Need Help Getting Household Repairs

[billd1]

I'm a homeowner, although with my lack of money, I fear that I might eventually loose the home that I own.

But, for the present, due to my extremem shyness, I have run into a problem getting help with household repairs.

It's a long, complicated story, but some people like to read such stories, and if you are one of those people, you'll have a ball reading
the story that I have to tell.

I basically prefer to do all household repairs that I need, but sometimes things are beyond my capability.

I am a member of a church, that has a group called the Fixier-Upper Gang, although on their official listing in the entrance hall to the church building, they are called the Fixer Upper Ministry.

Well, about 4 or so years ago,I had a ceiling fan to stop working in my residence. The room it is in has a "cathedral" ceiling, and was really too high for me to reach, but with an inadequte ladder, I was able to take the fan down, and, to my shock, discovered that the fan was not attatched to an electrical circuit box, but just held to the ceiling by 2 wood screws, the 120 wires just sticking out of the ceiling!

So, that's where this long, complicated story got started 3-4 years ago.

There was no way I could install an electrical box in the ceiling, with my inadequate ladder.

I have a very dear friend that I'll call Sailor Sam, who is a retired electrician, and I had given some thought to having him come into my residence to assist me in installing the electrical box for a new ceiling fan, but after some soul searching, decided not to ask him to help, because he does have a well intentioned bossiness, and I knew that if he came into my residence and saw my poor housekeeping, that he wouldn't like it, and would try to boss me into cleaning things up.

So, that's when I decided to try the Fixer Uppper Gang, which has lead to a 3 year standoff in my attempts to get some household improvements done to my place.

[Sweet Pea]

just hire a contractor that has a good better business bureau rating and get the hell out of the house! your shyness won't be an issue!

[billd1]

Jun 16, 2013 5:14:38 GMT -5 Sweet Pea said:

just hire a contractor that has a good better business bureau rating and get the hell out of the house! your shyness won't be an issue!

sweetpea, I don't have any Money to hire a contractor. I did speak to a gentleman who know Mr. Fixer Upper, boss of the Fixer Upper Gang, who said that the Fixer Upper outfit is still going strong, and this guy had recently used their services.

I'm going to overcome my shyness about contacting Mr. Fixer Upper, and call him on the phone again. The first time I contacted him about 3 years ago, I got good service, but the second time, he told me to have someone else do what I was requesting. I felt like he was giving me the brush off and just plain didn't want anything To do with me.

Maybe that was the case and still is the case, but if it is so, what?

Rejection is a part of life that we all have to accept and deal with.

I'm hopeful that he won't brush me off this time, after almost three years, and this time, I will get some help from him, like I did the first time.

[billd1]

PS to last one: sweetpea, I hope you'll be glad to know that I am out of my house a good bit of the time, one reason being that with my heat pump not working, (no money to get it repaired, and if it were working, no money to pay the heavy electric bill), and my new ceiling fan not being adequate to keep my place cooled in this hot summer heat, I spend most of my days, going to public places that are air conditioned.

[Sweet Pea]

Jun 17, 2013 10:33:31 GMT -5 billd1 said:

PS to last one: sweetpea, I hope you'll be glad to know that I am out of my house a good bit of the time, one reason being that with my heat pump not working, (no money to get it repaired, and if it were working, no money to pay the heavy electric bill), and my new ceiling fan not being adequate to keep my place cooled in this hot summer heat, I spend most of my days, going to public places that are air conditioned.

what i meant was, don't be there when they come to do the repairs if that's an issue for you. there is no need for you to be there.

[helise]

Do you have local organizations like Habitat for Humanity, United Way, Rebuilding Together etc. They are similar to your fixers group/ministry. These organizations make repairs to houses for low income people and people in poverty. The workers there tend to be very friendly and understanding of the homeowners situation. Seek out another similar organization if the one within your church is busy. There's quite a few friendly people out there willing to help and understand.

[billd1]

Jul 6, 2013 23:35:56 GMT -5 helise said:

Do you have local organizations like Habitat for Humanity, United Way, Rebuilding Together etc. They are similar to your fixers group/ministry. These organizations make repairs to houses for low income people and people in poverty. The workers there tend to be very friendly and understanding of the homeowners situation. Seek out another similar organization if the one within your church is busy. There's quite a few friendly people out there willing to help and understand.

I have heard that Habitat for Humanity is active in my area. Checking on them, and the other 2 outfits is a good idea.

I'm sorry to say that it would take tens of thousands of dollars to make my shack suitable for human habitation.

[billd1]

I am glad to say that somoeone who is a friend of my family,hepled me out on putting some new floor covering in my shack, and also fixing some defective floor boards, and he did it for free, and my family paid for the materials he used.

There is still a lot left to do tho, and I am trying to do it all myself, or as much as I can do myself, witout having to call some professional who would charge me money to do the work.

But, I am happy to say that I have had people to help me, and it hasn't cost me any money.

[billd1]

PS: I have visited the local habitat for humanity store and bought a lamp shade at a reasonable price.

And, I am considering using their other services if they can do some of the things that I want done.