A lady who chose to hire out her husband to other ladies for odd chores at £40 an hour or £250 per day said that business is thriving.
Laura Young, 38, of Milton Keynes, had the idea after listening to a podcast about a guy who made a profession putting together flatpack furniture for others.
In June, the mother of three posted on Facebook and the Nextdoor app, bragging about her husband James’ general DIY, painting, decorating, tiling, and carpet laying talents.
Expecting her to laugh, the 42-year-old got his first client within a day and was soon working six days a week from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
He’s had to decline jobs, and ‘Rent My Handy Husband’ is now completely booked until mid-November.
Jobs range from assisting with the installation of a television or drapes to reconstructing a wall, and he is willing to recruit both men and women.
Laura manages the social media profiles and the website while James manages the labor.
The company has done better than the pair could have expected.
The astute pair has introduced a new service for the holiday season, installing beautiful lights both inside and outdoors.
She never anticipated it to take off as much as it has, Laura remarked.
They’ve only been running for four months, and there was so much business pouring in that James was working six days a week. They’ve had to start turning down projects and reducing their hours, so now they work Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
They had their own building designs that they haven’t even begun as they’ve been so busy.
They’ve also scheduled their first gig for January.
James had to give up his warehouse job to be a full-time caregiver alongside Laura, caring for their 3 kids, two of whom had autism.
James was diagnosed with autism four years ago and has always been able to concentrate on subjects like building and construction.
He’s incredibly brilliant at creating things and doesn’t worry with the directions, Laura remarked.
So she assumed this was something he could accomplish.
James has no trade history, but his grandfather was a nuclear engineer, and they believe he was also on the spectrum.
He has a meticulous mind and is able to think beyond the box. He has a distinct perspective.
Within a few days, Laura’s Facebook messages were inundated with inquiries regarding her husband’s employment.
The pair received inquiries from people who lived more than 150 miles away.
The first client required a door frame replaced, and then she just had people asking on the Facebook page, Laura explained.
It went from flatpack to so much more, like carpeting and replacing a wall.
They even had requests from as far away as Manchester, to which they responded that it could be more practical to locate somebody nearby owing to the additional costs, although of course they would have done it.
He does not provide electrical or plumbing services.
They do not charge each job; instead, they charge £40 per hour or £250 per day.
They also provide discounts to individuals who work in the NHS and emergency services, as well as those over the age of 65, handicapped persons, caregivers, and individuals on universal credit.
They know what it’s like to be parents of special needs kids, and they’ve understood what it’s like to struggle for money or have to save, Laura added.
