hand tightening is needed for this metal ring to do it’s job. If it does not grip, the tube can slip! Also note how much tubing extends through the Ferrell cone. When installing, the tubing should pass through the nut, metal ring and the Ferrell. All the way through the Ferrell! If you pass too much tubing through the Ferrell, the tubing will slide in the fitting until it is properly seated. This is a good thing. So when you practice, slide about ¾ inches of the tubing through the Ferrell then tighten with the extra full turn and remove. This way you will see how much tubing should extend past the Ferrell tip. After you feel confident that you know how to properly install the compression fitting, deliberately over tighten one. While not required, this is a good way to keep you out of trouble if you spot a pesky leak you think can be fixed with a little more pressure.
Once you have mastered the art of PB installation there is one thing you need to be aware of. Even properly installed fittings may still leak. Normally this is caused by small bits of debris or tight work spaces where there may be a little alignment bind not easily seen. If this happens, remove the fitting, check the tubing position in the Ferrell and the threaded part of the fitting to make sure there are no burrs or debris where the Ferrell cone seats. If it looks good, reinstall making sure the fitting is not in a bind. Often a leaking fitting will seem to heal itself with the reinstallation. This is just one of the mysterious joys of the gray plumbing menace poly-butylene.
In the great Northeast of the United States, most homes are heated with no. 2 fuel oil. Mobile homes are almost all heated with kerosene. As prices have increased so dramatically over the past couple of heating seasons, people have found it difficult maintain the same relationship with their energy product vendor. Usually a minimum delivery of home heating oil is 150 gallons. Over the past three years, the cost of the minimum delivery of home heating oil has shot up from about $262 to about $418. The cost of a minimum delivery of kerosene for home heating has ballooned from $300 to almost $500. Since mobile homes are usually heated by kerosene burning furnaces, it’s a incredible irony to have their generally lower-income occupants so affected.
To put it in real terms, someone working a full-time position in a retail store like Wal-Mart or K-Mart and getting paid $8 per hour would need to pay around 30% of their monthly salary for a minimum delivery. And it’s likely that in the coldest part of the winter, that minimum delivery would not be enough for a month. A second delivery would take another 30% for a total of 60% of their gross income, or 78% of their net income, leaving only 22% to pay everything else: rent/mortgage, groceries, gas, clothing, electricity.
This has given rise to the by-the-gallon method of home heating. The easy version is to get a few five gallon gasoline or kerosene cans at the department store or local hardware store. Go to the station with the fuel at the pump. In my small station wagon, I would place an opened plastic garbage bag down to protect the car from the fuel oil. When we took my husband’s pickup, we put them in the back of the pickup and lashed them with bungee cords. Now this is a real hassle in the coldest part of the winter, and I don’t do it then. I call for a delivery. I’m a wuss, I guess. Summertime or early fall is a great time, though. You can easily fill your tank by putting in 15 gallons a week. A full tank of about 200 gallons saves about $80. I’ve seen a lot of folks with 55 gallon barrels in the back of their pickups for the fuel and they do it all winter. I’m going to do some research on that, because it sounds like a good way to save some $$$. I’m just concerned about how safe that is. Anyway, store the cans outside for safety and use an approved self-venting gas or kerosene can. Ask your vendor for any their recommendations on safe storage.
This is the year that you experience the world. Start by planning a weekend get-a-way to the great outdoors near Kennewick, Washington. Your weekend should include a great campsite, a hike, and some time in the water.
Step 1: Learn About Kennewick, Washington
Kennewick, Washington is a mid-sized city that has a population of about 60,118 people. This town should have most of the what you will need for a great outdoor adventure including places to rent or buy camping and rafting equipment. The summer climate of this city is a bit harsher then the coastal cities. Its summer temperatures range between 48 degrees F and 91 degrees F, and you can expect less than a half inch of rain during each summer month. While visiting this town make sure that you plan side trips to some of the local attractions including the Lyons Ferry Hatchery, the Marmes Rockshelter, the East Benton County Historical Museum, and the Badger Mountain Vineyards.
Step 2: Find a Place to Call Home
The second step for planning a great outdoor vacation near Kennewick, Washington is to find a place to stay the night. If you are real adventurous then you will want to make plans to stay at one of the local campgrounds. Some of the closest campgrounds to Kennewick include: Columbia Park Campground and Arrowhead Campground and RV Park. If you will be bringing an RV with you on your adventure then you can stay at the Wright’s Desert Gold RV Park, the Benton City RV Park, or the Green Tree RV and Mobile Home Park. Your final lodging option is to stay at a local hotel. Some of your options include the Best Western Kennewick, the Comfort Inn Kennewick, and the Courtyard By Marriott Kennewick.
Step 3: Decide What You Want to Do
Now that you have the basics out of the way, your next step is to decide what fun things you want to do. If you are a hiker then you can drive 57 miles to tackle the Copple Butte Trail System. It offers 7.7 miles of trails and a 615 foot elevation change. If you are looking for a shorter trail to explore then you will want to travel 60 miles to the Madison Butte Trail. This trail system offers 3 miles of hiking trails and an elevation change of 894 feet.
To stay cool on your weekend get-a-way you may want to plan a day rafting trip. If you are traveling with your family then you may want to try one of the tamer runs like the John Day River run between Dale to Monument. This run is 44 miles long and it is rated as a class II route. If you are looking for something with a little more turbulence then you will want to travel 56 miles to the Sand Hallow Creek. Here you will find a 1.5 mile class III-IV run that will take you from Highway 26 mile 2 to the Columbia River.
Feel like taking it easy? Then you will want to plan a trip to one of the local lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. The closest lake is Lost Lake, and it is located about 9 miles from Kennewick. The closest pond is the Ben Blair Pond, and it is located about 12 miles from Kennewick. Finally the closest reservoir is the Meadow Springs Reservoir, and it is located a mere 3 miles from the city’s center.
In a joint press release, The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that they will begin testing formaldehyde levels in the trailers and mobile homes provided by FEMA for people left homeless by Hurricane Katrina. The testing will occur in Mississippi and Louisiana starting December 21.
Those living in and near the FEMA trailers and mobile homes have repeatedly raised concerns about the formaldehyde levels and general air quality in these temporary dwellings. FEMA has asked CDC for their assistance in addressing these concerns.
“We are mindful of the importance of this information to people who have been living in temporary housing for such a long time,” said Dr. Henry Falk, director of CDC’s Coordinating Center for Environmental Health and Injury Prevention. “This is a complex task. Knowledge about health effects of formaldehyde on long-term residents of temporary housing is limited. Levels we find in these tests will help everyone involved in this process make better informed decisions about what steps to take.”
In the meantime, FEMA says it has “placed a priority” on helping people move out of temporary housing. They are joining forces with the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs and other government agencies to find better housing for trailer and mobile home residents.
“FEMA’s first priority has been and continues to be the health and safety of temporary housing residents,” said FEMA Administrator David Paulison. “Upon request, FEMA will continue to move any temporary housing unit resident with a formaldehyde concern into a hotel or motel immediately and will work with all residents to provide them a housing alternative. Every occupant who has expressed a health concern through our hotline has been offered a housing alternative and we are continuing to work with each of them to find a permanent housing solution that meets their needs.”
Testing will begin when CDC takes air samples from a representative group of approximately 500 occupied FEMA trailers and mobile homes over a period of five weeks. CDC will then analyze the formaldehyde levels in these samples. At this time, there are no federal or scientific guidelines with regard to formaldehyde levels. CDC will offer advice to FEMA based on their findings. Residents and the general public will receive a summary of CDC’s analysis in early 2008.
Since the public is understandably concerned about the fate of people still displaced by Katrina, FEMA and CDC have set up separate toll free hotlines to field questions. FEMA workers are available to address housing questions at 1-866-562-2381, or TTY 1-800-462-7585. CDC workers will discuss health-related questions at 1-800-CDC-INFO.
In the early hours of June 18, 2007 flash floods ravaged the North Texas area. Gainesville, a small city just 60 miles north of Dallas, and surrounding communities found flood waters up to 8-feet high in some areas. Residents and their pets escaped to rooftops waiting for rescue workers to arrive.
As of June 19, six people are confirmed dead. The number of missing is unclear, but ranges from two to four. Among the dead are a 4-year-old girl, a 74-year-old man, and a Sherman woman whose car stalled in the water. A 5-year-old girl and 2-year-old girl and their grandmother are also dead.
The National Weather Service said that at times the rain came down at an inch every 15 minutes.
So far, estimates of damage reach to $28 million in Gainesville alone, where the food waters hit the downtown district hard. The floods damaged about 500 single-family homes and another 100 trailer homes. One hundred and twenty five nursing home residents were also evacuated by dump trucks.
Flood waters also poured into Frank Buck Zoo’s, located in Gainesville.
Cooke County Judge Mike Freeman declared his county a disaster area. Texas Governor Rick Perry took an aerial helicopter ride of the flooded area on June 19. He declared Cookie, Grayson, Lampasas, and Tarrant counties disaster areas, making them eligible for emergency assistance.
The Texas National Guard, rescue volunteers, and cadaver dogs are in the area, continuing to search for the missing. While 450 people were displaced Monday, only an estimated 75 continue to stay in temporary shelters. The majority of the flood plain hit rental homes and mobile home parks.
Towns across Southern Oklahoma also saw the rain. Two homes were evacuated, several experienced flood damage, and several county roads were temporarily closed. In the small town of Ada, three people escaped with minor injuries after waters forced their truck off a bridge.
Passenger train service between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City was also canceled on June 19. Amtrak hired buses to take passengers for the day.
While waters have started to subside, the National Weather Service expects rain on and off for North Texas and Southern Oklahoma over the next couple weeks.
Texas leads the nation in flood-related deaths and damage each year. In 1998, flash floods killed 32 people in South-Central Texas and caused $1.5 billion in damages. In 2002, floods from Hurricane Allison killed 22 people in the Houston area and caused an estimated $5 billion in damages.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) notes 41 catastrophic storms and floods and 215 major storms and floods in Texas from 1853 to September 2002.
The first recorded flood was in the Concho River Basin in San Angelo, Texas. The city was nearly destroyed by the waters in June 1853.
The key to making a living as a handyman is knowledge, ability and customer service skills. Like any business owner you have to know your trade, and know how to handle people. Lot’s of people make the mistake of thinking a handyman is just a guy who does little jobs on the side. This is not always the case. The true handyman is a person who is providing a professional service to the members of their community using their knowledge and experience.
The handyman is the original jack of all trades customer service representative. For the handyman of any skill level, there are a few general rules to follow in order to ensure quality service. Quality service leads to repeat business and word of mouth from your customers is the number one thing that helps you get your business going. Other important keys to success include the following factors.
Knowledge and ability: If you don’t know how to do it, don’t. Although the handyman is known for having the understanding of several construction trades, many will find that they know more about one or two specific fields than others. If a job calls for a skill with which you are only semi familiar or do not have a lot of experience in, let them know. Customers will appreciate the fact that you are honest with them. While you may loose that particular job to a more skilled worker, you will gain the trust of your customers and be the first person they think of for a job they know you can do. This also gives them the option of deciding if the cost of having a specialist doing the job is worth it. Many handyman services will give references to clients who have a specific job that they may not be as proficient in.
Networking: A big fancy word for talking to a lot of people about a lot of things. It never hurts to know other people in your trade. This gives you the inside scoop on difficult customers, information on different types of jobs and references. It’s also nice to have a few skilled persons you can call to help you out when a larger project comes your way. Also don’t limit your networking to just other handypersons. Being on friendly terms with several different contractors helps you land jobs because they will give your name out as a reference to clients who have smaller jobs to be done or who have requested jobs that the particular contractor doesn’t do. Word of mouth spreads your advertising like nothing else. If a client is pleased with your work, they will tell everyone they know who needs something done to their home. Always leave a card or contact information with your clients. Leave a couple for them to give to their friends.
Legal issues: Do you need a license? Make sure and check with your local building codes authority before doing any large scale jobs. Some places require a license to do certain types of work that fall into the handyman service category. Having a license will help you get better paying jobs as clients always prefer someone who is licensed to someone who is not. You can also charge more for your services if you have one. Most places have several levels of license you can apply for depending on how specialized you want to get. For most types of jobs you will encounter as a handyperson, a general contractor license is not required, it is however advisable to go ahead and spend that few hundred dollars on a general handiwork license.
Insurance: This is one thing that the general handyperson really needs to look into when plying a handyman service. While the average handyman doesn’t need something as grand as small business general liability insurance, general self employment insurance such as worker’s comp is advisable. It is also necessary if you plan to obtain a business permit or handiwork license. The self employed workman’s compensation insurance is not very expensive and covers you in case of injury, any laborers you may have on the job and negates the homeowners responsibility if you are injured on their property. Many homeowners would prefer to hire someone who has their own insurance. Also, many homeowners insurance companies require the person doing the work on the home to have insurance before they will pay the homeowner for having the work done. So this works out well for everyone.
Tools: Most clients expect their handyman to have their own tools. It makes you look more professional and eliminates extra costs because you can take on more jobs knowing you already have the tools to do them. Now while you don’t need to keep the whole power tool section of the home improvement store in your basement, you will need basic hand tools and a few all purpose power tools such as a drill, a reciprocating saw and a circular saw. If you have more specialized power tools, you can add a surcharge into your bid for work for already having the tool available and not having to rent one to do a job. Always carry your basic hand tools to a job site and any other specialty tools that you know you will need. No one wants to drive 45 minutes to a job that will take a half an hour and then realize they need a hammer or a drill to get it done.
Pricing your services: While having a set list of charges for specific services is not necessary, it is helpful if you retain the same general price range for similar jobs. For instance if you know you want to be paid $25 to hang and finish a sheet of drywall, maintain this price throughout your bidding process. The number one mistake new handypersons make is bidding too low in order to get the job. You don’t want to bid low to get the job if you are going to end up in the hole on time and labor after it is finished. You have to take into consideration all necessary elements of the job before bidding, that way it’s worth your time and the customer will know what charges to expect before taking your bid.
Here are a few examples of things to consider when giving a client a price on a job: transportation expense (to and from the job, hardware store and specialty store trips during the job), labor per hour charge for yourself and any additional help, tool rental or tool insurance, tool usage charge, materials, any permits needed, license and insurance fees, research fees (for those clients who just have to have a specific item), design fees (for remodels, landscaping etc.) and service call fees. Depending on what the job will entail determines how many of these charges will apply. It is not necessary to give a total break down of all these charges to the client when giving the bid, but these are all things that need to be considered before determining your price for a given job. Most handyman services will include at least the transportation charges, insurance and license charges, service call fees and a small charge for their tools into their hourly rate if they provide one to their clients. Some handyman services simply charge by the job. Whichever works best for your services and your clients is how you should charge.
When to contract: Generally speaking, most of the jobs the handyman service will run into will not require a contract. However, there are those few jobs where contracts are needed or clients who would prefer one. Follow these guidelines for determining when you should have a contract.
Any type of work being done for a homeowners insurance company should have at least a handwritten agreement of some type for the homeowner to give to the insurance company as a courtesy to the client. Any large scale job, something that is going to cost over $500 to fix or build or is going to take more than two days should include a contract. Anything that requires you or the homeowner to have a permit needs to be put into writing. Any job that can possibly incur more than what is already agreed upon for charges needs to be contracted. This would include things like, fixing a leaky roof or basement, as once you tear up the area to replace it there may be additional damage that has to be fixed before you can do the agreed upon work. Anytime you are called out to fix more than two things at the same location, simply because it clears up the understandings and expectations you and the client have on what exactly is covered in your price and what is extra. Anything that your service guarantees or requires repeat maintenance services should be hashed out with a contract.
You do not need to be a lawyer to draw up a contract. A simple handwritten agreement that outlines the details of the job being done, the expected charges and timeline should suffice. To check legal guidelines to home improvement contracts in your area, contact the local building codes authority.
Downtime: Staying busy when the your in a slump. There is always a need for handyman services, but for the times when business is slow, here are a few ways to keep your head above water and your business up and going. Branch out. While you may want to limit your services to one or two trades, consider taking on less prestigious jobs. Lawn services and cleanup services are always a nice addition to general construction services, and even when not many people are looking to remodel their bathroom, they still need things like yard work and cleanup done. This is also a good service to offer to real estate management companies as they often prefer to work with people they already know. If you offer cleanup services for rental properties, leave a card and resume with the client so they will know you offer other services and they are more apt to call you when odds and ends jobs come along than contacting a specialty company because you are less expensive and more readily available.
Other things to do during slow periods include, hiring yourself out as a ready call labor person, especially to those who operate in fields you are skilled in. as skilled laborers are apt to be paid better. You can also consider applying as a temporary crew member on jobs in fields you want to learn more about and use the time to gain valuable knowledge that will help your own service company. Go to school. If there is a particular trade that you would like to specialize in, consider taking part time classes at a trade school during your slow time. This increases your knowledge of the area, opens up all kinds of opportunities, and looks really good on a resume.
Advertise. Let people know you are out there! Spend your down time drumming up more business. Good ways to advertise your services include sending out flyers, posting ads on free community boards and internet sites and attending trade fairs to network with specialty service companies. You can also visit local real estate agents, property management companies, auction companies, mortgage companies, mobile home sales service companies and hardware stores leaving your contact info and a flyer listing your services. When your out driving around, stop anywhere that looks like they could use your services and leave a card. Yard sales, flea markets, anywhere that attracts a large amount of traffic from the general public is a good place to advertise your service. Also look for new construction sites and leave your information with the construction foreman.
Always be professional. A professional appearance goes along way towards a clients decision to hire you vs. the competition. Of course the obvious, no cussing, drinking or smoking on the job are essential. A clean, neat well groomed appearance is important when representing yourself to a client. Although the general stereotype of the handyman is a mental picture of the plumber in his overalls and a tool belt, most clients expect to meet a sales person when seeking professional services.
Last but not least, keep your customers happy. Clear communication is the most essential part of any business and the handyman industry is no different. Be receptive to answering any questions a client may have and try to give detailed responses if possible. Let the client know ahead of time if extra charges are going to come into consideration and always give them options whenever possible. Judge your clients communication style and try to tailor your service to their needs. Some clients will know exactly what they want while others will have no idea what needs to be done. Some clients will be direct and to the point while others may need a detailed explanation of work to be performed before hiring you. Spend a few minutes introducing yourself to your client and going over what type of work they want assessed before diving into the job. This gives both you and the client a friendly and positive working atmosphere and makes it easier on both of you. Never hesitate to offer a receipt for your services and always make follow up calls after the work is completed to ensure the clients satisfaction. If your clients are happy, so is your pocket!
Exercise can be as simple as putting a little more effort in making your daily routine a little more beneficial. While vacuuming or mopping the floor, do it briskly. When going to the mall park at the end of the parking lot and walk up the stairs instead of riding the elevator or escalator. Think of other everyday tasks that you can turn into free workouts. You don’t need to join a gym, hire a trainer or buy expensive equipment to get an effective workout. For instance walking or running is free and if done where there are hills can be a complete workout.
If you are just starting to work out and want to do it as cheap as possible until you have decided how or if you will continue then look around your home for ways to use what’s there. Here are number of items found in most every home that can be turned into no cost exercise equipment. I have used all of these and they are good to get started with.
Canned goods. These make good light hand weights.
Empty milk and water jugs. Fill them with water or sand to get heavier weights.
Rope. Cut the rope to the length you need to make a jump rope.
Stairs. These make great workouts by either walking or running up them.
Dancing. This is a great exercise you can do while listening to the radio or a video.
Step stools. A low stool or anything similar can be used as a stair stepper.
Rope pulley exerciser. A strap for over the door, a pulley and 15 feet of rope is all you need to make an exerciser that can be used for a number of exercise where you use the opposite arm or leg to provide resistance.
Body weight can be used for exercise with push ups, chair dips, jumping jacks, leg lifts or crunches being just a few of the exercises you can do where your body weight provides the resistance.
After you’ve been exercising for a while you will probably start thinking about getting some professional equipment. If cost is still a factor you’re in luck because today you can find used equipment everywhere you look, both free and low cost.
Go online and you’ll find a number of sites where you can ask for free equipment or find people offering it for free. Even when its not free its usually cheap, I guess maybe because who wants the equipment sitting there reminding them of their failure to use it. Check the newspaper ads and bulletin boards also.
Ask your friends and family if they have any equipment they want to get rid of. Over the years I’ve picked up 3 exercise bikes, 2 treadmills, a benchpress bench and hundred of pounds of weights and dumbbells, all free.
There always seems to be some sort of equipment at garage or yard sales. I’ve bought everything from a small dumbbell to a treadmill at them. I’ve also seen those high priced machines they advertise on TV at huge discounts.
Thrift stores are an excellent place to find equipment. Most of them have a discount day when the bargains get even better. A little more expensive but with some bargains are your used equipment stores, such as Play It Again Sports.
Check your local library for exercise books and videos that you can check out free. They range from plain to exotic exercises, such as dancing, aerobics plus many other types of exercise and fitness information sources.
Places where you can get some free exercise include schools which have basketball and tennis courts. Parks often have basketball courts, tennis courts and volleyball nets along with handball courts. Even if you don’t have your own equipment you can usually get in a game of volleyball or basketball. Beaches almost always have volleyball nets where you can usually join in. Frisbee is another almost free activity and many cities have a free Frisbee golf course.
If you live in a condominium, planned community or a mobile home park you’ll find a wealth of free activities. Most of them have swimming pools with many having tennis and basketball courts, shuffleboard, exercise rooms, putting greens etc. Many planned exercise activities are usually available also.
I think you can see that with a little work you can find exercise equipment for free or for very little money as well as free places to exercise. The information here is just some of what’s available and should be able to get you thinking about where or what else you can do to exercise for free or almost free.
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