Meet the Handyfolks
Jake Lewis
I’ve always been a doer, and love getting to work with both my head and my hands–from building connections with good people, to analyzing and planning a project, to getting into a never-before-seen yoga pose to reach a light fixture under the cabinet.
Having lived in old New England homes with my wife Zan for more than 10 years, and with two young boys of our own, I’ve never had a shortage of home improvement jobs to get from “To-Do” to “Done.”
When not repairing, installing, or updating homes, you might find me touring New England as an improvisational storyteller, or surfing at Jenness year-round!
Ellen Schmidt
As a girl, I always dreamed of building my own house. I started with a treehouse and a secret woods-fort made of sticks and scrap wood. In the intervening years I gained the skills to design and build an off-grid tiny house, which was my home for five years.
There was no better feeling than getting projects crossed off my list and watching a vision become a reality. I’m excited to put those skills to work crossing projects off your list!
I now live in the seacoast area with my cat, Joan, and five chickens: Sunday, Monday, Mopsy, Taro, and Jamima Puddleduck. In my free time, I like to hike, sew, and learn new crafts. I hope to try my hand at stained glass someday soon.
Our Story...
Jake and Ellen have been friends since 2013, when we met at summer camp where we were both camp counselors. We worked together as outdoor educators for much of the following decade, co-teaching farm classes for elementary schoolers, designing coming-of-age trips for middle-schoolers, leading camping trips for high-schoolers, and disassembling and reassembling countless bunk beds. After both relocating to the Seacoast, we said,
“Why stop working together?”
We founded The Exeter Handyfolks because we believe that everyone deserves to have their home be a stress-free sanctuary, without the dreaded endless home to-do list. You want your projects done the way you want them done, so we take the time to listen and make sure you get the results you want.
