Home Maintenance
Plan maintenance, compare written estimates, check contractor qualifications, and understand permits, payment schedules, and warranties before work begins.
Maintenance and repairs
Home & Car Maintenance
Practical starting points for routine maintenance, planning repairs, hiring qualified help, and caring for your home and vehicle independently.
Describe the problem
Write down what you notice, when it started, and whether it is getting worse before requesting estimates.
Compare qualified help
Check licensing where applicable, insurance, references, written estimates, warranties, and payment terms.
Protect your safety
Leave electrical, gas, structural, roofing, vehicle lifting, and other hazardous work to appropriately qualified professionals.
Car Maintenance
Compare repair shops, request a written diagnosis and estimate, ask about parts and labor warranties, and consider a second opinion for expensive or complicated work.
Resources
Home and car repair resources
Use these public guidance and commercial discovery resources when planning work or evaluating a contractor, mechanic, or repair shop.
Avoid home improvement scams
Federal Trade Commission guidance for recognizing warning signs, comparing contractors, and protecting your payments.
Read the FTC guidanceHUD home improvements
Official information about home repairs, improvement programs, financing considerations, and consumer protection.
Visit hud.govAngi (formerly Angie's List)
A commercial marketplace for researching local home-service professionals, reading customer reviews, and requesting quotes. Compare estimates and independently verify licensing, insurance, references, and warranties before hiring.
Explore AngiAuto repair basics
Federal Trade Commission guidance for choosing a repair shop, reviewing estimates, understanding charges, and protecting repair warranties.
Read the FTC guidanceAAA Approved Auto Repair
Find nearby repair facilities inspected by AAA. Compare estimates and independently confirm technician qualifications, warranties, and membership requirements before scheduling service.
Find an approved repair facilityVideos
Worth watching
YouTube videos selected by the Thriving Solo authors for helpful ideas, practical education, and thoughtful perspectives.
Helpful videos selected by our authors will appear here.
Recommendations by location
Signed-in members can use the comments below to recommend repair professionals, mechanics, and repair shops by location. Share the type of work and your general experience, but do not post private addresses, phone numbers, invoices, account details, or other sensitive information.
Comments
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