Linda Finkel's Lincoln Park condo needed a chandelier replaced, touch-up paint, new door hinges, child-proof cabinet locks, the storm windows washed and installed, and a new bathtub drain. But as a busy executive, wife and mother; home maintenance tasks rarely got crossed off the "to do" list.

So she called Richard Misch of InAPinch, Inc., one of a growing number of home helper services in the Chicago area.

"Frankly, between running a business and being a mom, I was drowning in uncompleted tasks and household projects," says Finkel. "...For me, it's all about time. These services gave me my weekends back.

"I can spend the time with my family rather than spending it running around doing errands and projects. Plus, there's less guilt about all the things that previously weren't getting done."

More and more time-crunched homeowners are echoing Finkel's plea for relief from maintenance chores. And, the marketplace has answered their call through a variety of service businesses loosely called home helpers.....

...Misch of InAPinch, Inc., in Chicago, who has handled everything from waiting for the cable guy to rushing to the harbor to remove to the harbor to remove a client's boat by the city's move-out deadline, finds increased travel and frequent moves are adding to the time stress his clients feel.

"The world has become a more mobile place," he says, "People travel more and move more often. They have too much going on in their lives, are overburdened, and happy to get rid of some of it."....