Tips for choosing a home remodeling contractor.
It has always been hard for home owners to choose the right home remodeling contractor.
If you are like most home owners and you have not used a home remodeling contractor to do work for you on your home, you probably have the following concerns on your mind.
1. Hard to find someone I could trust.
2. I don’t want to be ripped off or not get value for money.
3. Who do I ask or where should I look for a contractor.
3. How do I make sure the job will be done as I want it and to a high standard.
4. What if something happens during the home remodeling work and I end up high and dry.
5. I don’t like dealing with someone I don’t know and it could be intimidating.
If the thoughts above are worrying you, then that is a good thing and quiet normal, as you are asking the right questions which will make it easier when you start looking at different contractors.
So lets address some of these common concerns that you may have when choosing a home remodeling contractor and how to overcome them.
A. There is no way you should trust a home remodeling contractor on just their word or verbal agreement, just as the contractor should not trust a client on their word alone.
You should have a detailed scope of works before hand in writing with a specification of all the materials, fixtures, brands and so on.
A genuine good remodeling contractor will love to have this as it makes it easier to bid on the job with certainty and they will know that you are genuinely looking for someone to do the job.
Get the bids from 3 contractors based on your scope of works and specification, then when you choose the contractor that’s right for you, have a written contract drawn up.
For licensed contractors that is a legal requirement anyway in most cases, depending where you live and what the job is.
B. To avoid getting ripped off and getting value for your money, you need to get a few bids and not just one.
Generally getting 3 bids is the best. Get those 3 contractors to bid on the same scope of works and the same specification you have made up by a qualified professional beforehand.
C. You should ask your family or friends or someone you trust if they can recommend a remodeling contractor that they have already used and were happy with.
You should also have a look at the outcome of any of these jobs in person.
Good tradesmen and contractors don’t have to advertise to get work as they will get more work than they can handle from recommendations from their previous clients.
D.To get a good outcome and a high standard of work have a detailed specification as I said earlier with a list of items like a specific vanity unit for example, with exact type of model, size and fittings, exact name of tiles you will use and so on.
Also you need to let the contractor know before he gives his bid that you expect the job to a certain standard of his previous work you saw and that you wont settle for less.
You need to inspect the work for yourself during the work being carried out as well.
E. In order to have a peace of mind that if something goes wrong with your remodeling project during and after the job is completed, you will be covered financially, you need to have in writing, certificates of currency of insurances, licenses and a specified warranty for the work carried out from the contractor bidding on your home remodeling job.
Another thing that would put your mind to ease is also that if that contractor has been in business for a long time and seems to have many resources at his disposal, it will be less likely that he will leave the job unfinished and walk away from it, leaving you with a big mess.
F. If you are not comfortable with talking with someone you don’t know, like a home remodeling contractor, then bear in mind that if they come recommended it should be easier for you.
They will also have to deal with you, one on one, so it’s a two way street and after all we are all human.
The above thoughts, which come from my experiences dealing with home owners and working in their homes, should help you in choosing a home remodeling contractor wisely and alleviate some stress and concerns you may have about the process.