Craven Academy: Real Estate

If you are going to hire a contractor, how do you find a good one? The best way is to get recommendations from other people. Before hiring one of these referrals, you should see their work and talk to them to be sure that you are comfortable with them. Communication is very important; you need to be sure that they understand your needs and concerns. They need to be aware of your deadlines as well as your budget. Beware of contractors who low-ball the initial price only to find other things that need to be done as they go along. However, still understand that problems will pop up unexpectedly and additional work may be needed to correct them. Prior to hiring anyone, you should check with the state and local contractors' board to see if there are any complaints against the contractor and to verify that they have the proper licenses and insurance.

When working with contractors, you need to be aware that there can be difficulties. There are contractors who do not show up when they are supposed to or sometimes do not show up at all. They may be there for several days and then they are missing in action. It could be that they are working on several jobs simultaneously or need to go take care of a problem elsewhere. They may have priorities other than you. That is not to suggest that all contractors are like that, but some are. You need to be sure to communicate clearly and have things in writing as much as possible. You should never pay for a job that isn't completed. It is normal to provide a deposit when work starts, and have a payment schedule as work progresses, but something should always be held back until the job is completed to your satisfaction.

Sometimes things may not be done exactly as you think they should. Having a dispute with a contractor can hamper a project, so you need to pick your battles carefully. You may find it necessary to be diplomatic at times but you need to be willing to stand your ground if you feel an issue is important. The last thing you want to happen is for a contractor to walk off the job because the two of you do not see eye to eye. It all comes back to choosing your contractors carefully and communicating clearly.