Every home has a list of small jobs that never quite get done. The curtain rod that fell down, the shed door that sticks, the pile of old timber behind the garage, the broken outdoor chair, the clothesline that leans, the smoke alarm that needs a new battery up on a high ceiling, the bathroom mirror that needs hanging, the garage full of things that need to go. None of these jobs is big enough to call a specialist, but together they take up space in your home and your head. Our odd jobs and small rubbish removal service clears the list in one visit, across Dandenong and the surrounding south-east suburbs.

What counts as an odd job

Pretty much any small, non-licensed task around the home or business. If you are unsure, ask. Common odd jobs include:

• Hanging curtain rods, blinds and tracks
• Replacing door handles, hinges, locks (non-locksmith) and door stops
• Fixing sticking shed doors and gates
• Adjusting and fixing clotheslines (fold-down and rotary)
• Replacing smoke alarm batteries on high ceilings (battery-type alarms only)
• Hanging mirrors, artwork, clocks and noticeboards
• Fitting key hooks, coat hooks and towel hooks
• Replacing cabinet handles and knobs
• Fitting door and window draught seals
• Replacing toilet seats
• Installing letterboxes and house numbers
• Assembling and installing outdoor furniture, play equipment and sheds (small kit sheds)
• Moving heavy furniture within the home
• Replacing light globes on high ceilings (no electrical work)
• Fitting pet doors to timber doors and screens

Small rubbish removal

What we take

When we are there for other jobs, or as a job on its own, we can remove small loads of household rubbish such as old furniture, broken outdoor settings, timber offcuts, old fencing panels, cardboard, garden pots, small amounts of garden waste, and general junk from garages and sheds. We load it into our vehicle or trailer and take it to licensed transfer stations and recyclers.

What we cannot take

We do not remove asbestos or any material that may contain asbestos, such as old fibro sheeting, which must be handled by licensed asbestos removalists in Victoria. We also do not take chemicals, paints in large quantities, gas bottles, tyres in bulk, or hazardous waste. We can advise where to take these items. For large clean-outs of a whole house, a skip bin may be better value, and we can tell you if that is the case.

Recycling and donating

Where items are still usable, we can drop them at op shops or charity collection points if they accept them. Metals, cardboard and e-waste are separated for recycling where possible, reducing what goes to landfill.

Garage and shed tidy-ups

Garages and sheds collect things. A tidy-up session can include removing rubbish, installing shelving and hooks, hanging bikes and tools, organising storage, and repairing doors and windows. Many clients book a tidy-up before selling, before moving in, or just to finally use the garage for the car again.

Odd jobs for landlords, sellers and movers

Before selling

Small things noticed by buyers include broken handles, loose fittings, sticking doors, holes in walls and rubbish in the yard. A pre-sale odd jobs visit fixes these quickly before photos and inspections.

After moving in

New homes come with their own list: hanging pictures, fitting curtains, assembling furniture, changing locks, installing hooks and shelves. We help you settle in faster.

Between tenants

Property managers book odd jobs visits between tenancies to fix the small things on the condition report. See end-of-lease and rental repairs and our property managers page.

How to make the most of an odd jobs visit

Write the list first

Walk through the house, garage and yard and write down every small job, however minor. Include where it is, what is wrong and any parts you already have. Photos of each item help us plan, bring the right fixings and estimate time accurately. A good list means no wasted trips to the hardware store and more done in the visit.

Have parts ready, or let us supply them

If you have chosen particular handles, hooks, curtain rods or fittings, have them on site. Otherwise we can supply standard hardware, and we will confirm the choice with you first. For items you want to pick yourself, we can give you a list of sizes and specifications.

Prioritise

If the list is long, mark the jobs that matter most. We start with safety items such as loose handrails, trip hazards and sticking external doors, then work through the rest.

Clear access

Clear the area around each job if you can, especially garages and sheds. It saves time and lets us get straight to work.

Odd jobs for older residents

Many of our odd jobs clients are older residents who have lived in Dandenong, Springvale and Noble Park for decades and would rather not climb ladders or lift heavy things anymore. Changing smoke alarm batteries, replacing high light globes, clearing gutters, moving heavy pot plants, hanging curtains and tidying the shed are all jobs that carry a real risk of falls when done alone. We are patient, explain what we are doing, and leave the house tidy. Family members who live elsewhere often book a visit for their parents and send us a list, and we report back on what was done. See also aged care and disability rails.

Odd jobs for businesses

Shops, offices, clinics and warehouses in Dandenong, Dandenong South and Springvale also have odd job lists: signs to hang, shelving to fix, doors that stick, office furniture to assemble, noticeboards and whiteboards to mount, and rubbish to remove after a fit-out. We work around your opening hours, including early starts, so trading is not disrupted. See our commercial handyman page.

Seasonal odd jobs

Before winter

Clear gutters and downpipes, fit draught seals to doors and windows, check that external doors close and lock properly, and secure loose outdoor items before the windy weather.

Before summer

Clean and repair flyscreens, check decks and outdoor furniture, clear around the house of leaves and dry material, and pressure wash paths and outdoor areas before entertaining season.

After storms

Secure loose fence palings, gutters and outdoor items, and remove fallen branches and small debris (we do not do tree felling or work on large trees).

Rubbish removal tips

• Separate items that can be donated, recycled or reused before we arrive
• Check whether your council hard rubbish collection suits larger items; the City of Greater Dandenong and the City of Casey both offer booked hard waste collections for residents
• Keep hazardous items such as chemicals, paint and gas bottles separate, as these go to specific drop-off points, including Sustainability Victoria’s Detox your Home sites
• Never try to break up or remove material you suspect contains asbestos; leave it alone and call a licensed removalist

Why one visit beats five tradespeople

Calling a different trade for every small job means five lots of phone calls, five sets of call-out fees and five days waiting at home. Most of those trades do not want small jobs anyway, so they quote high, arrive late, or never call back. A handyman with a well-stocked vehicle can hang the blinds, fix the shed door, swap the toilet seat, adjust the gate and take away the old couch in a single visit. You get one appointment, one point of contact and one written scope that lists every item. When a job on your list does need a licensed trade, such as a leaking tap or a faulty power point, we tell you straight away so you can book the right person, and we can usually suggest what to ask them.

What we bring

Our vehicle carries ladders for single-storey work, drills and drivers, saws, a wide range of fixings and wall plugs for brick, plaster and timber, sealants and fillers, common hinges, handles and catches, draught seals, cleaning gear, drop sheets and rubbish bags. That means most small jobs can be finished on the spot without a trip to the hardware store. For anything we do not carry, we will tell you in advance so it can be ordered or picked up before the visit.

Leaving things tidy

We put down drop sheets inside, vacuum up drilling dust, wipe marks off walls and take away packaging and offcuts. Odd jobs should make your home feel better, not leave a new mess behind. Before we leave, we walk through the list with you, tick off what is done and note anything that needs a follow-up visit or a different trade.

A typical odd jobs visit

Here is the kind of list we often see from a family home: two curtain rods that had pulled out of plasterboard, a sticking laundry door, a loose towel rail, three new cabinet handles, a wobbly clothesline, a broken side gate latch and a trailer-load of old timber, a broken trampoline frame and cardboard from the garage. In a visit like this, the curtain rods would be refitted with proper plasterboard anchors, the door planed and rehung, the towel rail refixed into new anchors, the handles swapped, the clothesline re-set and tightened, the gate latch replaced and realigned, and the rubbish loaded and taken to the transfer station, with the metal frame separated for recycling. All in one visit, with nothing left for the weekend. The same approach works for units, townhouses, rentals and small businesses: one list, one visit, one tidy finish, and a written record of everything completed so you or your property manager can keep track.

Tell us about your list when you request a free quote, and we will plan the visit around it.

Areas we cover

We do odd jobs across all our service areas, including Dandenong, Springvale, Noble Park and Keysborough.

Related services

See also general home repairs, property maintenance, picture and shelf hanging and flat-pack assembly.

Frequently asked questions