Handy.com is gone. AreaSorted is the London alternative.
Handy.com shut down its UK service after years of legal challenges and operational difficulties. AreaSorted is a London-focused home services platform covering cleaning, handyman, pest control, waste removal, garden maintenance, and furniture assembly — built on a sustainable provider model from day one.
What happened to Handy.com?
Handy.com was a US-founded home services marketplace that expanded to London in 2014. Despite raising over $110 million in venture funding, the company faced persistent legal challenges over how it classified its workers.
Multiple lawsuits alleged that Handy treated workers as independent contractors while controlling their schedules, pricing, and customer interactions like employees. In January 2025, the FTC filed action against the company. The UK service was discontinued, and Handy.com now returns a 404 error.
Built differently from the start
AreaSorted avoids the structural problems that brought down Handy.com and similar platforms.
Handy.com faced legal action over worker misclassification. AreaSorted works with properly registered independent providers through a transparent business model. Providers set their own prices and operate as independent businesses.
Handy.com covered cleaning and handyman. AreaSorted adds pest control, waste removal, garden maintenance, and furniture assembly — six categories through one platform.
Instead of spreading thin across multiple countries, AreaSorted focuses entirely on London. Every postcode, provider, and pricing adjustment is calibrated for the London market.
Quotes are built from the service type, property details, timing, and add-ons. You see the full breakdown before you pay — no hourly guesswork or unclear final totals.
A temporary card hold is placed at booking. Payment is only captured once the provider confirms. If the booking cannot be confirmed, the hold is released — not charged.
Every professional goes through identity checks, document verification, and structured onboarding before they can accept jobs through the platform.
More categories than Handy ever offered
Handy.com covered cleaning and handyman. AreaSorted adds four more service categories Londoners regularly need.
Regular, deep, end of tenancy, and one-off cleaning
HandymanMounting, assembly, repairs, and small installations
Pest ControlMice, rats, bed bugs, insects, and proofing
Waste RemovalBulky items, house clearance, and garden waste
Garden MaintenanceMowing, weeding, hedge trimming, and seasonal care
Furniture AssemblyIKEA, flat-pack, and office furniture assembly
Controlled workers, called them contractors
- Set worker pay rates and schedules
- Penalised workers for declining jobs
- Controlled customer relationships
- Workers had no pricing autonomy
- Resulted in lawsuits and FTC action
Independent providers, proper business relationships
- Providers set their own pricing
- Providers manage their own availability
- Providers operate as registered businesses
- Clear booking fee and commission structure
- Sustainable model for all parties
Common questions
Handy.com raised over $110 million and was acquired by ANGI Homeservices in 2018. The UK service was discontinued and the Handy.com website now returns a 404 error. The company faced significant legal challenges including worker misclassification lawsuits and FTC action in January 2025.
If you used Handy.com for cleaning or handyman services, AreaSorted covers both plus four additional categories. Our handyman services include mounting, assembly, repairs, and small installations — similar to what Handy.com offered.
AreaSorted focuses on London only, uses quote-based pricing instead of hourly rates, covers six service categories, and works with properly registered independent providers. Our payment flow uses temporary holds with capture only on provider confirmation.
Providers on AreaSorted are independent registered businesses. They set their own pricing, manage their own availability, and operate through their own business entities. This is fundamentally different from the gig-economy model that caused legal problems for Handy.com.
AreaSorted covers all 32 London boroughs. Enter your postcode on the quote page to check coverage for your specific location and see available services.
Ready to switch?
Enter your postcode to check coverage and build an itemised quote preview across all six service categories. Work is sold and carried out by the independent provider you select.