Home Building Contractors
Planning your dream house is such a thriller. From crafting the best design to choosing the materials, it is just blood-pumping to make decisions in constructing your home carefully. And, making the right choice in hiring home building contractors can avoid you the horror of an expensive but mediocre property construction.
If you just have the skills, power and time to build your own perfect haven, then you would probably be starting hammering down the wood and rolling the paint brush. But, there are just things that you rely from outside help, like organizing a wedding or laundry, to get things done. The only risk though with third party service providers is reliability. Now that it is easy to fake almost everything, including credentials and testimonials, picking the wrong one might be a possibility.
Due diligence should always be observed when hiring a contractor. You just can’t rely on online reviews or recommendations. There’s more that you should do than browsing the Web for a list of service providers. Here’s a list of tips to help you crack the best home builder and other contractors.
Research
Skepticism is the best attitude when hiring a service contractor. That’s thinking that any firm isn’t good or bad. Set bias and prejudice aside, make a thorough research on your short list and consider all your facts. Do not stop until your trust is guaranteed so you can get the best value for your money.
So, what should you be looking for? For one, membership to recognized home builders associations, the local and national chapters included. You can also seek recommendations from realtors and local lenders who have direct experience with how contractors perform, both on quality and speed. Then, ask for and confirm accreditations, certifications and/or licenses. This may not be a foolproof evidence of somebody’s capabilities, but the laurels speak volumes of expertise and experience.
Ask for Sample Work
When you request for a graphic design, did you ask for previous and current work? This goes the same to building your home. You should look into the portfolio of home builders, window provider, or residential gutter services. Go the extra mile by asking for previous and current clients, conduct a light interview and make a quick tour with the sample work. Conduct interview on certain problems, if any, the clients encounter and how these were resolved.
Red Flags
You should be asking the right questions to figure out the integrity and craftsmanship of your potential builder/contractor. You need to address critical issues like custom design, insurance, time frame, costs and materials among others. During your due diligence, here is a list of red flags that you should be wary of.
- There is no written contract or a poor draft.
- Lump sum estimate of total project costs with no details.
- Significant low price or discount might be due to incompetence.
- Lacks business permits, and no registrations to regulatory bodies and associations.
- Lacks insurance.
- Time frame is too short or too long based on industry standard.
- Ongoing lawsuits or complaints filed to regulatory bodies.
- Lacks references of sample work.
- Handles multiple ongoing projects but lacks manpower.
At times, choosing the best apparel for a date night seems to be a daunting task. But choosing the right home builder is a million times harder. Do your homework when making the most expensive purchase of your life. And be rewarded with a dream home for your family for a lifetime.
Leave a Reply