I thought I would share an experience I’m having with everyone and perhaps others can benefit from it.
I finally took the plunge and hired an Amish carpenter to do some of the work on the remaining 3 homes I need to fix up. Unless you have used one of these guys before, you cannot believe the quality of work they produce and the speed at which they do it. This guy eats lunch WHILE he works, shows up when he says he will, and best of all, follows my directions. The time I save by him not smoking and me only having to give directions once would be enough for me to hire him. The cuts he makes simply by eye and hand are better than what I can do on my (very expensive) 12" compound miter saw. He just finished a covered entry porch for a home and the fit and finish of his work is amazing. The best part of all is that the work was done in 2.5 days by one guy while the mh “contractor” I’ve been using takes 3 days with 2 helpers to do the same job and then I have to go around and pick up their cig butts.
If you are anywhere near an Amish colony (and they are in many more places than you may think), just go up to one of them and ask if they know someone who does carpentry work. Their families are huge and they always know of someone who is looking for work. Any kind of swearing or foul language is not tolerated by them. Forget about electrical work and plumbing is problematic for them. I’m trying to see if he is willing to learn how to use PEX and then I’ll give him all those jobs. They manage to work out their own transportation solutions but giving them a ride is something they appreciate.
One added benefit is that I will laminate a sign to put outside the home saying everything is Amish built. That carries a lot of weight in this area and is certainly not something any other park can boast.
Rolf
Wheat Hill