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Hiring Home Contractors
Have you ever had a problem with a home contractor? You're not
alone. A friend of mine paid over seven thousand dollars to have
his roof repaired, only to have it leak the next time it rained.
The contractor made excuses, but never did a thing about it -
and my friend was an attorney! To make situations like this less
likely, avoid the following mistakes when hiring a contractor.
1. Not being clear about what you want. When you don't know
what you want, you might not like what you get. If you change
your mind and change the job halfway through, the contract - and
price - will change. Hint: it won't get cheaper. Be clear on
what you want done.
2. Not getting it in writing. Hearing "I didn't say I was going
to include the gutters," could be a problem, or you could point
to the contract.
3. No dates in the contract. Do you want the job finished this
year? Be sure you have it in the contract.
4. Too much money up front. Deposits are a reasonable request
when contracts are signed. The home contractor may need money
for materials prior to the start date. But never pay in full
before the job is finished.
5. Unlicensed contractors. This can be okay, if you know what
you are doing (and he does). A license doesn't mean you get
expertise, but it does mean you get leverage. Contractors will
right their wrongs to avoid losing that license. 6. Hiring the
first in the phone book. Talk to friends who had work done,
or
to the owner of a hardware store. Get a recommendation based on
a similar job to yours.
7. Assuming there will be no problems. Delays due to weather,
employees quitting, and more will happen. A few problems is
okay, but it's not okay if the contractor can't work out the
issues to your satisfaction.
8. Expecting neatness. Guess what? It is sometimes more
efficient to leave things laying where they'll next be used.
There will be messes, so prepare accordingly. Cover up things if
it will be a dusty job, for example. Also be clear in the
contract that the jobsite will be cleaned up at the end of the
job.
9. No penalties in the contract. It's one thing for a contract
to say "Work to be completed by May 2nd." That helps, but it's
better to add, "$100 per day to be deducted from the contract
price for each day the job is unfinished beyond May 2nd. It's
what I call a motivational clause.
10. Thinking contracts eliminate problems. Contracts help, but
unreasonable people on either side of a contract can ignore
them, or even use "literal readings" to make things worse. Find
a home contractor you can work with, and keep your eyes open.
About the author:
Steve Gillman has invested in real estate for years. To learn
more, and to see a photo of a beautiful house he and his wife
bought for $17,500, visit http://www.HousesU
nderFiftyThousand.com
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