Find a Quality Home Remodeler
In a perfect world, every Bowling Green home remodeling company or contractor would do an awesome job, give you the best price and follow through to the very last detail. But we don’t live in a perfect world. So it’s your job to protect your home, money and family by securing a home remodeler who will do the job right.
So how do you do this in an industry you’re not familiar with? We have some tips that will get you started out right:
1. Do An Onsite Estimate
Any Bowling Green home remodeling contractor who wants to give you a firm price without coming to your home and going over the fine details is not the contractor you want to use. Why? They either lack experience, or plan to balloon the charges on you later.
2. Don’t Decide Based on Price Alone
It’s so important to save money. But when you’re dealing with any type of home remodeling project (including things like HVAC equipment), the lowest price should not be the objective. Many homeowners who decide based on price alone end up paying more later to fix a job gone wrong.
3. Hire Based On Skill & Experience
Just because a pilot can fly a small Cessna, it doesn’t mean you should hire them to fly a commercial airliner. Just like there are different types of pilots, there are different specialties in home remodeling. Ensure that your potential Bowling Green home remodeler has experience with what you want them to do. Otherwise, your flight might suffer a crash landing.
4. Get Reviews
Online reviews for home remodeling contractors are awesome, but make sure they’re real. Ask other people in your neighborhood or location. What Bowling Green home remodeler have they used? Were they happy with the results? Sometimes trusting what someone is happy with isn’t always safe. Go look at the work they had done and see if you too are happy with the job.
5. Be Willing to Wait
Reputable Bowling Green remodeling contractors in a healthy market are not sitting around. Be willing to wait for someone who is experienced. You’ll be glad you did! And many times jobs are delayed for different reasons, so it’s highly possible that your work can happen sooner than you’d expect.
6. How Long Have They Been Around?
A new company isn’t always a bad sign, but it can be a warning. Sometimes a new company simply means an experienced Kentucky contractor decided to begin working for themselves and open up shop. However, other times it can mean their old company was sued so they closed their doors and opened under a new name. Get the history – it could save you a lot of grief!
7. Verify Insurance & License
Don’t let any Bowling Green remodeling contractor work on your home if they aren’t licensed in the State of Kentucky (or your current state of residence). We can’t stress this enough! Also ask them about insurance and what happens if one of their employees is injured while working in your home. These questions could save you major legal battles later on.
8. Setup Expectations
Set your expectations up front. Are there certain times of the day you don’t want them working? Do they need to wear protective booties to keep floors clean? Are they good with your pets? How often will they check in with updates? Will they ask you questions or make assumptions?
9. Get Stuff in Writing
Never take someone’s word for it. Sure, you can roll the dice and sometimes it turns out just fine. But getting things in writing can save stress later on.
10. Who’s Doing the Work?
Let’s say your potential home remodeler is very experience and everything checks out. Is he or she actually doing the work, or will it be a new employee with no experience? Never assume. Talk these things out ahead of time.
11. What’s Included?
We know of a homeowner who had a brand new house built, only to discover the price they were quoted “didn’t include the contractor’s rate.” What? So they were out an additional $30K because they didn’t ask questions and get things in writing. This allowed for a shady contractor to steal from them with no legal ramifications. Don’t become a statistic! Make sure you know if your estimate includes materials, labor – everything.
12. What Happens if the Work Isn’t Done Right?
This isn’t a scenario anyone wants, but it happens more than people like to admit. If your home remodeling job isn’t done right, who foots the bill to fix it?
At the end of the day, nobody likes to assume the worst. Sometimes asking certain questions might feel uncomfortable, or high maintenance. But trust us, if a home remodeling contractor isn’t comfortable with your questions, you don’t want them working on your home!
Eliseo Remodeling is one of the finest remodeling contractors in Bowling Green, KY! Contact us for a free onsite estimate, and take the first step towards your ideal living space!
