Before You Hire A Contractor: 3 Things to Think About
If you are planning a remodeling project for your South Shore or Cape Cod home there are three really important things I recommend you consider before you go forward with the project, or with choosing a contractor to work with. In my experience working with home owners, I find many have never really thought too much about these topics. I have also observed that by sharing these considerations with the homeowners I meet with, and explaining the potential benefits, they feel much more confident about their project and choosing the right contractor to work with, even if they don’t choose my company!
1. Getting to Know Each Other
If you are planning a remodeling or construction project on Cape Cod I highly recommend you spend some quality time with a few contractors before you ask any of them for a price for your project.
Assuming you decide to go forward it is likely that your project will take some time to complete and during that time you will be interacting quite a bit with your contractor and his or her team. If you are remodeling a second home and can’t always be there to meet face to face with your contractor, be sure to confirm how your contractor plans to keep you informed about the project, as well as how you will reach him or her if you have questions or concerns.
2. Clarify Why You are Doing the Project
Building or remodeling your vacation home or primary home can be a significant investment and involves a lot of important details. I always make it a point to ask home owners why they want to do the project before I offer suggestions or assume the design they share with me makes sense for them. It’s amazing how many contractors and even how many design professionals never ask this question of their customers. If your contractor truly understands why you are doing your project, it’s much more likely the money, time and inconvenience that come with construction will all be worth it in the end. By knowing “the why” figuring out “the what” becomes much easier!
3. The Preconstruction Process
The success of a remodeling or construction project has much more to do with preparation to begin construction than the actual construction itself. If your contractor hasn’t adequately thought things through before construction begins the end result may be compromised and or project costs can increase dramatically. By knowing the home owners’ true purpose for doing the work a contractor can suggest and make sure the products selected to go into your project are the right ones to use. Then making sure all products are on site and in good condition when they are ready to be installed is critical to staying on schedule and on budget. Making sure these things will happen also has a lot to do with choosing and working with the right vendors and trade partners and getting them involved during preconstruction activities as well.