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Angie's List: How Much Is Your Free Time Worth?

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - With a home improvement store on every corner and Do-It-Yourself TV shows on 24/7, many people now attempt all kinds of complex projects around the house.

Angie's List has new data that shows a lot of us are putting our free time first and hiring out some simple chores.

Long commutes and full family schedules are like music to the ears of companies that focus on yard work, house cleaning and handyman services.

"With people as busy as they are, especially with their kids in lots of activities, a lot of time you find that they're hiring out more chores than we used to, whether it be cleaning the house, mowing the lawn or cleaning the gutters," Angie's List Founder, Angie Hicks, said.

A January survey of nearly 2,500 Angie's List members asked where home services dollars were going. Professional yard work topped the list last year and is expected to again in 2016.

Another interesting statistic: nearly 20 percent of homeowners will hand their chore list – house cleaning, carpet cleaning and odd jobs – over to a pro to increase free time.

"In a recent Angie's List survey, we found that 48 percent of the members plan to outsource yard work, and one-third of them plan to outsource housecleaning this year," Hicks said.

"They're fixing problems all day long with the kids, whatever it might be, with the job. They come home and now they've got to caulk windows or change out a faucet and that's the last thing they want to do. So, they want someone else to solve their problems for them," professional handyman David Price said.

Price does a lot of window caulking, faucet replacement and fence fixing that don't require a lot of expertise or a license. He said it's common to charge a flat rate instead of hourly, and that homeowners shouldn't feel shortchanged if the job is done well, but fast.

"Although the technician was able to complete the task seemingly easily and with speed, does not mean as a homeowner that you would do it as easily and as quickly," he said.
If you're hiring a handyman for the first time, Hicks said you can save money by grouping small projects together to make the professional's time more efficient and to save repeat trips.

Also, you need to completely trust any service provider coming to your house regularly, so do a thorough background check and get at least three references before hiring.

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