of home ownership with service group

While waiting for yet another repairman to arrive at his Potomac home a few years ago, Jim Vagonis had an idle thought that has kept him busy ever since.

"I was having a lot of different people coming to the house to take care of things," he said. "And I thought, wouldn't it be nice if I could call just one business to get everything done?"

Acting on that premise, Vagonis, 37, launched Hassle Free Home Services, Inc., in January 2003.

For one flat monthly fee, the company promises to free Montgomery County residents from the headaches of homeownership. From replacing burned out light bulbs, to resealing grout in the shower, to taking the squeak out of a screen door -- it's all taken care of by a company technician during a regularly scheduled monthly visit.

"We're making sure we keep the home tuned-up, much like a car," said Andrew Balfour, company operations manager. "We do more than maintenance and repairs, we are a home management company."

The company tailors a yearlong service contract to meet the individual needs of each customer.

The basic service involves a two to three hour service call each month, with a technician inspecting a home's condition and performing routine maintenance both inside and out. The list of basic services is long, but often involves such chores as lubricating door hinges, checking screens for holes or replacing weather stripping.

"Whatever is used in the home -- a door, a shower -- we make sure that it works," Vagonis said. "During our inspections, we flip every light switch, turn every faucet handle. We had one customer that was basically living in the dark until we replaced 40 burned out light bulbs in their home."

Customers often e-mail or phone in a dozen or so "honey-do list" items before each monthly visit. The company takes care of long-neglected chores, such as the time they arranged to clear away several truckloads of newspapers from a home.

"It takes about two to three months to really get our hands around the house to where we make a dent in the honey-do list," Vagonis said.

Then there are the seasonal chores, such as turning on outside water faucets in the spring and installing storm windows in the fall.

"We pay attention to details so the homeowner doesn't have to," Vagonis said. "We do whatever it takes to make them comfortable in their own home."

At an average cost of $160 to $170 a month per homeowner, the service does not come cheaply. But according to customer Robin Green of Potomac, the value it offers is priceless.

"I cannot tell you the difference it's made," she said. "I have two small children so I'm working all the time. It's saved me time and worry. God, it makes our lives so much easier."

The company's attention to small details, like placing boxes of baking soda in the refrigerator and trashcans, continues to surprise her, she said.

But the fact they turned up after a major storm to inspect the condition of her house made a lasting impression.

"We were on vacation at the time, and knowing they checked up on things was so reassuring," she said. "It's refreshing, they're so reliable and dependable. I know it's going to be the same people showing up at the same time each month."

Building that kind of trust among its customers is what the company, which consists of six employees, is all about, Vagonis said.

"We want to build long-term relationships with our customers so we can get to know their homes as well, or even better, than they do," Vagonis said. "We help them prioritize their needs. Obviously, if you've got a roof problem, that needs attention before the floors get refinished."

Some 40 customers have signed on for the service, just 10 short of the company's projected goal. Originally expecting most customers to be dual-income families, Vagonis said they actually runs the gamut from elderly widows to young singles, living in small townhouses to 10,000-square-foot homes.

"They just don't have the time, the know-how or ability to take care of these things," said Balfour, 37, of Rockville.

The company's expertise has also grown, due to such unexpected tasks as removing a four-foot long snake from a ceramic planter on a homeowner's doorstep to refurbishing a stone water fountain from a French castle.

While know-how is their stock in trade, company technicians welcome any opportunity to teach customers the basics of home maintenance, Balfour said.

He recalled the time a customer was clued in on how to flip a particular switch to keep a temperamental refrigerator humming along.

"He was delighted to find out it was so easy," he said.

Long-term home maintenance planning is also part of the service.

"Ideally, we advise [customers] to think five years ahead to when they might need to replace the heating or other large system. It helps them to budget," Vagonis said.

Sometimes, the company thinks ahead so the customer doesn't have to. "We went out before the hurricane last summer and secured everyone's patio furniture," Balfour said. "After the storm, we put it back in place."

While replacing roofs and large maintenance projects fall outside the company's basic monthly service, the company arranges and oversees such services as chimney cleaning, driveway sealing, lawn care and window cleaning.

"We work with 35 different contractors. Ultimately it reflects back on us, so we make sure the job is done right," Balfour said.

Getting the job done right is something of a family tradition for Vagonis, who grew up in a family that constructed its own house additions, from the foundation up. After a career in information technology, he decided to pursue his interest in home repairs and construction.

"I'm in my third stage of life, and I thought it time to pursue my life-long passion," he said. "I'm never going back to an office job again, unless it's my [company] office."

He sees a bright future for his company, and hopes to branch outside of the county eventually.

"With the exception of one family that moved away, all my customers have renewed [their contracts] with us," he said.