How To Be THRILLED With Your Home Contractor
Why hello there! I'll bet you're considering hiring a home contractor, right? If so, allow me to gently ask:.....
Has the following ever happened to you?
You buy a new house! It's perfect! It has an unfinished basement! You have (and I quote) "room to play!" Why, it's a perfect opportunity to create that dream space you've always wanted! All it needs is a remodeler! A professional! Trusted Experts who will Care for Your Home like it was Their Own!
Are you starting to hear ominous music tones yet?
Your roof starts to leak. And you think, hey! Since the roof is 17 years old, let's re-roof! And forget that it's winter outside!
Wait! What was that? Why, it was the second ominous music chord!
Your shower starts to generously bestow water into your kitchen below. The floor is damaged, the tiles are damaged, it will cost you 5k to fix. But wait! You can amortize that cost by simply remodeling your bathroom! My gosh, where's the phone?
You install a new sink. The plumber comes! The plumber leaves! The sink pipes are six inches off-center! Of course, you discover this after you learn the plumber has relocated three states that-a-way.
Dare I hint....you're being assailed by the whole ominous music symphony?
Or.....can you say, modern definition of self-inflicted torture?
I certainly can! For I am a survivor of The Contractor From Hell!
With that as an introduction, I'd like to share with you my personal experiences of how one chooses a great contractor....and how one can instead discover someone who makes Freddy Krueger seem like Mary Poppins.
Let's go!
Contents at a Glance
- What NEVER to do when searching for a home contractor
- What ALWAYS to to before remodeling
- Sound off! Share your contractor opinions!
What NEVER to do when searching for a home contractor
Shun, shun I say!
Never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever choose someone solely because of their yellow pages ad or nifty-cool website design on the Internet. Please. I beg you. You could end up suffering Massive Amounts of Extreme Pain by Encountering The Contractor From Hell.
Trust me. I know.
Also, don't be swayed by actual photographs of work he says he's done. The sad fact is, how do you know for certain he did it? He could just as easily have snapped photos of other construction/remodeling works and claim them as his own.
Agonizing, isn't it?
What ALWAYS to to before remodeling
You'd be shocked at how many home owners choose to ignore this...
GET A PERMIT! BEFORE ANY BUILDING IS DONE ON YOUR PREMISES, GET A PERMIT! PREFERABLY YOUR CONTRACTOR SHOULD GET IT, BUT SOMEONE DARNED WELL BETTER GET A PERMIT!
Is that clear?
Seriously. You always need a permit to build. Always always always. Better to be safe than sorry. Okay, granted, some small things might not require permits...just be sure to check with your town and make certain!!!!
You will be much happier in the long run. Also remember that verbal okays on the phone don't provide much security if you're called on it later. If you're told you don't need a permit by your town, get it in writing and signed by the building/construction official.
The more documentation you have, the better.
Sound off! Share your contractor opinions!
Do you think it's easy to find and hire a good contractor?
Some people think I'm a wee bit off-the-wall (kinda like a hurricane delivers a bit of rain) in my, ahem, unique take on finding and hiring quality contractors.
What about you?
How easy is it to find and hire a grand contractor?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byEasier than dropping my coffee cup into the keyboard!
Harder than turning a golf ball into gold!
Common Sense Way of Finding A Great Contractor Tip #1
Some spiffy tips!
What's the best way to find good contractors?
Reliable word-of-mouth!
Satisfied customers will almost always recommend skilled professionals who helped make their life easier (by removing the headaches remodeling can cause). You can find them by:
- Asking. Call up your neighbors and friends and ask for recommendations. This is one of the best ways.
- Visiting your local hardware shop. One would think that owners of local shops would hear all the stories about good/bad/indifferent contractors. Hey, it's worth a try! Visit your local hardware shop and ask for recommendations and details on why someone comes with their approval.
Of course, like the stock market, past performance is in no way a guarantee for future love and adoration and happiness...but a quality track record DOES help.
Common Sense Way of Finding A Great Contractor Tip #2
Enter the Internet!
The Internet has tons of resources you can use to locate recommendations of contractors! Places include:
Searching on the Internet state/city sites. Many many many many sites that are dedicated to state or city resources abound. For example, NJ has http://www.nj.com/forums/ that includes specific bulletin boards about different counties. Post your question and ask for a recommendation there!
Keep in mind, of course, you don't know how legit a recommendation from a stranger is (it could be the truth, or it could be someone who receives a commission from recommending their friends). Always ask to visit and inspect the work.
50 States City Guides has an excellent collection of links to all the states and related city websites around.
Search The Internet
There are many places online to find a review! Here are a few from which you'll probably benefit greatly.
Angie's List - Angie's list is a paid service by which you can read hundreds of homeowner customer reviews and also report back on your own experiences.
FixR - Free way to get contractors bidding for your projects.
And don't forget you can read the following resources:
About.com Home Repair - Selecting a Good Contractor
About.com Home Repair - Dealing with Contractor
10 Questions to Ask a Remodeling Contractor
How to Find a Good Contractor for Your Home
Common Sense Way of Finding A Great Contractor Tip #3
Check out Contractor Forums!
Do you know that contractors themselves have communities in which they network?
Check out:
DIY Community (true, not a contractor forum...but a place in which you can learn what's required for your particular home repair needs).
Get The Straight Facts....Home Repair Videos!
Sometimes looking at other customer experiences or contractor how-tos will evoke a warm fuzzy feeling in your heart.
Other times, it will make you want to yank your hair out with a blunt salad shooter.
Whatever the reaction it causes, check out:
Remember...It's YOUR HOUSE!
Don't settle for lousy
When it comes to home repair...you want to ensure you don't get taken for a ride and you DO end up being a happy customer.
Do your research and ask tons of questions....your pocketbook and sanity will thank you later. :)
Share your contractor experiences!
Show us it's not hopeless!
Got your own finding a contractor experiences you want to share? We'd love to hear about them!
by lingstar
Life...it's Character-Building! 
Welcome! My name is Barbara Ling, and I'm all about:
- Achieving my goals in life by pro-...
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