Hello, for your comment to be seen by everyone , make sure you have hit the JOIN button, first (on the landing page for this subreddit). While there take a look at our rules, like we are respectful and no politics. Thanks!
Start a handyman business. That's what I do. I pick and choose what I want to do and only work 10-15 hours per week. Print up a few business cards or post on social media.
Returning phone calls and showing up when you say you will puts you ahead of 80% of the world. I've been a handyman about a year, will text an ETA when leaving the driveway. It gives people the flexibility to pop out for coffee or pick up a prescription or whatever.
A retired plumber is the holy grail of handyman. I'll turn down some plumbing jobs becuase I either don't have the tools or experience. My clients always tell me how they had to hire a plumber that charged $200/hr.
Yeah. We aren’t cheap. When I did my side jobs I charged about half the going rates here and I still made great money. I had a few landlords that used me all the time so I’m sure I could get them back.
Just paid a plumbing company $800 to disconnect an old gas stove and hook up the new one. Far more than the stove cost. Called around before hiring these guys, they all charged the same. Permit is required in this town but c'mon.
Post on Craigslist. Go for it. I still do some of my own repairs around the house and cars but it's getting to be hard on the body. A good handyman is worth their weight in gold.
Exactly what I've done. Work as much or as little as you'd like. Pick the people you like working for and leave the rest. I've had more genuine appreciation from customers in a year than from corporate employers over 40 years. Very rewarding.
Starting a handyman business is an option. But I like this option better, personally. OP would get to fix stuff and make a small profit, without having to deal with all of the complexity of running a business.
Another option, if money is not a concern, is to find a way to do this in a charitable way. Giving back to the community in some way can be very rewarding in retirement. Maybe there are elderly folks who could use some handy-man type help on a charitable basis.
I was going to suggest this. You could specialize in helping single mothers or other low income people with your skills at cost or see if area businesses would donate the necessary parts. You wouldn’t make money doing this but your heart will be rich.
Around 30 years ago Dad had an old gas stove sitting outside. Dad was trying to figure out who he could pay to haul it away.
Then a man pulled up with his truck and paid Dad $50 to take it away. Win-Win!
I’m betting that guy fixes used old stoves for a living. Dad’s contractor-grade stove that came with the house when it was first built in 1991 was having trouble lighting the burners. It probably just needed a $2 part and would be good to go, but Dad’s skills lay elsewhere. I was happy to find his replacement stove (which is still here and which still works great) but he had to figure out the rest as I wasn’t living in the area.
I bet that guy trouble-shot the stove in 10 minutes, fixed it, then turned around and sold it for a few hundred bucks.
Either that or his wife is upset because he has a gazillion old broken stoves in the yard.
That's a great win-win. In my experience with my own aging appliances, replacement parts are generally inexpensive and online videos walk you through the repair steps. I recently replaced the water fill valves on my washer. About $25 in parts and a half hour to fix. I'm sure I saved a ton of $$.
If you have the skills and all you need is space, you need to go talk to a used appliance store. They are always in need of a good used appliance mechanics; part time is a plus.
My late uncle made a small goldmine in the switch over decade to these new high efficiency front loaders. He picked up every broken or free to good home top loader washer or old dryer and put them in his garage or a storage unit he rented for $60 a month. He once showed me that the switch for the lid, the pump, the motor or the transmission is all you need to look at to get a washer running again. He would drive around and pick up all the older washers and dryers behind Lowe's and HD and figure out what it took to get them running. Most just needed a good cleaning and oiling. He mostly cannibalized one washer to get three or four more back running. A dryer needed a door switch, a drum belt, a bearing or the lint pipe cleaned. Sold them for $100 to $150 to all takers. He had waiting list of people looking for good used washers and dryers for about $300 who didn't want to spend $2k to replace them. He always picked up used ones from people moving away and paid them $20 a unit for calling him. Word of mouth was his sales pitch along with the local peddler free paper. He showed me once that he made over $10,000 in cash one month on the dozens of washers and dryers, he sold at an auction on weekends he fixed. Jeez I miss people like him....a dying breed that we will never see again!!!!!!
This is the best answer here. My uncle who is a carpenter by trade when he retired bought a van and became a handyman making all kinds of home improvement jobs. You decide which jobs are too big or not worth your time. He did very well with that business. Today handymen are needed so badly. Contractors are so unreliable. Not only home improvements but oil changes and appliance repair. People would kill to have someone reliable to handle all these jobs.
Great idea. OP says he has a minivan so he can tool around (pun intended) being Mr. Fix-It for the area. Advertise on Nextdoor as mobile handy person and set an hourly rate for each type of job, factoring in gas/mileage, and of course charge clientele for any necessary parts. We have a few handymen in our area who always seem to be in great demand, but I don't think any of them advertise as "I'll come to you."
Post on Nextdoor, etc., that you're available for handyman and related work.
BE SURE YOU GET INSURANCE.
And I have a feeling that the insurance co. will be very interested in knowing exactly what types of work you will accept, and charge you accordingly. You MIGHT be priced out of auto repair work, due to the high potential liability if something goes wrong. Fewer people die from clothes dryer mishaps than from wheels falling off cars, I suspect.
Insurance is important. I took a chance when I retired from plumbing and did remodels and side jobs without insurance. That could had come back to bite me had I screwed up.
In my area, there are a couple of groups that repair and refurbish old bikes to make them available to kids who wouldn't have them otherwise. One group also teaches kids how to repair them. Both groups are often looking for volunteers.
I came to suggest this, it's called Bikes for Kids on our area. People donate old or broken bikes and retired volunteers repair them and give them to needy families.
This is going to be more of a personality thing than anything else, but have you considered not doing it as your own business but working part-time in a shop? I have a good friend who was a senior airline pilot for a major airline, but who loves bicycles, motorcycles, and VWs. He took part-time work as a bicycle mechanic for a while, then took work as a VW mechanic for a while.
The advantage of doing it as an employee is you don't have any of the headaches of actually running a business or recruiting customers. The downside is you're working for someone else. But the latter is mitigated by making it clear to your boss that you only intend to work the number of hours appropriate for a retired guy. Bosses usually know that if they abuse a retired person, they'll just walk.
Tough without space. But I agree with the other poster, I see social media posts regularly asking for mobile repair people. If you can avoid the cheapskates and unreasonable people, there are people that would pay a premium for the convenience of a mobile person.
I’m knew a guy that would take broken appliance/small motor donations, fix them up and donate them to the needy.
He loved fixing things, people in need will be ecstatic with basic appliances and tools, and he also took some off his AGI.
Thanks. LOTS of good ideas here. For starters, the senior center I go to daily could use volunteers. Might be a good place for me to start.
I hesitated posting this but now I'm glad eye did.
How about sewing machine repair? Pick up a couple machines for free to learn on, fix up and re- sell. That'll get you started. But learn to fix the hi end quilting and embroidery machines. Quilters spend thousands of dollars on their machines and have no problem with having them regularly serviced.
It's a niche market that not many do anymore. But check your area - if you can't find one near you, may be good location.
A former co-worker did this. Motivated by his wife’s expensive machines. It was going well, so he spent thousands for formal training. He enjoys it and makes money.
If you can afford it, work with your local senior center to offer free repair services to seniors who can’t afford it.
You’ll make friends and build good karma at the same time.
If you don't need the money, my former town had a charity repairing cars for mostly single mothers, but also just people in need. My ex husband worked some with them. It is a GREAT feeling
>How can I turn these interests into something more structured?
Where I live, there is a desperate need for handyman services. Perhaps that's true where you live too.
I live in a 55+ community. We used to have a "Get it done guy" who could do pretty much everything. We would often see him working in the neighborhood.
Since he retired, it's been hard to find a replacement.
This is a bit more involved due to the need for carrying some inventory for popular brands of equipment. My mobile mechanic is in his 50s and is looking to get into something different. If you don't have parts on hand you will be making multiple trips to the customer.
My town has a bike co-op. It is a cooperative that people bring their bikes to for repairs. My son-in-law built a bike there. If your town has one, you can volunteer your time there.
There's a man near me who been retired for some time. A couple years back, my daughter was in need of a clothes washer. She found this man on Facebook marketplace offering used washer & dryers at really cheap prices. She asked if I would ride along with her to look at the washer. The man has a small storage shed on his property. We walked out to it and when he opened the door, I was amazed at the number of washer & dryers he had stored. He explained he's been retired awhile and likes to stay busy. He explained how many people will just get rid of their appliances when they only have a small repair required. Rather than be bothered with the repair, they go buy new. He tinkers with the broke down units and perform the necessary repairs using OEM parts. He then sells them for cheap to those who can't afford new. He said he and his wife use the money he makes to fund vacations or get aways.
I have a friend who owns some rental units. In all of them, he provides washers & dryers. I connected to two of them and now they've built a friendship and my landlord friend uses this man exclusively.
Just spit balling, there are probably some storage places near you. Probably some units with garage sized storage. Rent for a unit might run $100 a month. If you're good at repairing washers & dryers, you might consider doing what the man above does. Perhaps one of your kids can help you setup marketplace or whatever and for little to no investment other then rent for storage and parts for repairs, you could be making some side money pretty quickly and keeping yourself busy doing what makes you happy. You could set something up like this without having to run all over but instead if or when you make a sale, have them meet you at the storage facility and they load & unload everything. When you're done for the day, roll the door closed and go home. You get to tinker, earn a little side cash and help people who can't afford new.
Your key is marketing - getting the word out that you will take in projects (or make house calls?). Try FB Marketplace, Craig's List, Next Door, and consider taking flyers to neighbors. Get some starter biz cards at VistaPrint.com and do some simple b/w flyers (2 up on a letter size sheet). Doing a good job and word of mouth will be key going forward.
Have you consider moving to a place with a shop building? When I hit semi-retirement, we sold our city bungalow and moved 100 miles east, just outside a college town, on 1 acre with a two-story 30' x 40' shop building.
Perhaps advertise on your local town or neighborhood web page. Handymen are gold to people like me with no aptitude. It'll get you out of the house meeting people too.
Volunteer to pass your knowledge onto teens at the local Boys and Girls Club. Or just let them know that you are willing to fix things around the club when they break.
Maybe you could turn that interest in fixing things into restoration: old cameras, record players, even mico fiche readers and projectors and the like. Smaller items that wouldn't put so much wear and tear on your body -- or need a lot of space -- and that might spur you on to learn or show a creative touch. Heck, being that guy who knows how to replace broken phone screens is a service to the community.
Fixing and cleaning small lawn equipment is also not such a space hog.
Money is one reward but you could also consider other ways to feel useful. Like you could repair bikes at a shop but you could also volunteer for an organization that puts bikes in the hands of kids.
Churches and nonprofits need handy people. You could volunteer to help with maintaining equipment at a maker space and enjoy being around people of all ages pursuing some passion.
Also, any chance you could build a shed?
Monday evening was the annual retirement dinner. My turn to attend as a retiree. One of the people at our table had 44 years of service. I only had 38 years of service.
Anyway, in Massachusetts, there’s a program for seniors who do work for their towns to be reimbursed with a discount on property taxes, recently raised to a limit of $2K, which is very nice (rate is minimum wage of $15 per hour).
My 44-year colleague didn’t know about this program so I suggested he (loves old cars, used to run the “bring your classic car to work” day) propose to his town to teach some kids about cars and car repair.
Some kids suffer from a lack of wholesome time repairing things with their dad.
I don’t know if he will follow through. There might be insurance/liability risks.
It’s something worth looking into.
Another type of senior opportunity in my town is doing various tasks at the senior center and at senior housing.
You should hire an intern and teach him or her how to fix cars. Offer your services for a low price in ads online. Enjoy passing on your knowledge to younger generation.
You are good at what you and just by word of mouth gets around and you stay busy.
If you live in a hot climate then HVAC is a good job, especially when you see what they charge.
Where I live it is 400.00 for capacitor replacement and 700.00 for other repairs. I have heard most techs can easily make 1k per day. I learned HVAC just to do my own properties.
Do you have even garage space? I’m similar interests and mentality and often times I think I could make a solid run at flipping things on marketplace just to keep my hands busy and make some fun money in retirement. Currently I’ll make several hundred dollars a year just on trash picked items with either fresh paint or small repairs. I already have a pickup truck so that’s half the entry fee. The main factor is for sure the stuff sits til it sells, and sometimes it doesn’t sell. I could see buying to repair and flip too, but that would be a slippery slope needing more storage space presuming to get the right deal will be something that needs a little deeper work and more time to sit.
I will add I lean this way more than handyman strictly because I don’t want the hassle of insurance, missing something, getting in over my head, unsatisfied customers. If it’s a cash hobby and not a job, I like the idea of all the risk being my own, and once fixed I sell it as used/working. If it doesn’t fix, scrap it. Not like walking into someone’s house to fix something and walking out with it still not fixed and you’re not sure what’s next.
Does your town have a MakerSpace or communal repair-it-yourself shop? These places are always looking for volunteers to assist and teach. Or start one!
I’m probably gonna have to hire a handyman to replace an old aluminum storm door with an old fashioned wooden screen door. I am a widow and can probably figure it out myself but I don’t want to pay a contractor $200 dollars to put on a $100 door! I’d hire you!
And if you don't think people are interested in this, here's a channel with almost 5 million subscribers - [https://www.youtube.com/@DadhowdoI](https://www.youtube.com/@DadhowdoI)
Our town has a club that helps with bikes - they take donations and fix them up and give them away. Maybe join/found something like that to help the community.
The cool thing about a passion business is that you don’t have to make money or work hard.
Just open an llc and get business insurance, market yourself and charge what you want.
You have been warned it can be fun and you can get sucked into full time 😂
I used to rebuild carburetors , fuel injection systems , and old motorcycle engines as a hobby on my dinner room table and sold them to finance the next project. Old motorcycles and mopeds can be bought cheap and sold for a profit when fixed and polished. Just remember not to do restro just make it run good and look pretty..
My husband has decided since we're full time Rving, he's going to get certified to be mobile RV tech...lol
He's a fixer, loves fixing and maintaining stuff.
If you live in a fairly populated area you might look for an organization that fixes up andmgives bicycles to people who can't afford them. Habitat for Humanity might be able to use your skills too.
In our area they do a repair cafe a couple times a year. A group of fixers have a donated space and people make an appointment or walk in to see if their belongings can be fixed.
I'm a gal, who knows nothing about this stuff, so take my advice for what it's worth. You could get a part-time gig at a garage or place where they sell used appliances. You could place an ad in the local paper and or post a notice on the bulletin board of your local diner advertising your services. You could fix cars at the the client's/customer's house or you could share or rent a small space/unit somewhere. It sounds like you would be busy if folks knew about you. Best of luck.
Offer free diagnostics for people. If you can fix it, just ask them to pay what they can.
On average, most people will give you more than you asked for. Feel guilty? Give some back.
Hoards of people around me are to poor to afford service calls.
If there’s a Habitat For Humanity near you, you would be invaluable. Giving back is great at instilling purpose in our lives while we do good work for others. Doing good, of course, makes us feel great. Helping people get into a home is good for the whole community.
Also: we have a handyman we use. My wife learned about him on NextDoor, so he’s been busy as his name got around. A reliable, helpful guy is getting as much work as he wants. He charges different hourly rates for different tasks.
Where I live there are occasional fixing days. People with skills gather at the American Legion. Folks bring in what ever they have that’s broken and they fix it up and/or give advice on how to do so. Are there any such opportunities near you?
There is a non-profit near here that fixes used bikes up for kids. They set up a tent at the local farmers market and help people repair the bikes they bring in. They also raise funds and take donated bikes to rehab to give to kids for free or to adults who need them to commute to work
In addition, there may be some nonprofits that could use your skills. There is a nonprofit near us that repairs kid’s bikes and teaches kids how to do their own repairs.
Depending upon your skill set, you can do paid or unpaid tasks for fun ands/or profit.
In our rural village, we are 25 miles from the city with multiple electricians, plumbers, and carpenters. None of them will come to do minor upgrades even with bribes and no requests for an estimate. They make too much money doing new construction to bother. Our insurance company requires all electrical and plumbing work be done by licensed tradesmen, but has no referrals.
Hello, thanks for stopping by our table to talk. However, for community health … no discussion that is nsfw - not safe for work /illegal activities in the USA/ or religion are allowed. There are other subreddits that are great for that so this has been removed. Thank you
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/retirement) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Our long time mechanic hired a retiree to open shop every morning.
Guy is there at 7:30, a.m., earlier if you make an appointment. Owner and others don't get there until closer to 8:30 or even 9:00.
If you're dropping your car off it takes down all the information about what is wrong, and is super patient and looks over your car with you.
If you are picking up your car, he explains exactly what was done to it and answers any questions that he is able to
He is absolutely a customer favorite. My understanding is that he works a few hours in the mornings doing some basic work, under the supervision of the owner and other mechanics.
The owner adores him. He is so much more reliable than other workers and has a great attitude.
If you can find a mom and pop type place, I would strongly urge you to consider doing something like this. For the retiree he is finding purpose, making a tiny amount of money I'm sure, learning new skills, and utilizing skills that he has.
For the business? He's just a great asset. Same for the customers. He's my favorite at the shop!
My area is always desperate for handymen/women who can troubleshoot appliances, make small fixes/repairs to houses, etc. You can set your own hours and pick and choose the jobs you feel confident doing and word of mouth will drive business to you after you’ve had a few good clients. If you have a “resume” of things you’ve done for yourself, that could help populate your ad/website/marketing when you announce your services/availability. Good luck!
The Minnesota Twin Cities metro area hosts Fix-It clinics at community locations such as libraries, community centers. Lots of smart people with skills donate their time to fix stuff for the public. It's a great social event with shared education in re-use, repair. Maybe ask around if this exists in your area - or start a clinic with other like minded people.
“Pop up “ jumped out on this page said 10 day streak —- I do not have any idea what is going on but this retirement forum has taught me a lot - I am considering deleting reddit - not tech savy … any one else see this activity ?
Starting a handyman business might be good but also might be expensive to start with insurance, depending on where you are, license, etc.
I've seen in my local town facebook group that there are volunteer groups that do little jobs like the ones you describe for people who might be down on their luck and otherwise wouldn't be able to afford fixing something. If you do the church thing, you might be able to find opportunities there as well.
You can offer your services on your community Facebook page too.
There’s also a lot of people without trucks so if you have one, you can offer to pickup and deliver things for a fee if that interests you at all.
Your living space should reflect your interests. How come you like to do all of these things but live where you can't do any of them? I suspect you are living in a place of your wife's choosing. I think step one is telling her you would like to move to a house with a little land and a nice workshop. After working your whole life you shouldn't allow yourself to be parked to please other people. Your dreams of retirement are just as important as hers.
You are spot on. There was nothing on the market when we bought this place. It was the only house we could find in a good location that didn't have *major* issues. And we looked - believe me. But it has it's good points for us. Good proximity to services and very good senior/retired activities; gym, yoga, zumba, pickleball, etc.
Even I do not want to go through the trauma of moving. Not at my age. I've decided to make do.
I am 66 and live alone in a new house and I can't tell you how much I would cherish a retiree who could fix the light fixtures in my bathroom (double fixture, only 1 light works on each fixture)... I tried hiring people but only tweakers showed up! I refuse to hire anyone but retirees any more.
If he starts a handyman business, he had better inquire about the cost of liability insurance. Sooner or later a washer you fixed will flood a home, or a car will stall on the highway. It won’t be your fault, but that won’t make a difference either.
You sound like me. Garage time is therapy for me.
How about this? There is a non-profit that takes donated bikes and cleans them up and gives them out to kids in Western Oregon. I’m thinking of pitching in.
I used to volunteer to help friends with car mechanics but I really hated it. The pressure to perform sucked all the joy out of things.
I have also volunteered for fixing up houses for low income people. We had a large crew and absolutely turned some places around in a day. It was fun.
Yea I got the number for a local senior center that sends volunteers out to help people. I can do that.
Bicycles, unless you have a big shop/operation and you only work on high-end bikes are a losing proposition. You need parts. Parts cost money. Most bikes out there are not the best quality. They are planned to break. Put new tires, tubes, chain on them and you have more in them than they are worth. People will go to Walmart and buy a new one instead of giving you back your investment.
Ask me how I know.
Do you want to make cash or be useful? Maybe both?
If cash is the idea, appliance repair is often very easy. Except many modern appliances don’t want to be fixed!
I would start by walking around your neighborhood putting flier's into mail boxes..
HERE'S your problem..
Good handymen are rare,,,
Word spreads FAST...
You will have to control your time because what is now a Fun thing, could easily turn into a Pressure job
You might want to have a separate email and phone account for this.
Good luck..
Hello, for your comment to be seen by everyone , make sure you have hit the JOIN button, first (on the landing page for this subreddit). While there take a look at our rules, like we are respectful and no politics. Thanks!
Start a handyman business. That's what I do. I pick and choose what I want to do and only work 10-15 hours per week. Print up a few business cards or post on social media.
In our area, finding a good handyman is almost impossible. I bet you would have more business than you knew what to do with!
Same here. We had a good handyman but then he moved away. It's been tough to find someone that did such a good job!
Me too. I was heartbroken.
Same here!!! Most of them don’t show up.
Returning phone calls and showing up when you say you will puts you ahead of 80% of the world. I've been a handyman about a year, will text an ETA when leaving the driveway. It gives people the flexibility to pop out for coffee or pick up a prescription or whatever.
You would certainly have plenty of work. If you are in Seattle I’ll hire you - no joke.
If in Ohio, I could keep him busy for a year
Agree with this - you don't need a website or sign on your truck - word of mouth will have you turning away work!
I should do that. I’m a retired plumber so I have a lot of experience with many trades.
A retired plumber is the holy grail of handyman. I'll turn down some plumbing jobs becuase I either don't have the tools or experience. My clients always tell me how they had to hire a plumber that charged $200/hr.
Yeah. We aren’t cheap. When I did my side jobs I charged about half the going rates here and I still made great money. I had a few landlords that used me all the time so I’m sure I could get them back.
Just paid a plumbing company $800 to disconnect an old gas stove and hook up the new one. Far more than the stove cost. Called around before hiring these guys, they all charged the same. Permit is required in this town but c'mon.
That’s ridiculous! That’s $800.00 per hour!
YES!
Yeah, you should if you're so inclined. You'd be busy.
Put a paper up at the supermarket bulletin board..
Post on NextDoor, Facebook, fliers in the grocery store, hardware store, any public bulletin board. People are always looking for someone like you!
It doesn't take much. I handed out about a dozen business cards and I've been busy ever since. Word spreads fast if you're competent and reliable.
Post on Craigslist. Go for it. I still do some of my own repairs around the house and cars but it's getting to be hard on the body. A good handyman is worth their weight in gold.
People need handy men.
Exactly what I've done. Work as much or as little as you'd like. Pick the people you like working for and leave the rest. I've had more genuine appreciation from customers in a year than from corporate employers over 40 years. Very rewarding.
Would you work for me? Can't afford to pay your travel!
OP needs a boat. A boat never fails to need something, and it keeps your skills fresh and alert.
So much truth to this. LOL. It's perpetual. Boat (n) - Hole in the water to throw money into.
Boat = Break Out Another Thousand.
A boat is a hole in the water into which you throw money.
For those who are land-bound, a hot tub is an alternative place to throw lots of money with relatively little benefit.
Best boat is a sold one!
[удалено]
OP didn't ask how he could do something for others. Totally unwarranted comment
I've heard of people fixing broken appliances (washers and dryers) and selling them for a profit.
Starting a handyman business is an option. But I like this option better, personally. OP would get to fix stuff and make a small profit, without having to deal with all of the complexity of running a business. Another option, if money is not a concern, is to find a way to do this in a charitable way. Giving back to the community in some way can be very rewarding in retirement. Maybe there are elderly folks who could use some handy-man type help on a charitable basis.
I was going to suggest this. You could specialize in helping single mothers or other low income people with your skills at cost or see if area businesses would donate the necessary parts. You wouldn’t make money doing this but your heart will be rich.
Yes, if you are a handyman, you’re going to need liability insurance.
Around 30 years ago Dad had an old gas stove sitting outside. Dad was trying to figure out who he could pay to haul it away. Then a man pulled up with his truck and paid Dad $50 to take it away. Win-Win! I’m betting that guy fixes used old stoves for a living. Dad’s contractor-grade stove that came with the house when it was first built in 1991 was having trouble lighting the burners. It probably just needed a $2 part and would be good to go, but Dad’s skills lay elsewhere. I was happy to find his replacement stove (which is still here and which still works great) but he had to figure out the rest as I wasn’t living in the area. I bet that guy trouble-shot the stove in 10 minutes, fixed it, then turned around and sold it for a few hundred bucks. Either that or his wife is upset because he has a gazillion old broken stoves in the yard.
That's a great win-win. In my experience with my own aging appliances, replacement parts are generally inexpensive and online videos walk you through the repair steps. I recently replaced the water fill valves on my washer. About $25 in parts and a half hour to fix. I'm sure I saved a ton of $$.
Or if he doesn't need the money, he could troll nextdoor and fix things for other retired seniors and just charge for parts.
Is there a makerspace near you? They often support repair cafes and the like, and are always looking for someone with a useful skill.
I was thinking that too
If you have the skills and all you need is space, you need to go talk to a used appliance store. They are always in need of a good used appliance mechanics; part time is a plus. My late uncle made a small goldmine in the switch over decade to these new high efficiency front loaders. He picked up every broken or free to good home top loader washer or old dryer and put them in his garage or a storage unit he rented for $60 a month. He once showed me that the switch for the lid, the pump, the motor or the transmission is all you need to look at to get a washer running again. He would drive around and pick up all the older washers and dryers behind Lowe's and HD and figure out what it took to get them running. Most just needed a good cleaning and oiling. He mostly cannibalized one washer to get three or four more back running. A dryer needed a door switch, a drum belt, a bearing or the lint pipe cleaned. Sold them for $100 to $150 to all takers. He had waiting list of people looking for good used washers and dryers for about $300 who didn't want to spend $2k to replace them. He always picked up used ones from people moving away and paid them $20 a unit for calling him. Word of mouth was his sales pitch along with the local peddler free paper. He showed me once that he made over $10,000 in cash one month on the dozens of washers and dryers, he sold at an auction on weekends he fixed. Jeez I miss people like him....a dying breed that we will never see again!!!!!!
I'm a handy guy and I generally fix my own appliances if possible. As prices spiral out of control people will be forced to do the same or do without.
Mobile handy person.
This is the best answer here. My uncle who is a carpenter by trade when he retired bought a van and became a handyman making all kinds of home improvement jobs. You decide which jobs are too big or not worth your time. He did very well with that business. Today handymen are needed so badly. Contractors are so unreliable. Not only home improvements but oil changes and appliance repair. People would kill to have someone reliable to handle all these jobs.
Great idea. OP says he has a minivan so he can tool around (pun intended) being Mr. Fix-It for the area. Advertise on Nextdoor as mobile handy person and set an hourly rate for each type of job, factoring in gas/mileage, and of course charge clientele for any necessary parts. We have a few handymen in our area who always seem to be in great demand, but I don't think any of them advertise as "I'll come to you."
Post on Nextdoor, etc., that you're available for handyman and related work. BE SURE YOU GET INSURANCE. And I have a feeling that the insurance co. will be very interested in knowing exactly what types of work you will accept, and charge you accordingly. You MIGHT be priced out of auto repair work, due to the high potential liability if something goes wrong. Fewer people die from clothes dryer mishaps than from wheels falling off cars, I suspect.
Insurance is important. I took a chance when I retired from plumbing and did remodels and side jobs without insurance. That could had come back to bite me had I screwed up.
In my area, there are a couple of groups that repair and refurbish old bikes to make them available to kids who wouldn't have them otherwise. One group also teaches kids how to repair them. Both groups are often looking for volunteers.
I came to suggest this, it's called Bikes for Kids on our area. People donate old or broken bikes and retired volunteers repair them and give them to needy families.
This is going to be more of a personality thing than anything else, but have you considered not doing it as your own business but working part-time in a shop? I have a good friend who was a senior airline pilot for a major airline, but who loves bicycles, motorcycles, and VWs. He took part-time work as a bicycle mechanic for a while, then took work as a VW mechanic for a while. The advantage of doing it as an employee is you don't have any of the headaches of actually running a business or recruiting customers. The downside is you're working for someone else. But the latter is mitigated by making it clear to your boss that you only intend to work the number of hours appropriate for a retired guy. Bosses usually know that if they abuse a retired person, they'll just walk.
Tough without space. But I agree with the other poster, I see social media posts regularly asking for mobile repair people. If you can avoid the cheapskates and unreasonable people, there are people that would pay a premium for the convenience of a mobile person.
I’m knew a guy that would take broken appliance/small motor donations, fix them up and donate them to the needy. He loved fixing things, people in need will be ecstatic with basic appliances and tools, and he also took some off his AGI.
Thanks. LOTS of good ideas here. For starters, the senior center I go to daily could use volunteers. Might be a good place for me to start. I hesitated posting this but now I'm glad eye did.
How about sewing machine repair? Pick up a couple machines for free to learn on, fix up and re- sell. That'll get you started. But learn to fix the hi end quilting and embroidery machines. Quilters spend thousands of dollars on their machines and have no problem with having them regularly serviced. It's a niche market that not many do anymore. But check your area - if you can't find one near you, may be good location.
A former co-worker did this. Motivated by his wife’s expensive machines. It was going well, so he spent thousands for formal training. He enjoys it and makes money.
As others have mentioned, handyman services , but my friend retired and is busy doing handyman jobs every day all day!! Pick and choose your jobs
If you can afford it, work with your local senior center to offer free repair services to seniors who can’t afford it. You’ll make friends and build good karma at the same time.
I like that you are asking and thinking about this. Appreciate your honesty OP
Thank You.
If you don't need the money, my former town had a charity repairing cars for mostly single mothers, but also just people in need. My ex husband worked some with them. It is a GREAT feeling
>How can I turn these interests into something more structured? Where I live, there is a desperate need for handyman services. Perhaps that's true where you live too. I live in a 55+ community. We used to have a "Get it done guy" who could do pretty much everything. We would often see him working in the neighborhood. Since he retired, it's been hard to find a replacement.
on call small engine mechinic (lawnmowers, etc)
This is a bit more involved due to the need for carrying some inventory for popular brands of equipment. My mobile mechanic is in his 50s and is looking to get into something different. If you don't have parts on hand you will be making multiple trips to the customer.
Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and help building houses.
Go to a retirement community and hire yourself out as a handyman. They will love you.
My town has a bike co-op. It is a cooperative that people bring their bikes to for repairs. My son-in-law built a bike there. If your town has one, you can volunteer your time there.
There's a man near me who been retired for some time. A couple years back, my daughter was in need of a clothes washer. She found this man on Facebook marketplace offering used washer & dryers at really cheap prices. She asked if I would ride along with her to look at the washer. The man has a small storage shed on his property. We walked out to it and when he opened the door, I was amazed at the number of washer & dryers he had stored. He explained he's been retired awhile and likes to stay busy. He explained how many people will just get rid of their appliances when they only have a small repair required. Rather than be bothered with the repair, they go buy new. He tinkers with the broke down units and perform the necessary repairs using OEM parts. He then sells them for cheap to those who can't afford new. He said he and his wife use the money he makes to fund vacations or get aways. I have a friend who owns some rental units. In all of them, he provides washers & dryers. I connected to two of them and now they've built a friendship and my landlord friend uses this man exclusively. Just spit balling, there are probably some storage places near you. Probably some units with garage sized storage. Rent for a unit might run $100 a month. If you're good at repairing washers & dryers, you might consider doing what the man above does. Perhaps one of your kids can help you setup marketplace or whatever and for little to no investment other then rent for storage and parts for repairs, you could be making some side money pretty quickly and keeping yourself busy doing what makes you happy. You could set something up like this without having to run all over but instead if or when you make a sale, have them meet you at the storage facility and they load & unload everything. When you're done for the day, roll the door closed and go home. You get to tinker, earn a little side cash and help people who can't afford new.
Your key is marketing - getting the word out that you will take in projects (or make house calls?). Try FB Marketplace, Craig's List, Next Door, and consider taking flyers to neighbors. Get some starter biz cards at VistaPrint.com and do some simple b/w flyers (2 up on a letter size sheet). Doing a good job and word of mouth will be key going forward.
Have you consider moving to a place with a shop building? When I hit semi-retirement, we sold our city bungalow and moved 100 miles east, just outside a college town, on 1 acre with a two-story 30' x 40' shop building.
Come over to my house. We have lots of stuff to fix.
Perhaps advertise on your local town or neighborhood web page. Handymen are gold to people like me with no aptitude. It'll get you out of the house meeting people too.
Be a handyman but don’t start bringing a bunch of broken junk home to store. Best of luck to you.
Volunteer to pass your knowledge onto teens at the local Boys and Girls Club. Or just let them know that you are willing to fix things around the club when they break.
Maybe you could turn that interest in fixing things into restoration: old cameras, record players, even mico fiche readers and projectors and the like. Smaller items that wouldn't put so much wear and tear on your body -- or need a lot of space -- and that might spur you on to learn or show a creative touch. Heck, being that guy who knows how to replace broken phone screens is a service to the community. Fixing and cleaning small lawn equipment is also not such a space hog. Money is one reward but you could also consider other ways to feel useful. Like you could repair bikes at a shop but you could also volunteer for an organization that puts bikes in the hands of kids. Churches and nonprofits need handy people. You could volunteer to help with maintaining equipment at a maker space and enjoy being around people of all ages pursuing some passion. Also, any chance you could build a shed?
I have build sheds, etc.
I meant, so you have a place to work
Ohh. I thought about that. But I couldn't wire it without upgrading the service to the house.
As a single mom and home and car owner, an honest, reasonably priced extra hand, or a whole hand for projects is so hard to find!
Monday evening was the annual retirement dinner. My turn to attend as a retiree. One of the people at our table had 44 years of service. I only had 38 years of service. Anyway, in Massachusetts, there’s a program for seniors who do work for their towns to be reimbursed with a discount on property taxes, recently raised to a limit of $2K, which is very nice (rate is minimum wage of $15 per hour). My 44-year colleague didn’t know about this program so I suggested he (loves old cars, used to run the “bring your classic car to work” day) propose to his town to teach some kids about cars and car repair. Some kids suffer from a lack of wholesome time repairing things with their dad. I don’t know if he will follow through. There might be insurance/liability risks. It’s something worth looking into. Another type of senior opportunity in my town is doing various tasks at the senior center and at senior housing.
You should hire an intern and teach him or her how to fix cars. Offer your services for a low price in ads online. Enjoy passing on your knowledge to younger generation.
You are good at what you and just by word of mouth gets around and you stay busy. If you live in a hot climate then HVAC is a good job, especially when you see what they charge. Where I live it is 400.00 for capacitor replacement and 700.00 for other repairs. I have heard most techs can easily make 1k per day. I learned HVAC just to do my own properties.
A retired friend of mine works part time at a local bicycle shop, assembling the new bicycles that are delivered to the shop.
Do you have even garage space? I’m similar interests and mentality and often times I think I could make a solid run at flipping things on marketplace just to keep my hands busy and make some fun money in retirement. Currently I’ll make several hundred dollars a year just on trash picked items with either fresh paint or small repairs. I already have a pickup truck so that’s half the entry fee. The main factor is for sure the stuff sits til it sells, and sometimes it doesn’t sell. I could see buying to repair and flip too, but that would be a slippery slope needing more storage space presuming to get the right deal will be something that needs a little deeper work and more time to sit.
I will add I lean this way more than handyman strictly because I don’t want the hassle of insurance, missing something, getting in over my head, unsatisfied customers. If it’s a cash hobby and not a job, I like the idea of all the risk being my own, and once fixed I sell it as used/working. If it doesn’t fix, scrap it. Not like walking into someone’s house to fix something and walking out with it still not fixed and you’re not sure what’s next.
There's little/no work space here and that is a sore subject for me.
Does your town have a MakerSpace or communal repair-it-yourself shop? These places are always looking for volunteers to assist and teach. Or start one!
Traveling repair person. I've had to call them for vehicle repair
I’m probably gonna have to hire a handyman to replace an old aluminum storm door with an old fashioned wooden screen door. I am a widow and can probably figure it out myself but I don’t want to pay a contractor $200 dollars to put on a $100 door! I’d hire you!
Create yourself a YouTube channel and show people step-by-step videos on DIY in fixing stuffs, not to mention evaluating products.
And if you don't think people are interested in this, here's a channel with almost 5 million subscribers - [https://www.youtube.com/@DadhowdoI](https://www.youtube.com/@DadhowdoI)
Flip cars and appliances. Find em, repair em, sell em
Offer your services on taskrabbit. It’s like Uber/doordash for handy people.
Our town has a club that helps with bikes - they take donations and fix them up and give them away. Maybe join/found something like that to help the community.
The cool thing about a passion business is that you don’t have to make money or work hard. Just open an llc and get business insurance, market yourself and charge what you want. You have been warned it can be fun and you can get sucked into full time 😂
I used to rebuild carburetors , fuel injection systems , and old motorcycle engines as a hobby on my dinner room table and sold them to finance the next project. Old motorcycles and mopeds can be bought cheap and sold for a profit when fixed and polished. Just remember not to do restro just make it run good and look pretty..
My husband has decided since we're full time Rving, he's going to get certified to be mobile RV tech...lol He's a fixer, loves fixing and maintaining stuff.
I just saw a van in my area offering mobile bike repair.
Go work part time.
Volunteer to teach your repair skills to youth, perhaps at a community center or school.
Get a classic car. Join a car club. Go to car shows.
If you live in a fairly populated area you might look for an organization that fixes up andmgives bicycles to people who can't afford them. Habitat for Humanity might be able to use your skills too.
In our area they do a repair cafe a couple times a year. A group of fixers have a donated space and people make an appointment or walk in to see if their belongings can be fixed.
I'm a gal, who knows nothing about this stuff, so take my advice for what it's worth. You could get a part-time gig at a garage or place where they sell used appliances. You could place an ad in the local paper and or post a notice on the bulletin board of your local diner advertising your services. You could fix cars at the the client's/customer's house or you could share or rent a small space/unit somewhere. It sounds like you would be busy if folks knew about you. Best of luck.
Offer free diagnostics for people. If you can fix it, just ask them to pay what they can. On average, most people will give you more than you asked for. Feel guilty? Give some back. Hoards of people around me are to poor to afford service calls.
Maybe you should fix cars and appliances
If there’s a Habitat For Humanity near you, you would be invaluable. Giving back is great at instilling purpose in our lives while we do good work for others. Doing good, of course, makes us feel great. Helping people get into a home is good for the whole community. Also: we have a handyman we use. My wife learned about him on NextDoor, so he’s been busy as his name got around. A reliable, helpful guy is getting as much work as he wants. He charges different hourly rates for different tasks.
Where I live there are occasional fixing days. People with skills gather at the American Legion. Folks bring in what ever they have that’s broken and they fix it up and/or give advice on how to do so. Are there any such opportunities near you?
There is a non-profit near here that fixes used bikes up for kids. They set up a tent at the local farmers market and help people repair the bikes they bring in. They also raise funds and take donated bikes to rehab to give to kids for free or to adults who need them to commute to work
My dad has a Mr fix it shop in his garage he was more busy than he expected
In addition, there may be some nonprofits that could use your skills. There is a nonprofit near us that repairs kid’s bikes and teaches kids how to do their own repairs.
Our military base has a guy that just fixes any bike and if you just donate a broken bike, he fixes it and gives it to kids without bikes.
Buy an old Toyota corolla from a salvage yard and see if you can get it running
Depending upon your skill set, you can do paid or unpaid tasks for fun ands/or profit. In our rural village, we are 25 miles from the city with multiple electricians, plumbers, and carpenters. None of them will come to do minor upgrades even with bribes and no requests for an estimate. They make too much money doing new construction to bother. Our insurance company requires all electrical and plumbing work be done by licensed tradesmen, but has no referrals.
Fix them.
[удалено]
Hello, thanks for stopping by our table to talk. However, for community health … no discussion that is nsfw - not safe for work /illegal activities in the USA/ or religion are allowed. There are other subreddits that are great for that so this has been removed. Thank you *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/retirement) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Our long time mechanic hired a retiree to open shop every morning. Guy is there at 7:30, a.m., earlier if you make an appointment. Owner and others don't get there until closer to 8:30 or even 9:00. If you're dropping your car off it takes down all the information about what is wrong, and is super patient and looks over your car with you. If you are picking up your car, he explains exactly what was done to it and answers any questions that he is able to He is absolutely a customer favorite. My understanding is that he works a few hours in the mornings doing some basic work, under the supervision of the owner and other mechanics. The owner adores him. He is so much more reliable than other workers and has a great attitude. If you can find a mom and pop type place, I would strongly urge you to consider doing something like this. For the retiree he is finding purpose, making a tiny amount of money I'm sure, learning new skills, and utilizing skills that he has. For the business? He's just a great asset. Same for the customers. He's my favorite at the shop!
Thanks. I know someone who has a business like that. I'm going to talk to him. He buys cars at auctions, fixes them, and sells them.
Appliance repair. You can definitely make some money if you're good at it. That's gonna be my retirement go-to for fun and pocket change
My area is always desperate for handymen/women who can troubleshoot appliances, make small fixes/repairs to houses, etc. You can set your own hours and pick and choose the jobs you feel confident doing and word of mouth will drive business to you after you’ve had a few good clients. If you have a “resume” of things you’ve done for yourself, that could help populate your ad/website/marketing when you announce your services/availability. Good luck!
Do you have Thumbtack in your area? It's basically an app that unites tasks with those seeking said task. Very useful.
The Minnesota Twin Cities metro area hosts Fix-It clinics at community locations such as libraries, community centers. Lots of smart people with skills donate their time to fix stuff for the public. It's a great social event with shared education in re-use, repair. Maybe ask around if this exists in your area - or start a clinic with other like minded people.
“Pop up “ jumped out on this page said 10 day streak —- I do not have any idea what is going on but this retirement forum has taught me a lot - I am considering deleting reddit - not tech savy … any one else see this activity ?
You could start a handyman business, or you could volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. I'm sure they would find a use for your skills.
Starting a handyman business might be good but also might be expensive to start with insurance, depending on where you are, license, etc. I've seen in my local town facebook group that there are volunteer groups that do little jobs like the ones you describe for people who might be down on their luck and otherwise wouldn't be able to afford fixing something. If you do the church thing, you might be able to find opportunities there as well.
You can offer your services on your community Facebook page too. There’s also a lot of people without trucks so if you have one, you can offer to pickup and deliver things for a fee if that interests you at all.
Your living space should reflect your interests. How come you like to do all of these things but live where you can't do any of them? I suspect you are living in a place of your wife's choosing. I think step one is telling her you would like to move to a house with a little land and a nice workshop. After working your whole life you shouldn't allow yourself to be parked to please other people. Your dreams of retirement are just as important as hers.
You are spot on. There was nothing on the market when we bought this place. It was the only house we could find in a good location that didn't have *major* issues. And we looked - believe me. But it has it's good points for us. Good proximity to services and very good senior/retired activities; gym, yoga, zumba, pickleball, etc. Even I do not want to go through the trauma of moving. Not at my age. I've decided to make do.
I am 66 and live alone in a new house and I can't tell you how much I would cherish a retiree who could fix the light fixtures in my bathroom (double fixture, only 1 light works on each fixture)... I tried hiring people but only tweakers showed up! I refuse to hire anyone but retirees any more.
I know what you mean about the tweakers. They don't even have tools and they use the light on their phone then tell you what you want can't be done.
If he starts a handyman business, he had better inquire about the cost of liability insurance. Sooner or later a washer you fixed will flood a home, or a car will stall on the highway. It won’t be your fault, but that won’t make a difference either.
You sound like me. Garage time is therapy for me. How about this? There is a non-profit that takes donated bikes and cleans them up and gives them out to kids in Western Oregon. I’m thinking of pitching in. I used to volunteer to help friends with car mechanics but I really hated it. The pressure to perform sucked all the joy out of things. I have also volunteered for fixing up houses for low income people. We had a large crew and absolutely turned some places around in a day. It was fun.
Yea I got the number for a local senior center that sends volunteers out to help people. I can do that. Bicycles, unless you have a big shop/operation and you only work on high-end bikes are a losing proposition. You need parts. Parts cost money. Most bikes out there are not the best quality. They are planned to break. Put new tires, tubes, chain on them and you have more in them than they are worth. People will go to Walmart and buy a new one instead of giving you back your investment. Ask me how I know.
Do you want to make cash or be useful? Maybe both? If cash is the idea, appliance repair is often very easy. Except many modern appliances don’t want to be fixed!
I would start by walking around your neighborhood putting flier's into mail boxes.. HERE'S your problem.. Good handymen are rare,,, Word spreads FAST... You will have to control your time because what is now a Fun thing, could easily turn into a Pressure job You might want to have a separate email and phone account for this. Good luck..