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Do I need to hire a General Contractor or a Handyman?

7 months ago

Hi,

I'm confused about whether I need to hire a general contractor or a handyman.

The work I need to have done:

is a bedroom, gallery and stairwell with walls that need a skim coat and walls and ceilings need to be repainted. (The stairwell and gallery have wallpaper that also need to be removed)
the gallery needs skirting boards need to be replaced
I also want to ask about the stairwell (it's the kind with solid walls on either side that leads to my apartment door. There's this 2 inch (?) thick plaster ledge I wondered if it could be removed.
I also need the ancient shelves and wood in my closets to be removed and the walls and ceiling to be skimmed and repainted.
Also the molding in my kitchen fell off and I realized that they were hanging by caulk so I was hoping to have it re-installed and the molding on the otherside of my kitchen checked to ensure it was installed properly (I kind of doubt it).

My friend said that she thought I needed a handyman for all this work, I think the kitchen molding sounds like something I should hire a handyman for I'm not sure.

I'd love to get input from everyone. I'm pretty confused and really want to get all the work my apartment needs done.

Thank you in advance!

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Comments (4)

cat_ky
7 months ago
I would hire a handyman for some of it (a very good handyman), but, for the skim coating, hire a good drywall person. A handyman could do the mouldings, and the boards that need to be replaced, etc. If your handyman doesnt do painting, then, you may also need a painter.
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sushipup2
7 months ago
Locally, a handyman costs $85/hour. Someone who usually does small jobs of one or two hours at most. A contractor will look at the entire job as a unit. I'd call a contractor.
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shirlpp
7 months ago
The contractor will oversee and hire out what needs to be done.

A handyman with the right skills for a particular job will work for more than a few hours. I've hired quite a few.

Your best bet is to get quotes, check skills and reviews and then decide.
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surfacesprite
Original Author
7 months ago
last modified: 7 months ago
Thank you Everyone! I appreciate all your input I put it off for too long because I was getting overwhelmed and you helped to put it into perspective. It sounds like both could do the job but skill and cost is what it boils down to. WIsh me luck! :D
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