Credibility is probably the most over looked criteria when people are looking into trades to select when undergoing a renovation. To me this is extremely surprising, but most people put money as the number ONE criteria and they allow it to trump all the others. I am sure you've heard the horror stories of a friend, colleague or acquaintance that gave a contractor or a trade a deposit only to never see the person again. This is extremely disheartening, having your hard earned money taken from you with no recourse or no way to reclaim it. Although I have sympathy for the people this happens to, it is their own fault. The worst part is that when people hear of these horrific events it places a negative connotation on all those involved in construction products and services. The good news is that it is COMPLETELY avoidable. Whenever you are looking to do a home renovation or build a home you need to do your homework on ALL the trades and the contractor BEFORE you ever give anyone deposits. There are a few simple tips to help you avoid this horrible situation.
1. A lot of trades and contractors offer FREE in home estimates. This is great for the consumer and offers additional convenience BUT make sure you visit the contractors or trades' office / showroom BEFORE making a decision to go with them. Visiting the contractor's or trades' place of work can tell you a lot about the company. For instance, do they have an office, or do they work out of a van? This is a possible sign that you may never see this person again. I am not saying that ALL contractors / trades that work out of a van are crooks but the likelihood of someone moving their entire office / showroom is a little more difficult and time consuming that moving a van. Secondly it will offer you a chance to see the person's work. If the work in the showroom is sloppy or the office is disorganized you can expect your home to be treated in a similar manner.
2. Consider the integrity of the person/company you are considering doing business with. Do they give you honest straightforward answers or are they constantly changing the subject or giving vague answers. It could be they aren't properly qualified to perform the job if they don't give you specific answers. Ask how long the people have been in the business/how long the company has been around. I am always amazed to see companies splash their home page with '30 Years in the Business' in large text or images and then they make no reference to what year the company was founded anywhere on their website. This I find suspicious because if you had 30+ years in the business, surely you wouldn't hide the year your company was founded, that is unless, the company was NOT founded 30 years ago. It is completely possible in these situations that the same owner has had 5 different companies in the last 30 years and every few years closes and re-opens under a different name. If this happens then you can say goodbye to any warranty that would be associated with the products/services you purchase. Also if this is the case what re-assurance do you have that the trade will finish your project completely without closing down? Now on the other hand it may be a clerical error and they simply omitted the founding year on the website - so how do you know? ASK. It's simple, if you don't ask they won't tell you. Once you ask it's your job to evaluate the answer and make a decision whether or not this person/company is trustworthy to handle your project, and more importantly your money.
3. REFERENCES. It amazes me how few people ask for REFERENCES. The easiest was to learn about the quality of work a contractor/trade does is to ask someone who has RECENTLY used the same trade a few questions about time frame, quality of work, customer service and overall experience. References over 30 months ago are invalid.
With these simple and cheap 3 steps you can be sure that your renovation or new home construction will be successful and stress free.
gummygunk
annaxmalina
areudirty
ellievsbear
izzy806