Woman rents out her 'handyman' husband to do odd jobs and he's booked for weeks

Laura Young knew quite well how good her husband James is when it comes to general DIY, painting, decorating, tiling and carpet installation. So when the couple needed to come up with a solution for managing the expenses of their three children—two of whom have autism—after James quit his job to become a full-time dad, Laura had the brilliant idea of launching a handyman business called Rent My Handy Husband. While James works on the labor side of the business, mounting televisions and hanging drapes for people who need his help, Laura manages the social media accounts and their website. Now, the two are so popular that they have to often decline jobs because they're so overbooked. "I never expected it to take off as much as it has," Laura told Southwest News Service, per New York Post.

James, 42, is already booked through the entire month of November with projects that pay him $44 per hour and around $280 per day. So far, he has performed a variety of odd jobs for people who hire him for his handyman skills. "We've only been going four months and it got to a point where there was so much work coming in that James was working six days a week. We've had to start turning jobs down and reduce our hours, so now we do Monday to Friday 9 am-5 pm," she said, per Daily Mail.

James' first paid gig was in January this year after Laura got the idea for Rent My Handy Husband from a podcast that talked about a man whose profession was to assemble furniture for other people. "The first customer needed a door frame replaced and then from there I just had people enquiring on the Facebook page. It went from regular flatpack to so much more, like laying a carpet and rebuilding a wall," she revealed.

Today, their business has grown dramatically to the point where they are even receiving requests from people who live more than 150 miles away. "We even had requests as far as Manchester, to which we told them it may be more practical to find someone closer due to the extra costs, but of course, we would have done it," she said.

James had been working at a warehouse prior to the start of "Rent My Handy Husband." He left his job to be a full-time dad to their three kids. James, who was himself given an autism diagnosis about four years ago, has always loved building and creating things, so Laura "thought this would be something he could accomplish." "He's really good at building things and doesn't bother with the instructions," she explained.

"James doesn't come from a trade background but his grandad was a nuclear engineer, and they think he was also on the spectrum," she continued. "He's got a very methodical mind and can think outside the box. He sees things differently."

Despite his busy schedule, James intends to serve his community over the Christmas season by providing light installations both inside and outside the home. Discounts are also available for those who work in the National Health Service and emergency services, as well as people over 65, disabled folks, and caregivers. "We know what it's like to be parents of children with special needs," Laura said. "We've known what it's like to struggle for money or have to save."