DIY moves beyond You-Tube videos, now we have virtual repair services

Rebound & recovery - virtual home repair

Heather Sullivan reveals a new version of DIY - virtual repair service gives you the skills of an expert technician at half the cost

HOUSTON - Do you need a home repair but worry having a technician in your house could spread COVID-19? A virtual repair service may be the answer and could save you money.

Virtual repair providers say the pandemic has business booming ."Boom! Look how easy that is. It could just like fall off," said homeowner Lam Doan, showing a broken shower faucet to a repairman over a video call. The technician asks, "If you could turn it over so we could see the front of the handle actually?"

That's a Fixer.com repair expert talking Doan through the repair."If you shake the whole handle, does it sound like there's something inside it?" the technician asks. The handle rattles

."Yes, there's a screw inside there and it's become disconnected from the stem," answers Lam, as they both discover the problem.Lam says he has used Fixer.com's virtual repair service several times for home repairs and saved money

."For the video session, they just taught me how to do this, do that. I think I paid like $10 or something, it was relatively cheap," said Lam

Fixer.com President Josh Evnin says the company has a team of vetted repair experts who can repair virtually anything. And they do it virtually."Fixing leaky faucets or drips that your'e seeing in any plumbing, to fun things like mounting a tv," he lists.

Customers show the expert the problem over a video call. The expert talks them through making the repair themselves.

"We've learned for most homeowners, with some simple tools and a good coach, they can fix just about anything," said Evnin.Evnin says virtual repairs have become more popular during the pandemic, and they're often cheaper than an in-home visit."It's always free for the first five minutes, so there's never a risk to try it out. Then after that it's $15 for every fifteen minutes. They typcially last between 15 and 30 minutes," explained Evnin

.Lam says the service is teaching him how to become his own do-it-yourself fixer."I think you need the basic tools like a screwdriver, maybe a plier, or a flashlight, and you can probably fix 80% of things in the house," said Lam.Fixer.com is one of several virtual repair services consumers can find online.