4 Apps That Will Help You Find Help For Tricky Furniture Assembly
Many people view assembling new furniture as a necessary evil. Scattered hex keys, missing screws, and a booklet of vague instructions in 20 different languages don't exactly make for a relaxing experience. Still, the $13.8 billion ready-to-assemble furniture industry isn't slowing down soon, via Statista. According to a paper from Harvard Business School, building your own furniture can make you appreciate it more. But if you would rather avoid the suffering of constructing a piece of furniture you can bond with; you're in luck.
The digital age is all about convenience. With food delivery, dog-walking, and personal assistant services popping up all over the app store, it's not surprising that you can hire someone to assemble your furniture, too. They get paid, and you get to avoid cursing out a wobbly bookshelf, and it's a win-win. Read on to learn more about the different services you can use to redecorate your home without the headache.
1. Taskrabbit
Taskrabbit is a catch-all app for just about anything you need to be done around the home, including moving assistance, minor repairs, and, yes, assembling furniture. The app was acquired by the same company that controls IKEA in 2017 and has a presence in every IKEA store in the United States, per Taskrabbit, so they're the obvious choice for assembling that BILLY bookcase collecting dust in its box.
The app connects local laborers with customers and lets you track the perfect person for the job. Just download the app, describe the task you want to be completed and select someone from a list of "taskers" provided by the app. With over 140,000 taskers working for the company in 2019, via Taskrabbit, it should be a breeze to find someone to help out with what you need. Taskrabbit is available in more than 50 cities across the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Germany.
2. Angi
Angi, formerly known as Angie's List, is a service that provides a list of local helpers for a variety of home repair, maintenance, and landscaping jobs. With over 25 years on the scene, it has become a trusted source for connecting clients and contractors, according to Angi. The service allows users to read and leave verified reviews, pay through the app, and securely message contractors to ensure the job is completed correctly and safely. They also have a happiness guarantee — if you're not satisfied with the results of your booking, you will be refunded the full price plus limited damage protection.
Angi isn't city-specific, so you can browse whoever is available in your area. In addition to furniture assembly, the company offers services like cleaning, pest control, and appliance repairs. There are over 250,000 contractors registered in Angi's network, via Angi, so there are plenty of options to ensure your job is completed quickly.
3. Handy
Handy, an appropriately named app designed to connect handymen with customers, is designed for convenience. The app allows you to find vetted service providers and features a 60-second booking process to help you find the right person. Services like TV mounting, cleaning, and furniture assembly can be booked as soon as the next day. If you're ordering items through Wayfair, you can add-on furniture assembly through Handy directly at checkout, ultimately streamlining the furniture assembly process.
Booking through Handy comes with a "Handy Happiness Guarantee," allowing you to re-book with a different service provider at no cost if you're not satisfied the first time around. They also thoroughly vet their professionals and prioritize the safety of their customers, conducting a pre-screening and background check on individual service providers and small companies that use the app, per Handy. The service is available in major cities across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
4. Thumbtack
Thumbtack is a full-service task app covering almost every job under the sun, from acupuncture to mold removal. With their extensive list of price estimates, it's easy to budget your home improvement projects, events, and miscellaneous services. As for furniture repair, the app features a dedicated "IKEA Furniture Assembly" category to ensure that the professional you hire understands how to decipher those notoriously confusing instructions.
The booking process is simple: Download the app, search for your task, message a potential service provider and book directly through the app. Thumbtack has over 200,000 independent contractors and is available nationwide, per Thumbtack, so there are plenty of professionals to explore before booking your service. Smartphones have put just about everything at our fingertips, so why waste your time and energy fiddling with your new furniture? Take the stress-free route with one of these convenient apps and relax — that trip to IKEA was draining enough.