While growing up, my family would only call a plumber, carpenter or other tradesman as a last resort. My engineer father was very handy, and made sure that his four kids all knew how to (properly) hold and swing a hammer, an ax, or whatever tool was necessary to do their part in getting the job done. I think I learned how to use a slide rule before a ruler.

Years later, when my husband and I were juggling work and four kids of our own, we found it much more challenging to find the time and energy to do everything ourselves. We would do what we could, but were much more willing to call for professional assistance when something needed fixing. As much as I felt funny about hiring someone to do a job I thought I could tackle myself, it sure was nice not to have to worry about it.

As our kids grew older and more independent, I had more time for DIY projects, but also wanted to find something outside the home to call my own. I thought of going back to my former profession as an international transportation consultant, but the required travel made that impossible. I tried other jobs, from a cosmetics rep to a Spanish language translator in hospitals and courtrooms, but didn’t find the right fit of work and home life.  

I started to notice opportunities around the South Shore where someone with a can-do attitude could help others manage their busy lives better: realtor friends scrambling to get a house ready for a showing or a sale; ice dams on the eaves of the houses of “snowbirds” gone for the winter; etc. I started thinking about what I really liked to do, and what skills I could call on, and so began Eldredge Property Services.