House Doctors featured in Augusta Chronicle

For Earth Day, House Doctors of Augusta and Aiken was featured in the Augusta Chronicle discussing some simple ways that homeowners can reduce their energy bills by making some simple adjustments to their homes. General Manager of House Doctors, Michelle Shackford, discussed some improvements that can be made like adding programmable thermostats, compact fluorescent lighting, solar lighting, caulk and weather stripping and energy efficient appliances. With all of these tips and with the hottest time of the year right around the corner, these simple improvements with the help of House Doctors can greatly help homeowners save on their energy bills all year long. Click here to view the full article.

Easy fixes can reduce energy bill
By LaTina Emerson

Fuel and food prices are steadily rising, but homeowners can reduce their energy costs by making some simple adjustments in their homes, said Michelle Shackford, the general manager of House Doctors in Augusta and Aiken.

Many consumers spend more than $2,200 a year on their energy bills. Homeowners who try some of the following quick, easy improvements can cut their spending by about a third, Shackford said:

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House Doctors featured in the Andover Patch

House Doctors was recently featured in the Andover Patch in an article entitled “Ten Tips for Reducing Mold in the Rainy Season." The article was built on an interview with Doug Coyle, owner of House Doctors in Andover, MA. Doug gave some helpful tips to preventing mold in your home and how to keep unwanted moisture from creating problems. Click here to view the full article!

Ten Tips for Reducing Mold in the Rainy Season
By Brendan Lewis

As the rainy season progresses, water will start flowing in places where it doesn’t belong. Especially in areas with high water tables, local residents will be dealing with flooding problems and roof leaks in the coming weeks. And when water becomes trapped in those confined sections of a house, mold is sure to follow.

Doug Coyle, owner of home repair business House Doctor on Bartlet Street, deals with mold issues on a routine basis and said that there are many things homeowners can do to be proactive about getting rid of mold.

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Franchisee Bio: Erik and Christina Reichelt of Delaware

Date Opened: 2008
Location: State of Delaware

Q: Where are you originally from?
A: I am from Delaware and Christina is from Maryland.

Q: Are you a first time business owner?
A: Yes. Previously Christina was a stay at home mom and before that worked in insurance. She now manages the office duties and logistics of the business. Now I am the estimator on all the projects and pull in the appropriate handymen for the job.

Q: How did you learn about the brand?
A: I was doing research on franchising for a colleague who was interested in owning a franchise. I had never looked into it before, but when I got started I became very interested. I had never been in home improvement prior to House Doctors; however, I figured that although the economy was going south, people would still need home repairs. I was right.

Q: Why was this brand the right fit for you?
A: House Doctors gives me a lot of flexibility in the type of business I take on. I am able to branch out and take on new challenges. I saw this as a major benefit as I was considering joining and have continued to enjoy this benefit over my two years as a franchisee.

Q: What have been some career milestones for you/your business?
A: The sky’s the limit. I want to keep growing as much as we did this year. We doubled our gross sales. We are consistently ranked in House Doctors' 10 top franchises.

House Doctors featured in Tacoma Business Examiner

House Doctors was featured in the Tacoma Business Examiner in an article entitled “Franchises looking to military for owners,” which published front and center on the February 7 edition. The article discusses that House Doctors fully engages military vets as they have a numerous vets as franchisees already. He also notes that House Doctors matches new veteran owners with mentors to give them more tools for success. House Doctors also plans to open eight locations to the Seattle/Tacoma area in the near future. The full article is embedded below:

House Doctors Featured in the San Antonio Business Journal

House Doctors was recently featured in the San Antonio Business Journal in an article called “Alamo City earning reputation as a good market for franchises,” which discusses House Doctors’ expansion plans for the San Antonio market. Ranked #6 for remodeling activity, San Antonio is a hotbed for business in the home sector, and House Doctors is moving in.

House Doctors Bolts on Complimentary Franchise at No Cost to Franchisees

Bathroom in a Day Offers Franchisees Another Business Opportunity; Increased Profits

The economy has shaken small business across America to its core, but House Doctors, the 90-unit professional handyman franchise, has refused to shy away from innovation during this unstable time. In fact, the growing brand has sought new ways to provide its franchisees with more value, support and tools to help them prosper in today’s economic environment. The end result is an add-on business called Bathroom in a Day that compliments House Doctor’s existing myriad of services.

This new service provides consumers a low-cost option to make bathroom transformations in as little as one day. Before rolling out Bathroom in a Day to the entire franchise system, House Doctors tested it in six different markets across the country. After receiving rave reviews from customers and franchisees alike, it launched system-wide earlier this month.

“The economic downturn forced us to examine how we could continue to make our franchisees profitable,” said Jim Hunter, CEO of House Doctors. “Bathroom in a Day will not only give our franchisees another way to make money, but also a huge edge on the competition.”

Other franchise systems make a business exclusively from bathroom retrofits, but House Doctors found a way to add this model to its existing array of services, giving them a leg up on the competition and another major revenue source for franchisees.

“Bathroom in a Day has already increased my profitability as a franchisee,” said Eric Reichelt, a House Doctors franchisee in Delaware. “I chose House Doctors because of the support they offer to franchisees and I have been proven correct in my decision. House Doctors is continually looking for ways to add services to our existing business and I feel confident that my business is going to keep growing year after year with the support of this team.”

House Doctors Professional Handyman Recognizes 2010 Awards Winners

Although most Americans aren’t buying new houses these days, they’re working harder than ever to preserve the homes they live in. They are looking for smaller, more cost-efficient home improvements to tide them over until the housing market recovers. As a result, homeowners need quality handymen to do these jobs right. House Doctors Professional Handyman Services, a national franchise with over 12 years of experience and 90-plus units across the country, is pleased to recognize the winners of the 2010 House Doctors Awards.


Rookie of the Year
Jim & Melanie Cox - Columbus, OH

Commitment to Excellence
Doug Coyle - Andover, MA

Top Sales
Rich Gapin - Mount Laurel, NJ
Dan Landon - Cincinnati, OH
Steven Cranford - Greensboro, NC
Jim & Melanie Cox - Columbus, OH
Ron Galipeau - Downington, PA
Erik & Christina Reichelt - Dover, DE
Hugh Sutherland - Alexandria, VA
Doug Coyle - Andover, MA
Todd Hall - Warren, OH
Joe & Pam Palko - Pottsville, PA

Customer Retention Award
Erik & Christina Reichelt - Dover, DE

Customer Service Award
Steve Boriss - St. Louis, MO

Franchise of the Year
Joe & Pam Palko - Pottsville, PA