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How to Get the Best Contractor for Your Renovation Project

Modified on May 12, 2022 at 12:41 AM

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Renovation projects involve a lot of work, and the chances are that you will need to hire some contractors to either do the work for you or to at least help you with the more technical renovations. Jobs that involve electricity and water are usually best left to the professionals but how do you go about hiring the best contractor for the job? Here is a guide to help you get the best contractor for your renovation project. 

Decide What You Want the End Result to Look Like

Decide what you want to achieve. You might want to build outwards so that you extend the floor space of your home or add a bathroom or a couple of bedrooms. Once you know what you want to be done in your home, you have a great starting point. You can change your mind later on if you have decided you would prefer something else.

Decide How Much Work You Will Do Yourself

Some people find it best to let contractors carry out all their renovation work. That way they know it is done to an excellent standard. However, this can be expensive and for many people getting stuck in and doing at least part of the work themselves is all part of the fun.

It is best to leave the electrical work to the experts as you could get a nasty electric shock or even burn your newly renovated home down if you try to do this work yourself. Unless you have a good idea of what you are doing, a lot of the plumbing work is also best left to an expert. Leaking water can cause a lot more damage than you might realize. If it gushes out it can cause untold damage to carpets, flooring, and furniture and even if it drips slowly, it could still cost you a new floor or ceiling. 

Some of the work is quite easy to do yourself. For example, many people like to paint the walls themselves and lay their own carpets as this makes them feel they have been hands-on with the renovation project. If gardening is part of your project this can be a great place to get stuck in and get growing. 

Once you have decided how much work you are going to do for yourself you know what will be left for the contractors to do. Now all you have to do is hire them.

Hiring Contractors

There are so many contractors around it can be difficult to know where to start. However, if any of your friends and family have had similar work done you can ask for recommendations. You may even be able to view the work that was done so you know how good the contractor’s standards are likely to be. 

Make sure that the contractors have had experience in the type of renovation you are looking to do and hire someone you can trust. It can work out well to hire a larger company that has expertise in several areas. That way they can liaise with each other, and they are not waiting around for the next job to be finished. They will probably have experience of working together as part of a team before which will make the work run more smoothly. For example, Beattie Home Services employs experts in plumbing, electrical, and air conditioning who work together to produce a seamless result. 

Getting Quotes

It is best to get three quotes for each job you need to be done. Many people make the mistake of opting for the cheapest, but they aren’t always the best. You have to pay for expertise and experience so bear this in mind when choosing your contractor. 

It is a good idea to ask for references as well as quotes. That way you can see what people who have used them in the past have to say about their work. If the contractor refuses to give you references or uses stalling techniques, you should see this as a red flag and give the work to someone else. 

Communication

While you are searching for your quotes bear in mind how easy it is to communicate with your prospective contractors. Do they pick up the phone the first time it rings, or does it take them three days to reply to an e-mail? The way they communicate with you before they get the job is a likely indication of how good they will be once they have started. Remember, before you offer them the work, they should be trying their best to impress you so if they are difficult to communicate with at that point, they may be even worse once they are hired. 

Availability

You will probably have an idea in mind of when you want the work to start and finish. It would be nice if everything could fall into place immediately, but you should keep in mind that a good contractor will probably be booked up for a while. They should still be able to give you a good idea of when they can start the job and how long it should take. Setting expectations is important and if the contractor can’t give you these start and finish times, you should look elsewhere, or they could keep you hanging on for months.

Draw Up a Contract

A contract will let both you and the contractor know where they stand. You should include the price and the installments they will be paid in. Many contractors ask for some of the money upfront to pay for costs and materials so don’t be alarmed if they do this. Put the start and finish dates in the contract and anything else you think is important. 

Supervise the Work Yourself

The process of supervising the work yourself may seem daunting but it is the best way of making sure that the work gets done on time to a standard you are happy with and there are no major hiccups. If you supervise the work, you will know as soon as anything goes wrong, and you can help to rectify the issue before it gets too big and the contractors are forced to down tools. 

If you really don’t fancy the stress of having to supervise the renovations yourself, you could always hire a project manager to do the job for you. This will cost you a lot more money, but it will save you some time and hassle. 

Finance

Once you have chosen a contractor and hired them you need to make sure you have the money to pay them on the required dates. If you already have the money in your bank account, check if you need to give notice to draw it out. Some that pay higher interest rates ask for a month or more and you will upset your contractor if you don’t check this and leave them waiting for payment. 

If you don’t have the money readily available, now is a suitable time to take out a loan, check the limit on your credit card, or apply to the bank of mom and dad. 

Hopefully, this guide has shown you how to get the best contractor for your renovation project, so you know what to do when it comes to hiring help. Now all you need to do is get started. 

Related posts:

Everything You Need To Know About Remodeling Your HomeEverything You Need To Know About Remodeling Your Home

Posted By The Fashionable Housewife
on May 12, 2022 at 12:41 AM
Filed Under: Home Improvement, Home Life, In The Kitchen
Tagged With: contractor, contractors, home renovation, home renovations, Kitchen Renovation, renovating, renovation, renovation project, renovations

About The Fashionable Housewife

Sarah-Jean Ballard is the Editor in Chief of The Fashionable Housewife blog and Founder of Fashionable Media. Married to a sexy Molecular Biologist, housewife, mom to 5, homeschooler, Certified Personal Nutritionist and entrepreneur who's mission is to help moms just like you look and feel GREAT! Other interests include dancing, yoga, positive intactivism, natural birth and breastfeeding support, babywearing, paleo & gluten-free cooking, and promoting an overall healthy lifestyle to all.

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Sarah-Jean Ballard

Hi! I’m Sarah-Jean. I’m a Christian, the wife of a handsome Molecular Biologist, and the homeschooling mother of 5 beautiful kids!

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You do not find a happy life. You make it. 

That’s the biggest lesson that grief has taught me. If I just wait around to be happy again, I’ll die sad. 

You don’t get through grief and come out the other side. That’s not how it works. You learn how to grow around it like a tree grows around a rock that’s in the way. You don’t wait for the rock to move. Cause it’s not gonna. 

Choose happy. And then make it happen. 

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The last 20 years with you have been my favorite years on this earth. ❤️ 

If I did anything right in my life, it was when I decided to give my heart to you.  You are my best friend, my soul mate, my better half, my rock, my everything. 

I love you.

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Kids love helping if you just let them!💁🏼‍ Kids love helping if you just let them!💁🏼‍♀️

This little guy always asks to help when he sees me cleaning the house, washing the floors, doing laundry, or emptying the dishwasher. That’s what I love about Montessori parenting - it allows kids to do  big jobs and in turn makes them eager to help! 

He was over the moon when we gave him the @lovevery floor mop that actually works! He uses it daily now. The mopping pad is machine washable and you can refill the fluid container on it. I usually just do water and a drop of essential oils because he loves it when everything smells clean! 😜 

Definitely recommend! If you want to grab this mop for your little helper, it’s in the Storyteller Play Kit from Lovevery for 3 year olds. 

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Sometimes we outgrown relationships. Sometimes we realize someone else isn’t a good influence on our lives. Sometimes we realize we aren’t a good influence for someone else. Sometimes we need to let things go that aren’t good for us in order to grow. And that’s ok. 

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The “Steffi” in green are the perfect boots for ushering in spring weather with their delicious vintage leather and worn-in look right out of the box. I love the chunky lug soles and inside zippers to get them on and off easily. 

These are the boots you’ll want to wear again and again. And again. 

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Considering he was my 6th child, it's possible he would have been here by now. It’s been extra hard for me this week. 

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You do not find a happy life. You make it. 

That’s the biggest lesson that grief has taught me. If I just wait around to be happy again, I’ll die sad. 

You don’t get through grief and come out the other side. That’s not how it works. You learn how to grow around it like a tree grows around a rock that’s in the way. You don’t wait for the rock to move. Cause it’s not gonna. 

Choose happy. And then make it happen. 

#choosehappy #joyinthejourney #griefjourney #healingfromtrauma
8 billion smiles in the world, but his is my favor 8 billion smiles in the world, but his is my favorite. 

Happy Valentine’s Day, @daeinexplains 🥰

The last 20 years with you have been my favorite years on this earth. ❤️ 

If I did anything right in my life, it was when I decided to give my heart to you.  You are my best friend, my soul mate, my better half, my rock, my everything. 

I love you.

#couplegoals #marriedlife #motherhoodthroughinstagram #weddingday #marriagegoals #yourestilltheone
Kids love helping if you just let them!💁🏼‍ Kids love helping if you just let them!💁🏼‍♀️

This little guy always asks to help when he sees me cleaning the house, washing the floors, doing laundry, or emptying the dishwasher. That’s what I love about Montessori parenting - it allows kids to do  big jobs and in turn makes them eager to help! 

He was over the moon when we gave him the @lovevery floor mop that actually works! He uses it daily now. The mopping pad is machine washable and you can refill the fluid container on it. I usually just do water and a drop of essential oils because he loves it when everything smells clean! 😜 

Definitely recommend! If you want to grab this mop for your little helper, it’s in the Storyteller Play Kit from Lovevery for 3 year olds. 

LlNK is in my bio to get FREE shipping! 💃🏼

#lovevery #loveverytoddler #loveverypartner #montessoriathome #montessoriplayroom #montessoritoddler
Stop trying to fit your square self in a round hol Stop trying to fit your square self in a round hole. 

Sometimes we outgrown relationships. Sometimes we realize someone else isn’t a good influence on our lives. Sometimes we realize we aren’t a good influence for someone else. Sometimes we need to let things go that aren’t good for us in order to grow. And that’s ok. 

Stop trying to sit at a table you are no longer welcome at. Just be yourself, focus on God, love your family and friends, and the right people will gravitate to you. ✌🏻 

#raisingsaints #momlife #motherhoodunplugged #selflovejourney #growingpains #selfcaresunday
When your toaster breaks from a power surge you ta When your toaster breaks from a power surge you take that as a sign that it’s time to upgrade! 🤪

It wasn’t hard to pick a new 4 slice toaster. As soon as I saw this one from @haden_usa I added it to my cart. I bought it from @lordandtaylor because it had the fastest shipping and I didn’t want to wait! 

No fancy electronics, screens, or extra features we don’t need. Just simple, straight forward functions and perfect results everytime. Plus it matches all my @cafeappliances too! 😂👍🏻

What do you think of this 4 slice toaster?! 

#toasters #kitchenappliances #kitchendesign #kitchendecor #whitekitchen #farmhousekitchen #farmhousestyle #whiteappliances
I’m obsessed with these leather booties from @en I’m obsessed with these leather booties from @enjoiya! 💃🏼 

The “Steffi” in green are the perfect boots for ushering in spring weather with their delicious vintage leather and worn-in look right out of the box. I love the chunky lug soles and inside zippers to get them on and off easily. 

These are the boots you’ll want to wear again and again. And again. 

Use my coupon code BALLARD20 to get 20% off your order! Find them on www.enjoiya.com

#leatherbooties #enjoiya #italianshoes #realmomstyle #momstyle #momstyletips
All the poop shoveling doesn’t seem so bad with All the poop shoveling doesn’t seem so bad with the prices of eggs right now! 🤪 🐔 🥚 

Guess it’s ok to be a crazy chicken lady and have a homestead now! 🤣

#momlife #crazychickenlady #homesteadlife
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