HOW TO CHOOSE GOOD TRADESPEOPLE
How to choose good tradespeople
How do you make sure that the tradespeople you are hiring will do a good and timely job?
Find out how to avoid picking the wrong tradespeople and make sure that your home renovation project is completed with finesse and on time.
So you’ve decided to renovate your home. Excellent idea! Unless you’re a DIY whizz yourself, it’s likely that you’ll need to hire some tradespeople to help you with the work. When hiring tradespeople, there a few things to bear in mind. Lamudi is here to help!
Ask for recommendations
From experience, we have learnt that tradespeople recommended by friends are usually the most trustworthy. Ask around the local neighborhood, look for any online reviews and speak to the prospective contractor in person before they come round to start any work on your property. Reputable and locally trusted tradespeople will not want to do a poor job and risk damaging their brand’s reputation. The more proven experience your tradesperson has, the better. You can always look at advertisements in the newspaper for local contractors and then ask around to find out more about how trustworthy they are.
Make agreements
Once you’ve found your contractor, you’ll need to have a detailed conversation about the project that is about to take place. You don’t want them in your home for weeks, preventing you from using your space for any longer than necessary. Right at the beginning of any project, communication is key. Before entering into an agreement with any tradespeople, make sure that both parties’ expectations and timelines are completely clear. What exactly do you want to be completed? Provide as much detail as possible about what you expect. Do you have a particular timeframe for completing the project? Is there any flexibility in this timeline? Do you have a specific budget that you have to stick to? Make sure that you always get a detailed quote in writing specifying the timeline and the costs in advance. Never pay up front. Always agree on a price, and if there are any additional costs, make sure that the contractor advises you of this in writing before proceeding with any additional service/using any additional equipment. This should be discussed at the initial stage.
Discuss breaks
Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the project. It is your home and as long as you leave the contractor to get on with his work the majority of time, subtly keeping an eye on the work, everything should be fine. Ask the tradespeople how often they require breaks during your first conversation with them. If the number of breaks they are taking seems unreasonable during the works, politely bring the issue up with them. It’s always best to be present and friendly.
Check the paperwork
Make sure you have a contract with your tradespeople and that there are clauses in this contract which gives precise details of liability should anything go wrong. Both parties should have insurance. Check with your contractor that their insurance covers the work they are carrying out. Find out who is responsible for providing tools in the early stages and make sure that all eventualities are covered in the contract, including what would happen if the contractor pulled out of the project leaving it unfinished. Are there penalties for late completion in the contract? Have you sorted out the removal of debris after the project has been completed?
Check the work
As soon as the project has come to an end, make sure that you check all the work that has been done. Make sure that nothing has been left unfinished. If it has, ask the contractors to make any final touches. If the team worked hard and were professional, make sure you pay on time. Kindness usually leads to efficiency and efficiency usually leads to kindness. Good luck with your renovation projects!
