Home buddy

Housekeeping can become more challenging for wives when it involves repairs. When a faucet or pipe is leaking, a light is busted or a window glass is broken, a helper comes in handy for the fix.

American households are said to be the biggest market for handyman services in the world. The value of such services in the United States alone is estimated to be $339 million this year, according to Future Market Insights.

With the pandemic subsiding, demand for home care services is rising so hardware store chains are coming up with new offerings to capitalize. Handyman, for example, has introduced assembly, repair, carpentry, installation, tile, exterior, painting and drywall, FMI reported. The company is even extending its service areas, it added.

Neighborhood handymen are also getting a fair share of the market. Among those who have taken advantage of the business opportunity is Laura Young of Buckinghamshire, England.

Young is fully booked for her home-based handyman services until next month as British households prepare for the Christmas holiday season. Some customers are even from distant cities, the mother of three said.

Of course, Young is already busy doing her own housekeeping. The secret to her successful business that she started just in January is the good service that satisfies many customers.

Besides Young's catchy brand, "Rent My Handy Husband," her workhorse hubby James is an all-around do-it-yourself freak.

The 42-year-old former warehouse worker without any trade background enjoys building and constructing, according to Young.

James' skills in general DIY, painting, decorating, tiling, and carpet-laying have made their handy husband rental business so popular and lucrative, New York Post reported.

Households can rent the handyman husband for $44 per hour or $280 per day.