Handyman Services

We triple bid the work to be done and Alvaro came in about in the middle.  He was responsive and punctual during the estimate phase and as I couldn't find any negative reviews on him and wanted all the work done by one person (as opposed to separate painter, gutter repair, etc) we hired him.  Here is our experience on each.
- He quickly and efficiently replaced the downspouts, no issues there.  However the wood he replaced the gutter with was unfinished until AUGUST.  Despite MANY requests, it took him nearly 4 months to come out and put the final coats of paint on it.  We had made the mistake of paying him in full before the job was complete - once he gets his money, you are bottom priority - he will ignore your calls and emails, instead surprising you on a weekend afternoon that is convenient for him.
- The south wall he sub-contracted out.  The man he used he SWORE was a professional painter, yet the wall began peeling within 9 months.  We've had both a painter and a general contractor come out to evaluate and both said it is clear whoever did the work didn't properly prep the area.  When we contacted Alvaro about repairing the faulty work, he said he would come out within the week, then never showed.  After 3 weeks of getting his voicemail, we tried calling from a different cell.  He immediately answered, got flustered, and said he would be out the following Thursday.  Again, he never showed and all calls went to voicemail.  After another two weeks of getting voicemail we called from our work number and of course he answered immediately, again got flustered realizing we weren't going away and promised to be out Saturday.  Again, he didn't show and wouldn't answer calls or email.  We left a message saying we were going to complain to the Better Business Bureau and were now seeking reimbursement for the faulty work, at which point he responded that it's our fault sun shines on our house and any paint will peel within a year unless we pay him to replace all our siding.  WHAT?!
- The painter he used made a HUGE mess on the side of the house.  Alvaro asked if we wanted him to weed the side of the house while cleaning up for an extra $100.  I hate weeding and was 8 months pregnant at the time so agreed, but was VERY clear that my beautiful peonies and iris were to be left alone.  I came home to find every single living thing gone.  It was like they'd applied napalm to the area....not a single bulb was left.  So $100 worth of weeding turned into nearly triple that to buy healthy mature peonies that will take years to yield the same amount of flowers.
- We also made the mistake of pre-paying him to clean our gutters.  He claims this was done when I wasn't home.  I have no way of proving it either way, but given the sterling character he's displayed thus far, I think that was more money down the drain.
Lesson learned from this:- Do not allow subcontractors unless vetted ahead of time.  I came home to find some random guy painting my house in the rain.  Alvaro swore he was a pro and the tarp he had up was sufficient....and now all the areas where it clearly wasn't sufficient are peeling- Don't hire anyone in your final trimester of pregnancy - in my case at least not being more careful has cost us dearly- Do not pay them in full until every single last detail is finished.- Talk to as many references as possible- If you need a painter, call Jed at Scotland's Finest Painter.  He's pricey, but he also did an amazing job on our old house 6 years ago.  Not a single chip and yes, it gets lots of sun, too.