Paulus de Eco-Kluskabouter

(Paulus the environmentally-friendly handyman)

although a kabouter literally translates to "gnome", and you have to be a Dutch person who watched
hours of "Paulus de Boskabouter" on television as a child to really appreciate this name....

Who is Paulus de Eco-Kluskabouter?

The Eco-Kluskabouter is Paulus Dominicus, a native of Utrecht, the Netherlands, who often works together with his American wife, Emily Adams. They used to live in Utrecht but have recently moved to Averbode, Belgium. They are accepting work projects in both countries.

What does Paulus do?

Paulus is a very handy person and can do a bit of everything. His preference, however, is for painting and working with wood (wooden floors, fences, etc.) Light construction work, montage (of kitchen cabinets, for example), garden work, and small moving projects are also possible.

If you have electrical or plumbing work, then Paulus will bring in colleagues who are trained in these areas.

Paulus has recently bought a MB 412D with a "meubelbak" (square cargo area) and a loading lift. It has been set up as a mobile work area, but can also function as a moving van for small moving jobs or deliveries. Paulus worked a number of summers for a moving company and is very competent in this area.

What is his tarief?

Paulus asks 35 Euro per hour, plus travel costs (0.35 Euro p. km), plus parking costs and tool rental costs where necessary. Depending on the type of project, Paulus will bring Emily along. All assignments are accepted on an hourly basis -- you pay for the actual hours worked. Extra hours due to unforseen circumstances and additions to the assignment will be discussed and added to the bill. (Prices are exclusive BTW.)

Is Paulus registered with a beroepsvereniging (professional organization)?

Yes. He is a member of the VLOK (Vereniging van Klussenbedrijven) in the Netherlands. This gives advantages to both the client and Paulus, including a guarantee that your project will be completed. (If Paulus breaks his leg, for example, the VLOK pays for someone else to take over his work.) If you visit the VLOK website, you will also find the "algemeen voorwaarden" or general conditions (regarding contracts, payments, etc.) The insurance provided by the VLOK is also valid in Belgium.

Maybe I have a job for Paulus. What should I do?

If you have a project and are looking for someone to carry it out, give Paulus a call. If he has the feeling, "I can do this job," then he will make an appointment with you to come have a look. Afterwards, he will prepare an offer, with estimated work hours and material costs. If you and Paulus agree to proceed, then he will plan with you when the work can begin.

 

Contact information for Paulus:

NL GSM: 06-21571063 (from Belgium: 0031-6-21571063)

BE GSM: 0499-745166 (from Nederland: 0032-499-745166)

BE fixed line: 013-294369 (from Nederland: 0032-13-294369)

E-mail for Paulus: his name with "@" and "ecoklussen.nl"
(maybe if we don't spell it out completely, we'll get less spam....)

Work address in NL: Oudwijkerveldstraat 4, 3581 JL Utrecht

Work & Home address in BE: Galgenberg 7, 3271 Averbode

Why Paulus and not someone else?

• Paulus is a relaxed and orderly worker.
• He uses professional tools with an attached vacuum system, resulting in less dust.
• He works as much as possible with natural and environmentally friendly products and materials.
• He gets along easily with pets, children and the neighbors.
• He can often propose creative solutions to your challenges.
• He isn't afraid of heights or reluctant to go into narrow, wet crawlspaces.
• He speaks good English, so if you are an ex-pat, communicating your instructions is not difficult.
• He is always in a good mood. If there's a cup of coffee waiting for him (black with no sugar), then actually nothing can go wrong anymore.

The environment

As a "forest gnome," naturally you are concerned about the environment, and for that reason Paulus prefers to work as much as possible with natural materials, such as FSC wood and flaxseed oil-based paint. He is also a member of Strobouw Nederland, and is planning (with Emily) to build his own straw-and-lime or cob house in Belgium. After getting settled in Averbode, they both hope to gain as much experience as possible in these techniques at various eco-building projects in the Netherlands and Belgium.

more photographs of completed projects

Registered with the Kamer van Koophandel, Utrecht: number 30247257

BTW number: NL 177512660B01