Need help in selecting the perfect contractor for your home renovation?This is a crucial part of your project.
So, to help you in this process, we have put together a few tips for you to follow before you start.
Selecting the right contractor for your home renovation can prove to be one of the toughest decisions you have to make. But it is well worth putting all that time and effort into ensuring that you find the perfect person for the job. It could really make or break your home renovation!
To make life easier for you and to help you through this process, we’ve put together six points to keep in mind as you go forward:
1. Knowing what you want from your home renovation
2. Seeking advice and suggestions from your friends and family
3. Doing your research for reviews and recommendations
4. Considering multiple contractors and the work that they have done in the past
5. Checking the references and ratings of the contractors
6. Seeking well-defined bids from contractors
Through the tips given through these 6 points, we believe that you would have a home renovation that would be hassle-free and beneficial to you in every way!
The first step is to make sure you have a specific plan in mind for the home renovation.
This step could usually take the longest because there are multiple aspects to consider. For example, you could think about what suits the layout of your house or what you would want to add or change in the space you currently have (for more tips on this, you can refer to the blog titled Finding Inspiration on Unaagi).
Knowing what you want also means identifying which contractors are willing to stick to your vision. This will help in narrowing down your choices and making it a little easier for you.
It also means that the contractors would not give too much of their own ideas and substitutes that would stray away from your vision for your home renovation.
Once you have finalized your plan for your home renovation, you can also get an accurate estimate of the cost and even compare these estimates easily, without too much hassle.
There are also so many resources that could give you pointers on ensuring that the contractor you select is the right fit for you. HGTV and Consumer Affairs are two such resources that can be used when thinking about what you want when considering which contractor you should pick.
There’s always a very high chance that your friends and family have interacted with a contractor in the recent past. So, it’s a good idea to ask around and check if there are contractors they would recommend to you.
This especially helps if you know that your friends and family have similar tastes to you, and the styles and themes they like are adjacent to what you would pick.
Asking around also helps you narrow down your list of choices and ensures that you know who to avoid going forward. You could also ask your family and friends these specific questions that will help you in your quest to find the best contractor for your home renovation:
· Did they trust the contractor?
· Did the contractor listen to their needs?
· Did the contractor complete the job on time?
· Is the contractor licensed, bonded, and insured and did they get any required permits?
· Would they use the contractor again?
· Ask if you can inspect the renovation.
Knowing the answers to these questions will give you peace of mind if you pick a contractor that your family and friends suggest. It will also ensure that you can trust their work and abilities, knowing that they would not cheat you or do a mediocre job on your renovation.
Just like checking the online reviews and recommendations for restaurants we want to visit, do the same when picking a contractor.
Doing some research online can save you time and money, in the long run, to ensure that you do pick the perfect contractor for your home renovation.
You will also see a wide range of customer experiences that they have had with the contractors that you are researching. Two recommended sites for you to start your research would be Angi and Yelp, where reviews are relatively harder to fake.
You could also check Twitter and Facebook, especially on neighborhood groups and pages that people may usually recommend or suggest services that they have used in the past.
You can also check how the contractors handle complaints, if they’re easy to work with and if they are open to negotiation and suggestions on the client’s part. This information would give you an idea of what you can expect from the contractor that you select.
Once you’ve done your research online, it’s now time to contact some of these contractors to check their availability and cost estimates.
Again, it is very important to get multiple bids on your home renovation. This helps you explore your options, the past work these contractors have undertaken and gives you an idea of their charges.
Multiple bids would also mean that you get an idea of the different rates that each contractor would charge according to their specialty, and this will also help you decide what style of work you would want your contractor to do in your home renovation.
Doing an initial phone interview will help you explain what you would require from the contractor and give you a chance to discuss their past work.
You can also check if the contractor works on projects of our size and their availability for interior and exterior projects.
Before this initial conversation, you can also check on the licenses that contractors must-have in your area of residence. This helps you ask and determine if the contractor you are considering is properly certified.
While you may have to ask these questions from multiple contractors, this will also reveal if an individual is not honest about the required permits for a home renovation project.
When communicating with your list of contractors, ensure that you get the official name of their registered business.
Knowing this information will allow you to access references from current clients and subcontractors and help you learn about the quality of their work.
Current clients can share personal experiences, while subcontractors can provide red flags, such as late payment or cutting corners.
Further, the official name of the contractor’s business will also help you do an official search into the complaints and other problems that the contractor has experienced in the past and how these problems were resolved.
It is also useful to check their licenses and verify the professional organizations they may be a part of in your area of residence. This will help you rest easy knowing that your contractor is accountable to an organization that would ensure that their work is of a certain required standard and quality.
Finally, when you have narrowed your list of contractors down to a few, it is now time to get their bids. Again, it is important to have an honest discussion with each potential contractor and define your plans for your home renovation.
It would be useful to share any blueprints that you may have and also tell them what you’re willing to spend before you ask them for a full quote.
To compare the bids you have received, you can ask each contractor to provide a breakdown of the details for the cost of labor, materials and other expenses.
The usual breakdown should consist of materials being 40% of your total cost, another 40% for labor and other expenses and the remaining 20% should be used for their profit margin.
Once you receive a bid that you like, you can then start the negotiation process. You need to ensure that the contract is detailed and that, ultimately, you are comfortable with it before the renovation.
It also helps keep track of the renovation and the specific spaces within your home that was remodeled. A home management app such as Unaagi can help you keep track of everything related to your project, including the materials used and any specific appointments you need to keep track of with your contractor or supplier, as well as any important contact details all in one place.
It is also crucial to ensure that the necessary approvals for the renovation are obtained before starting the home renovation. This could be done in coordination with your contractor as they would be able to guide you on the procedure to follow.
So, when the work begins, it is important to remember that communication is definitely key! Working together with your contractor, you can ensure that the required guidelines are followed, including your home insurance and keeping track of other important aspects during the process.
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