3 Warning Signs to Watch for When It Comes to Home Contractors
Making the decision to take on a home improvement project is a big one. All homeowners know the importance of having a home improvement project carried out after a certain amount of time in order to improve the condition of the house.
It is never an empty investment because when you get the renovation done in your home, it automatically increases the value of your home. It is a sizeable investment both in terms of money and time when you decide to have your home renovated but a lot of people find themselves pulling out their hair for another reason – their home contractors that are doing the renovation.
As if it is not already tough enough for a homeowner to make such a huge investment, most contractors out there taking on the renovation jobs can make their lives a living hell. Most people will agree on the fact that there is nothing worse than the poor communication that can make your home remodeling project go down the gutter. The failure of proper communication between the homeowner and the contractor is the number one reason why home remodeling projects become so difficult.
This is why one of the things that you need to know is that your home contractor is able to communicate with you in a way that is detailed, consistent, respectful and well thought out.
This is why we are going to take a look at 3 warnings signs when it comes to home contractors. Knowing it will help you determine whether or not you can trust the home contractor you are considering for your home remodeling project or should you take on your next project.
1. Cash In Advance
You know what is the one word should be ringing in your head whenever you hear the home contractor say that they want the money for the job in advance? “SCAM”
There are a lot of contractors out there that will try to get you to pay them their fees for the job in advance and in cash. The smartest thing to do in that scenario is that you tell them you will get back to them and find start looking for another contractor.
Some cases are exceptional especially if the renovation project is a large one. They will want some of the payment in advance in order to purchase the materials that will be used for your home improvement project but the well reputed home contractors will never ask you for the money before they start the job.
2. Limited Time Deals
Whenever a home contractor just knocks on your door and tells you that he noticed some structural damage in your home and feels that you really need to get a remodeling job done, you should be wary of that person. There are a lot of them going to people’s houses and saying that they are only in your neighborhood today and they noticed some real room for much needed improvement.
Yeah, these are the people you do not want to trust. A reputable home contractor will be too busy to go around to people’s houses and knock on their doors to tell them that they noticed something needs improving in your home.
These “limited time offers” that the contractors make are nothing more than a strategy to lure in the more gullible homeowners. Legitimate home contractors never make one day offers on home improvement jobs. That is never how that works. Home remodeling and renovation are very complex projects. Legitimate contractors understand the fact that homeowners need to take some time to consider whether or not they want to get a renovation job done in their homes.
They need to check the references of the contractor’s company in order to know whether or not they can trust them to do a good job. If they really need to get the renovation done, they will also get estimates from other companies.
3. Jack Of All Trades
Another reason why most of the home contractors suck is that they claim to be jacks of all trades. If the other two things in the list check out, this is the thing you want to move on to and consider before you decide on putting pen on paper.
Thoroughly discuss the home improvement project with the contractor you are considering for the job and get all the details you can from the contractor. Once you know what is to be done, ask the home improvement contractor how he plans to get the job done. How the contractor is planning to go about the execution of the renovation project is very important. Is the contractor going to hire subcontractors or will he do it all by himself?
While you might be inclined to think that a guy who will be willing to do everything himself is a good option since that makes him a ‘jack of all trades’, it is actually a very bad idea to go with such a home contractor. The simplest reason is that while the person might be a jack of all the trades, he is probably not a master at any of them.
You see, when you hire a home contractor for a massive home improvement job that will hire several subcontractors that specialize in different aspects of the renovation job, you can trust that project to be done well. This is because there are a lot of different skill sets involved and you cannot expect one person to be skilled in all of them. These projects are huge undertakings and anything can go wrong.
Someone who has a certain mastery over a particular aspect of the home renovation will be able to get the problem sorted out. Someone who has bare minimum knowledge and experience in getting that job done will not be able to handle the situation.
Contractors that can get the carpentry done will have a license that certifies they are able to do that job and get it done well. You cannot expect the guy to deliver the same quality of work when it comes to the plumbing.
Final Thoughts
You should make it a point to consider these things when you are looking for a home contractor that will take on the renovation job. If these issues are there, you would do well to practice caution and patience and look for other contractors that will satisfy the requirements instead.