“Good help is hard to find” or so goes the saying. After a bout with some water damage from the unit above and some disappointing repair work from a local “fix it” company, that “good help” actually found me. As a general rule, we stay away from the first-person on the site as of late {we’re a team of ladies and gents who all represent HG}, but I felt this story was too necessary to tell, as finding a handyman in Hoboken or the surrounding areas that does good work is *HARD* to find. Here’s how it all went down with AVID Handyman, located in the Neumann Leathers building in Hoboken:
^Avid Handyman’s home inside the Neumann Leathers Building
A few weeks back I was contacted by a reader who let me know her boss would be perfect for Bachelor of The Month series. Once we started chatting, it turned out her boss, Anton, is the owner and operator of AVID, a local handyman and contracting service. I happened to mention the subpar work done in my apartment on an upstairs leak I had, and she said she could have someone come out right away to look at the damage and give me an estimate to fix it correctly.
To rewind, because it’s worth a mention, here’s the leak situation that happened {THIS IS A REAL PHOTO, I KID YOU NOT}:
Yes, this is the leak that ACTUALLY happened in my apartment.
It was from a neighbor’s fridge line, that leaked in the most phallic-shaped form possible. Luckily not severe damage because I caught it early, but needed to be re-drywalled, and the handyman hired at first was no bueno. This was his “finished product”:
^The old handyman’s “fix” of the drywall around our apartment’s sprinkler…lolz
“Right away” and contractor are usually not two words you hear in the same sentence…and I admit, I was a bit skeptical. But, to my delight, they were true to their word. AVID sent someone out right away to survey the damage {they even sent me a text to let me know they were on the way via their app}, fixed the work done by the last “not so handy” man that week, and were an absolute pleasure to work with {forget about surly guys with plumber’s crack — these guys are neat, tidy, and friendly to boot!}. They also emailed the bill and I could pay online with my credit card. Easy peasy and in the 21st century when it comes to forms of payment = success.
^Finished product, post AVID coming to the resuce
Because we were doing the Bachelor feature {coming soon, stay tuned!} and because I felt it necessary to shine a light on an awesome service in Hoboken, I visited Anton at the shop in Hoboken and asked him a few questions about how he got started in the business and what sets AVID apart from other places {that claim to be doing the same thing}. He told me it was a natural progression from fixing things around his home, to people asking for him to fix things in their homes in exchange for dinners, to seeing a void in the Hoboken market for the type of work he loved doing. From small beginnings {Anton, on a bike, riding from one job to the next} to now, a thriving company with 12 full-timers which services Hoboken, Jersey City and the surrounding areas.
^Some of the AVID team
During our chat, Anton shared how other handyman situations work by subbing out their work to workers who are not employees {so thaaat’s what happened}. Think about it this way, you call the Chinese restaurant down the street with awesome reviews to get that new Lo Mein you heard great things about. But instead of making that dish themselves, they call another place down the street who makes and delivers the dish…and its disappointing. You complain but they claim they didn’t do the work. Now you are stuck with bad Lo Mein and no one takes responsibility. This happens with contractors, too. But not at AVID—all workers are employed by them. So when they say they are sending “someone” you know who you are getting, depending on your project, they have a crew of 12 guys and two women {yasss…#whoruntheworld) who do everything…painting to plumbing and anything in between.
What’s more: They actually have a team of certified techs that are super knowledgeable about smart home stuff including updating your thermostat/HVAC — meaning you can update your central air/heat with the new device that everyone is buzzing about {like a Nest or other gadgets galore, they’ll install plenty}. And with the holidays right around the corner, it’s good to have them on-hand. In fact, Kyle installed our new Nest a day after the first painting/drywalling escapades.
^Kyle installing our new Nest!
So, whether you need a complete bathroom and kitchen overhaul or just a Nest or TV installation, AVID is your go-to handyman company in Hoboken and Jersey City.
And no, they didn’t pay me to say this, I just know how hard it is to find a good handyman, so figured I’d share.
Call them at (201) 898-5605 to get a quote!
