Household repairs are unavoidable, so it’s handy if simple problems don’t faze you or if you’re into preventative maintenance. However, many of the city’s thousands of rental buildings pay to house on-premises superintendents and will outsource (at owners’ expense) any issue a ‘super’ can’t fix. A more modest building might find the landlord actually changing that rusty valve. Always ask what’s what long before signing a lease.

Homeowners, meanwhile, wish for such advantages. Plumbers, electricians, painters – even those zapping termites, vermin and roaches – are so abundant that rip-offs are common and vetting them requires patience, even audacity. Gotham’s supersonic lifestyle has consigned many trades to the web, especially Craigslist.com. Still, be specific and assertive in your emails and calls – asking not only about fees, but for professional guarantees, years in the field, reachable references. By law, a realtor cannot recommend specific vendors, but generally they’ll have lists to furnish and may also confide who, in their home, they’ve used for what.