Guidelines for Hiring Home Renovation Contractors
If you are interested in renovating your home, the first task you have to look into is hiring reputable home renovation contractors. With the ever increasing number of self proclaimed contractors in the market, one can never be too careful. You have probably heard horror stories or contractors who never complete projects or end up doing shoddy work. To guide you through the process of working with professional contractors, you should consider the following guidelines.
There is the preconceived misconception that reputable contractors must be listed with the BBB (Better Business Bureau). However, this could not be further from the case. Majority of people do not launch complaints with BBB and as such, you cannot be certain whether the contractors are reputable or not. The best thing would be to carry out thorough research and comparison of different contractors before making a decision.
When shopping for home renovation contractors, you should be careful not to succumb to the pressure of sales people. Do not be pushed into signing a contract by a sales person who tells you that an offer is available if you sign up with them immediately. This is a trick used by majority of home contractors and it can cost you dearly in the long run.
You do not have to settle with the contractor offering the lowest price. This is because there is a likelihood they offer substandard services that do not match up to your expectations. You have to look at the performance of the contractor and ensure the low price is not a simple strategy meant to entice you. Additionally, settle with a contractor that is financially stable as this proves the business is well established and they have the capability of meeting your renovation needs.
Finally, you have to be carefully when making a down payment of the services to be offered. Be wary of contractors who ask for a large sum of down payment as this is proof they are not financially stable. It is true that there are some contractors who ask for a sensible amount upfront. However, the best and high quality ones have excellent working relationships and they are able to buy materials using open accounts and they do not solely rely on you to complete the project.
Questions you should ask
There are a couple of questions you need to ask the contractor as well before making your decision on whether to sign up with them. Some of these are as highlighted below.
Ask questions about their experience. They should give you at least 3 referees of projects they have handled in the past and which are similar to your project.
Ask them whether they work with fixed contracts and the amount you are expected to pay. In addition to this, ask questions about the materials that are going to be used and how the average price will compare to the estimate.
You also need to find out what their scheduling is like and if they can complete the project within the agreed timeline. Ask how money is handled during the project and if they have proof of their expertise.
Investing in a home renovation project can be a costly affair and for this reason, it is important to hire reputable home renovation contractors. This is the only way to ensure you get value for your money and results that are pleasing.