Across Bull Creek, Leeming, Winthrop, Murdoch, Bateman, Kardinya, Willagee, North Lake, Willetton, Shelley and Wilson, most of what we are asked to do happens outside the house or involves fitting something new inside it. Gutters, gates and fences come up again and again. So do lists of things to assemble, hang or install. Bathrooms appear too, but as updates, not rebuilds. This page goes through each of those, and says plainly what we pass to someone else.
Gutters and water after rain
Gutters are the single most common request from these suburbs. Some people want them cleared before winter. More often the rain has already shown the problem: a joint dripping over the back door, water spilling over the front edge instead of reaching the downpipe, or a stain on a ceiling after a heavy week.
On a single-storey home we clear the gutters, check the fall towards each downpipe, and reseal leaking joints and corners. Where a gutter has sagged, we re-fix it so the water runs where it should. If a ceiling has marked, we find out whether full gutters caused it or the roof itself is letting water in, because the fix is different. Once it is dry, the ceiling can be patched and painted. See wall and ceiling repairs.
If water is coming through a ceiling now, read how we decide what can move quickly.
Gates, fences and the backyard
Close behind gutters is the rest of the outside. Side gates are the usual starting point: replacing old ones, making a gate to fit an odd opening, or getting a sagging gate to swing and latch again. A sliding mesh door that should close on its own is the same kind of job: hinges, closers and alignment set up so it closes every time.
Other backyard requests are about making a space work better. Adding a section to a fence for privacy. Building a cover for pool equipment in an awkward corner. Fixing a screen or plant trellis to a fence. Hanging a small gate to keep chickens in. Sorting the doors, hinges and latches on an old garden shed so it can be used again. Fitting hose reels to a wall. Most of these are quoted from photos and a few measurements. See fences and gates.
Fitting, hanging and assembling
The other large group from these suburbs is putting things together and putting things up. A cot and a gas-lift bed for a new arrival. A pantry cabinet. A TV on the wall. A pet door fitted into an existing glass door. Roller blinds cut down to suit long windows. Wall shelves, a bike rack, and new shelves in a wardrobe.
Some of these need more than a drill. A new microwave with its trim kit set into an old recess that was built for a bigger one. A kitchen cupboard altered so a new rangehood can be fixed in place. An internal door hung in an existing frame. If you have already bought the item, we fit it. If you are not sure it suits the space, send a photo first and we will say so. See flatpack assembly and installation.
Bathrooms: updates, not rebuilds
Bathroom enquiries here are mostly about replacing one or two tired things. A shower screen swapped for a new one. A pivot shower door that has seized and will not swing. A mirror put back above a basin after other work. A vanity cabinet replaced where water has got in behind it and swollen the shelving.
We do that kind of work, and the tiling, grout and silicone that often go with it. Where the tap, waste or water supply has to be disconnected and reconnected, that part is a plumber's, and the quote says so. See bathroom repairs and updates.
Walls, ceilings and paint
A smaller group is about surfaces. Fine cracks just below the cornice, in several rooms at once, are common and are best done in one visit so every ceiling is finished the same way. We also get asked to patch sections of external wall, repair peeling paint, deal with a rusty patch on bathroom skirting, and repaint the inside of a wardrobe where mould has come through. We paint what we repair. We do not quote whole-house repaints.
Landlords and owners getting ready to sell
Some of this work comes from landlords rather than the people living in the house: a tenant reports a leak or a damaged vanity, and the owner needs it assessed and fixed. We deal with the owner on price and with the tenant on access. See maintenance for rental properties.
Others are owners preparing to sell, with a list of odd jobs that suddenly matter. Send the whole list at once and it is quoted as one job.
What we will not do
A good share of what comes in from these suburbs is licensed work, and we do not take it on: replacing taps, connecting a dishwasher or washing machine, anything involving a ceiling fan or other electrics, and removing an air conditioner. We also do not take on full kitchen or bathroom renovations, or converting a house into two separate living areas. That is builder's work. If one of these is on your list, we name it in the quote and price the rest.
Getting a quote
Use the form below: your suburb, what needs doing and a few photos. Most jobs are quoted from photos, and you get one written price, valid seven days, with no charge for the quote. We work Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 3pm, and we are closed Sunday.
We have had no enquiries yet from Bateman or North Lake, and we would like to be working there, so send it through. For the other areas we cover, see where we work.
Handy Home Heroes is based in Ardross. ABN 88 948 290 829, $10M public liability, GST registered, rated 5.0 from 155 Google reviews.