When Vasi Visovan arrived on Mercer Island three years ago, he brought with him more than a lifetime of woodworking and repair skills. He carried a philosophy rooted in his childhood in northern Transylvania: fix what you can, value quality craftsmanship, and look out for your neighbors.

Today, Vasi and his wife, Kelsey, are raising their two young children on the Island—a two-year-old son and a four-month-old daughter—while building a business centered on craftsmanship, integrity, and community connection.

Born and raised in Maramureș County, Romania, a region known for its traditional woodworking and old-world craftsmanship, Vasi learned early to appreciate the value of repairing and restoring the things that make a house a home.

"I watched my father fix everything—from reglazing windows in our communist apartment to restoring fences and rewiring fuses during frequent power outages," he said. "This taught me the value of the 'fix it, don't replace it' mentality."

Those skills and traditions followed him to the Pacific Northwest and inspired the creation of Old World Handyman.

"I love coming up with creative fixes when a lot of my clients would give up and buy something new," he said.

Old World Handyman offers a wide range of services, including carpentry repairs and new builds, wall art hanging and home décor projects, small electrical and plumbing jobs, furniture assembly and installation, drywall repair, tile and grout repair, and other household projects.

Despite the "odd job man" reputation often associated with handymen, Vasi takes pride in approaching every project with craftsmanship, expertise, and finesse.

"My clients can count on polish, professionalism, and integrity when they hire me," he said.

For Vasi, one of the most rewarding aspects of his business is serving the community where he lives.

"My clients are my neighbors too," he said.

A self-described people person, he enjoys chatting with clients and running into them around the Island. In Romania, tradespeople often sit down with clients for coffee and conversation, a tradition he has carried with him.

"I especially enjoy jobs where the client is open to making a personal connection," he said.

One client regularly sends him home with fresh eggs from her hens after each project. Recently, Vasi used the eggs to make tiramisu and shared some with her.

"I have earned a lot of repeat business partly because I think Islanders appreciate warmth and human touch when inviting someone to work in their home," he said.

Giving back is equally important to Vasi. Growing up in a resourceful Romanian town during the post-communist period, he experienced firsthand how neighbors depended on one another by sharing labor, goods, and support.

"Despite the affluence of Mercer Island, I have seen that there are still many residents who are struggling or on a limited income," he said.

Since founding his business, Vasi has dedicated a few hours each week to providing free or reduced-cost services to lower-income households. In February, he launched a campaign in a community Facebook group offering free labor to families facing hardship.

"I encourage anyone in true need to reach out to me, and I will do my best to help them complete their project," he said.

He also offers free in-person estimates to all Mercer Island residents.

Old World Handyman recently participated in the Mercer Island Light Rail Station Opening Event, where Vasi hosted handyman challenge activities and raffled off gift cards to local businesses, including The Crawlspace, Shawn's Cafe and Bakery, Island Books, and Oh! Chocolate.

"It was a blast to meet new people and soak in the buzz of this occasion," he said. "I hope to participate in more local events like this in the future."

Building a business from the ground up in a new country has not been easy. "As someone who didn't grow up here, my first battles as a new business owner were not having a business or social network to build on," he said.

With minimal cash to invest and no existing connections, getting started was challenging. "I made $100 in my first month and had zero profit by month three," he said. But with family support, hard work, word-of-mouth referrals, and positive online reviews, the business has steadily grown.

Looking ahead, Vasi hopes to expand his operations, hire additional team members, and offer more services—allowing him to devote even more time to free community projects for those in need.

He also hopes to continue participating in local events and plans to have a booth at Mercer Island Summer Celebration.

His advice for homeowners is simple: seek out local recommendations and do your research.

"Look for local recommendations, like Greet magazine, Nextdoor and local Facebook groups, and do your due diligence in reading Google or other online reviews," he said. "Especially with handyman services, there are a lot of unlicensed, under-the-table providers who might offer bargain rates but may not be responsible, accountable business owners."

Vasi also enjoys sharing his work online through Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube at @oldworldhandyman, where he posts videos featuring client projects, new tools, and practical tips.

What Clients Are Saying

"I highly recommend Vasi for help with projects around the house. He's punctual, hard-working and has an eye for detail that makes the end result perfection. Plus, he's a really nice guy!" — Karyl M.

"Working with Vasi from Old World Handyman has been a pleasure. We needed a cabinet modified to accommodate a new refrigerator, and he was able to do the work beautifully. He modified the cabinet doors so seamlessly that no one would know the work was done. Our front door has had issues after being rehung incorrectly by a painter. Vasi repaired it, and it is better than new. We plan to have bookcases built in a home office and will be scheduling kitchen work this spring. Vasi cares about the quality of the work he does. So happy to have found Old World Handyman!" — Therese C.

For more information, contact Old World Handyman at (253) 391-6184, visit www.oldworldhandyman.com, email contact@oldworldhandyman.com, or follow @oldworldhandyman on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.