Doing some updating or renovating in your home is a very exciting project to have done. It will add value to your home and help you get all those dream items into your home. Hiring an experienced contractor is vital if you are going to do significant renovations. Here are my tips on hiring a contractor!
Get recommendations
Word of mouth is an amazing thing. People are less likely to filter out their true thoughts when it comes down to a referring something to a friend. If it was amazing, I want to tell everyone how great that food, product, home, etc is. If it was less than amazing, rest assured I will let you know too. Same thing is likely to apply to a business owner who has recently used a contractor or a family friend who just recently renovated. They are going to be great allies in finding you a great contractor.
Interview
So now you’ve got four or five potential contractors to do your renovation. That is great but now we need to find out more about them. You are essentially employing them for the duration of your renovation. Just like going through an interview to get your current job, they need to also. Talk on the phone and in person before employing them. Ask all the questions you want answered; what projects have they done recently, history, etc.
Investigate
After hearing what your potential contractors have told you, be sure to do your own research. Are there terrible reviews online? Have they recently had some legal troubles? These are all huge red flags that they may not be as reluctant to tell a future client.
Get plans and bids
Be sure to get all of your potential contractors to give you some plans as well as the cost for the project. If someone is telling you a price that is too good to be true, it probably is. Just like the saying says. Evaluate prices and plans that look the best to you, and pick out your contractor.
Set a payment schedule
Be sure to discuss those pesky payments before getting them to knock down walls, or start framing that new addition. Contractors who say they need all or half of the cost up front, should be a red flag to some concerns that you may want to go back and research further. This could signal money problems on their business end, or they may not have the best results and are afraid you could fire them once you see their results without all the money up front. The typical payment agreement is 10-15% up front, 15% when the project is finished and the rest of the cost divided up throughout the duration of the project.
Get everything in writing
Get everything in writing. Yes, I wrote it twice, because it is that important! This simply protects you in case that some unforeseen circumstances arise when they start working. If they quoted you a four month project costing X amount and suddenly (without any extra issues) the same project is taking eight months and costing XX amount, you have protection from this situation. When getting your contract prepared, get the payment schedule, proof of their business insurance enclosed, the start and end date of the project, and the materials that will be used in your project.
