As Winter finally gives way to Spring now might be a good time to update your home, inside or out.
If you think it might be time to get some work done in (or on) your home, you already know that hiring the right contractor is important.
In fact, if you ask friends, family or neighbors chances are you’ll hear nightmare stories of companies who time and again over-promise and under-deliver.
And since every remodeling job includes elements of completed work that you CAN’T see hidden in the walls behind shiny coats of new paint, how can you know if corners were cut or all work done properly?
Unfortunately, many times you won’t know until problems appear down the road.
The only way to prevent this nightmare scenario is by hiring the right company.
With this in mind here are some questions to ask BEFORE you hire a remodeling company to do work in your home.
Tips for Hiring the Right Remodeling Company
So what are some of the items you’ll want to consider before you start getting bids?
The first step is to write down a list of what you’d like to get done. And be as specific as possible. This will serve as an outline for the scope of work that will be required to turn your vision into reality, and will also give the remodeling company a good idea of what will be required to complete the job.
As you can imagine your “must have list” will also be a key driver for the total budget of your project.
Next up, you should ask any remodeling company how many projects they have completed in the past couple of years similar to yours. For example, it’s one thing to redo a master bathroom… and quite another to build out a $250,000 addition for your home.
Like anything else, experience matters.
And by asking for the total number of projects they have completed similar to yours you can get a rough idea if they might be a good fit for you. Additionally, you should ask for samples of their work, such as photos and testimonials, so you can match those to other projects completed in your area.
Other things to consider are how long they’ve been in business, and if they have any recent complaints posted online (or at the BBB).
Another key is the size of the company.
You should avoid any contractors that are little more than a “man in a van.”
Why is that?
It comes down to two factors: meeting your remodeling schedule and unexpected contingencies.
For starters, any company you hire should be able to stay within the budget (unless you change the scope of work once the project gets started) and to meet your timetable for completing the job.
Far too often the “man in a van” will start too many projects at once and then have to run around juggle all those jobs. Which means days when no one shows up to your home to finish the work that was started.
As for unexpected contingencies, life happens.
That said, you don’t need another person’s emergency to disrupt your remodeling project. Only by hiring an established company with a large enough crew to complete the job that was started can you avoid these types of issues to delay or interrupt your next home remodel.
You should ask if they will be on site every day once the project gets started.
And be sure to ask who will supervise the people working on your home, and how many people will be on site each day.
Make sense, right?
Finally, consider using a design/build firm for your next remodeling project. Working with one company who can handle ALL aspects of the job — from the design stage to the creation of that design — will eliminate potential cost overruns or mistakes with implementation.
Does that make sense to you?
Get your free in-home consultation today…
Do you live in Westchester County, NY or Fairfield County, CT?
With more than 50 years experience, Remodeling Consultants (a family-owned and operated New York remodeling company) has completed hundreds of home improvement projects — just like yours.
To schedule your free in-home consultation you can click the link for Remodeling Consultants to complete a short web form. Or if you prefer give us a call at 914-381-6900 or 800-552-2680 today.
We’re waiting to hear from you…
