A London based landlord contacted Reading Handyman recently and asked if we can do some work for him before he puts his Reading flat up for rent. The flat is located in central Reading, just a few minutes walk from the train station. He already hired a painter from London to paint the flat. Not only did he overcharge him but the finish looks amateurish at best. The first job was to replace the bathroom ceiling lamp. For some reason, he had normal kitchen lights in there which not only looked odd but it was unsafe as well because of the moisture and it’s proximity to the shower head and also building regulations. We replaced the light with a sealed LED bathroom light. The second job was to replace the broken fire alarm which only took a few minutes or so to do. The third job was to replace the broken thermostat and finally to hang a huge mirror on the wall.

This landlord decided not to use lettings agents to find him new tenants because of their “extortionate fees”. Instead, he posted an advert on Gumtree, invited a few people to come round and see the flat, used a credit referencing agency to check new tenants and managed to rent it out in less than a week. Moral of the story; you can do it yourself and save lots of money at the same time.

A few weeks after the new tenants moved in we went back to install roller blinds and to replace the kitchen tap.

If you are a landlord with properties in Reading then why not give us a shout next time you or your tenants need a handyman. We can help you with painting and decorating, electrical work, plumbing, odd jobs, tiling and more. We are fully insured, provide invoices and welcome keyholding.