About a year ago my wife and I had some work done in our house to freshen up the downstairs bathroom and kitchen.
And like many people we got a few bids as a first step.
Overall I’d have to say we’re happy with the end result (I’d probably give the guy a B+) — but there were aspects of the process that I would have changed, having gone through the experience.
What would I have changed?
Well, I’m glad you asked…
Tips for Choosing a Home Improvement Contractor
1. Don’t settle for the lowest bid
In our case we ended up getting four bids for the job – one was ridiculously high, two were in the middle and one was low.
You know the old line “you get what you pay for,” that’s certainly true when it comes to hiring a contractor.
2. Watch your budget
Maybe it’s just me, but once the work started and we were used to the noise and dust we started finding other projects for our contractor to tackle. You know, add crown molding in this room and a chair rail in that one, and the next thing you know you’re over budget.
Now, in our case we did get prices for the additional work from the guy before he got started on anything. But it seemed to me that his prices kept going up and up the longer he stayed in our house.
Some remodeling companies offer a fixed price guarantee, and next time round I’ll certainly consider choosing companies that offer this option.
3. Choose experience
We did get a few references concerning the guy we hired prior to letting him in our home. And whenever we expanded the scope of the project he always reassured me that he had experience to tackle these other projects.
But looking back I’m not so sure he did.
Of course he told me that he could handle the job – if I were in his shoes maybe I would’ve said the very same thing.
But the point is you want to deal with professional company with years and years of experience handling the exact type of work you need done. After all, you don’t want to pay someone to basically “learn on the job” at your expense.
And what’s more, you want to deal with an established company rather than a single guy.
Think of it this way, what if the guy I hired got sick or got hurt working on another project? What would’ve happened to my unfinished job?
Looking back on it all I guess I kind of got lucky because the work is finished, a little over budget, and pretty much to our liking. But I’ve heard from friends whose projects took months to complete because their contractor didn’t show up on a regular basis while juggling several jobs – all at the same time.
So the bottom line is this – make sure the company you select has enough people to complete your project by the deadline they give you, and stays within the agreed-upon scope of work and budget.
Doesn’t that make more sense than simply choosing the lowest guy?
Get your free in-home consultation today…
Do you live in Fairfield County, CT?
With more than 50 years experience, Remodeling Consultants (a family-owned and operated CT home remodeling company) has completed hundreds of home improvement projects — just like yours.
To schedule your free in-home consultation you can click here and complete a short web form.
Or if you prefer give them a call at 914-381-6900 or 800-552-2680 today.
Either way the choice is yours.
Would you like more information about CT home remodeling? Click here and review how Remodeling Consultants works with their clients from design to completion.
