Jamie Nicholas watches home renovation shows religiously and loves tackling home-improvement projects. She designed and built a backyard pond with waterfalls and populated it with koi. But this successful do-it-yourselfer realized she was in over her head when it came to finishing the basement in her Arlington home, so she hired Manthey Construction Services, a handyman company, to turn an ugly unfinished basement into a stylish family room retreat with an office nook and spa bath.

“I do some small stuff, but I wouldn’t try something huge,” said Nicholas. “I’m not going to mess up my house if I build a fish pond wrong.”