The Common Denominator

The front of my house. Charming, isn't it?

I was returning from my morning walk (earlier this year when I still pursued regular exercise) and I noticed one of the decorative thingies was gone from above the window. It had fallen behind the bushes; apparently rotted. One of those weirdo maintenance things you never imagine. I mean certain things you know going in. Aging roof needs to be replaced. Check. Old furnace due to be upgraded. Check. Oven won't hold its temperature. Check. Moldings will fall right off the front of the house. What the F*$K!?!?!

We considered having just that one replaced, but couldn't find exactly the size, style, etc. to match the rest. After John explored the matter more closely, like from the top of a ladder, he determined the others were pretty decayed too including the wood around our front door. It made more sense to have everything done.

And that's when the real fun started. Because this is a small job. Not something the big contractors want to do. Although personally, I think $2000+ should be enough to make someone sit up and take notice. But I digress.

Have you ever tried to find a reliable handyman?

It's harder than you might imagine. John talked to several people before finally getting a recommendation for Ballwin Handyman LLC. The guy came out quickly and gave us an estimate. We gave him $1000. That was May 2nd. Eleven weeks ago. The estimate says, "Approx 3 weeks."

We are still waiting. Making phone calls every day or so, maybe getting a call back, maybe not, sometimes hearing promises that get us excited for a few days, but then are ultimately never kept. We were told the job would be done while we were in Cincinnati. Then Des Moines then Madison. We are beyond aggravated. And our house still looks like shit.