A house is the biggest investment most people will ever make. Caring for it and maintaining it properly will help to increase its value and protect your investment. There is a lot to know to maintain a home, and it takes time to perform all the routine maintenance. If you don’t know how, or don’t want to spend your nights and weekends vacuuming dust out of your furnace or changing filters, we offer a scheduled maintenance plan.

Our annual scheduled maintenance plan is a great way to ensure your home is being maintained. For a one-time payment–or monthly recurring credit card payments–we’ll make 4 service visits to your home over the year to perform the services listed below.

The cost of the plan is dependent on the size and complexity of your home, but is generally around $99/month and several payment options are available.

 

 

 

Winter

mid February
inspect and clean furnace
replace furnace air filter
clean lint out of dryer and vent hose
clean dishwasher and filter
clean garbage disposal
scrub out laundry washer
inspect and test smoke/CO detectors, change batteries
vacuum refrigerator coils
change refrigerator water filter

Spring

mid May
inspect and clean furnace
replace furnace air filter
clean lint out of dryer and vent hose
clean dishwasher and filter
clean garbage disposal
scrub out laundry washer
drain and flush water heater (for an additional fee)

Summer

mid August
inspect and clean furnace
replace furnace air filter
clean lint out of dryer and vent hose
clean dishwasher and filter
clean garbage disposal
scrub out laundry washer
inspect and test smoke/CO detectors, change batteries
vacuum refrigerator coils
change refrigerator water filter
pressure wash house for an additional fee (based on size of home)

Fall

mid November
inspect and clean furnace
replace furnace air filter
clean lint out of dryer and vent hose
clean dishwasher and filter
clean garbage disposal
scrub out laundry washer
replace pad in whole-house humidifier

The fine print
We do not offer discounts or credits if not all services in the package are needed or used.
Package can not be modified, and services can not be substituted for other services.
Pricing listed is for a typical home. Your pricing will be confirmed during a home walk-through by an estimator.
Filters must be available at local Home Depot to be included. Some specialty filters are subject to an upcharge.
Built-in refrigerators may not have their compressor coils cleaned if the coils are not easily accessible.

 


 

 

I didn’t realize how many small annoyances about my house I had come to accept until Lightning walked through it with me and offered to fix them all. The broken drywall behind the door knob, the sagging step on the porch, the green mildew on the front siding, the door that didn’t close all the way...even the ugly plastic grocery bag that has been stuck in a tree branch for the past 3 years. House Specialties took care of all of it and more. I feel a real sense of relief and even joy as I walk around my house and things work. The House Specialties team respected our family and home, communicated well, and did great work.

David Sandell, Skokie, IL

House Specialties tackled my "to do list" with ease, precision, and care. The quality of work exemplified fine craftsmanship throughout the entire time they worked on the projects. While the work was being done I was kept apprised and asked for input or clarification. When the projects were complete, House Specialties cleaned up thoroughly. Another plus, House Specialties was prompt on the job, communicated digitally alerting me of the time of arrival. I highly recommend House Specialties for home improvement projects, and will call them again when more work needs to be done. This company follows COVID 19 protocol.

Patricia Tomich, Evanston, IL

This was literally the best experience I've had with any handyman/contractor. They came out and talked me through several options (correcting some SERIOUS issues that my home inspector uncovered when we bought the place), offering suggestions that made my ideas better. They were prompt with everything and really patient as I kept flip-flopping on the work to be done (we probably had 3-4 revisions to the quote). I like the easy-to-use online platform they use for all the quotes, notifications, invoicing, etc. Most of the contractors I've used in the past who say something like, "Eh...it's about $1,500 of work" and that's the quote...they write it on a pad of paper and that's the invoice. These guys are professional, but also personable and available.

Jeremy E, Chicago, IL

What a great day of getting a whole list of projects taken care of by the team from House Specialties. Work included: long overdue tile grouting in two bathrooms; various electrical issues solved; vacuuming out and replacement of a gable vent that had been damaged by birds; and a few other jobs that had been on our list for a while. Hard-working, cleaned up after themselves, and checked in with us when they noticed something we hadn't mentioned, or had an idea of how to save us a little money along the way.  When it comes time to sell our home, this is absolutely the team that will get us ready for listing!
(Appropriate COVID-19 measures in place the entire time Lightning and Mike were in our home.)

Eileen Heineman, Skokie, IL

As we were preparing to put our house on the market, we contacted House Specialties and bought their “pre-listing package.” We were shocked by the huge difference power washing made in the overall appearance of the house—it absolutely sparkles. We are delighted that when a prospective buyer pulls up, they will have an overall impression of an attractive, well-maintained house. It won’t be a “wow, it’s been power washed” response, but rather “this is a nice looking, well-maintained house.” The floor plan creation was also great – prospective buyers can only get so much information from pictures – a floor plan augments the pictures with facts. Throughout the process the professionals at House Specialists were responsive to our needs and very easy to work with. We’ll be using their services at our new home.

Jane A, Skokie, IL

Attention to detail. That’s what this company is great at. They built custom wooden framing at my storefront office to support digital signage in my front windows. Their carpentry work was rock solid and perfect down to the 1/8 of an inch, and the paint job looked like a custom car. They accommodated my schedule and worked with masks on for two days in the heat. They were quiet and respectful of our ongoing business and beyond clean. When they left my office was cleaner than when they arrived! Two thumbs up for House Specialties.

I highly recommend and will be using Lightning and crew again & again.

Steven Schwartz, Niles, IL

We hired Lightning and his crew to relocate a crowded electrical box in our basement. They did a fantastic job of rerouting the conduit and working around all the other mechanicals. The job took two days, and they let us know in advance that several circuits were going to be disconnected overnight. Before they left at the end of the first day they ran extension cords to power our basement freezer and other essential items. It’s that consideration, and the quality of the work, that makes me recommend House Specialties without hesitation.

Jim Hart, Skokie, IL