Handyman in Northbridge

The Northbridge handyman list has a local flavour. Gutter guard on homes under the gums, so the next storm does not overflow into the eaves; loose treads and handrails on the timber and sandstone stairs that run down to the house; sticking doors and windows in post-war timber frames that swell in harbour damp; fence palings and gate latches; letterboxes and side gates at street level; and the usual indoor round of shelving, curtain rails, television mounting, flat-pack assembly and patching before a repaint. Families in the rebuilt homes add things like play equipment assembly and bike racks in the garage. Agents book pre-sale lists before photography.

NSW sets the handyman line at $5,000 for labour and materials, GST included: under it no contractor licence is required, over it the job is licensed building work and needs a written contract. Gasfitting, drainage, plumbing and electrical work are licensed regardless of size, so a dripping tap or an outdoor power point is handled by a licensed plumber or electrician, whom we can match alongside the handyman. A vetted handyman fixes gutter guard without standing on brittle tiles, wears fall protection on the downhill eaves, tests or avoids any pre-1990 sheeting that might be asbestos cement, and carries rubbish off the block rather than leaving it by the bins.

Post the list with photos of each item and a note about how far down the block the house is and where a van can pull in. Vetted, independent handymen who already work in Northbridge and across the lower North Shore are lined up, and they contact you directly with an itemised written quote, often from the photos for simple items. Expect the quote to separate labour and materials, say which items need a licensed trade and estimate the time on site. Full and half-day bookings suit Northbridge because once the tools are carried down the stairs it makes sense to clear the whole list.