Why wait for spring is the refrain when it comes to home renovations, upgrades and repairs. Yet regardless of the time of year – an improvement or a renovation is a step forward and to the better and improved simple as that. However all in all seeking out a renovator or even a home handyman to complete your basement finishing, renovation project of project can well be a most daunting task. No doubt about that.
If you are lucky enough to be in the category of having referrals – that is your friends, family or neighbors may have had work done to their home or cottage. No matter what personal referrals are best. Whether it is a simple matter of kitchen or bathroom remodeling or a full bore home or home office renovations such as renovating a garage area into a living space you can bet that the acid test of any workman or tradesman are the finished product, his reputation and his courtesy and demeanor – all of which will have left an indelible impression on previous customers.
Even if you are lucky enough to be given a full referral by a previous content customer it never hurts to check further. Call the tradesman or handyman or better yet meet in person. Ask for additional work he, she or is team or company has completed.
Ask for photos and phone numbers if possible. If not given out or available this can well be a red flag in your minds’ eye. If the contractor does such good work – how come then there are not scads of “happy customers”. You do not want your award of work to be based on a less than full sample, a hit of miss manner or one of a solid worker who shows inconsistency and inconsistencies in his work and final jobs.
Next take the time to phone customers on the “referral list”. You would be amazed at how few people actually are thorough enough to do this. It is obviously in your benefit.
This way not only is you able to verify the veracity of the renovators work, their consistency but also if he or she is really telling you the truth. Watch for consistency in the overall descriptions and specifics by both sides. Follow-ups and guarantees by the worker and his company included here.
Lastly with the most desirable and reputable contractors and reno people – especially in such value added areas as bathroom and kitchen home renovations you may be on the receiving not the giving end of the interrogation. One wise and respected painter made it a practice to “Work only on Referrals”. His explanation was that “I work only on referrals. Every once and a while I forget this and am reminded. “. A referral customer is pre qualified to a great degree. They generally pay. As well a satisfied customer will often not only be grateful for the good work done by the home renovation consultant or contractor but also will be loathe to mess up their ongoing and continual relationship with that extra special tradesman. The interesting part is just like a competent homeowner out to get the best value for their renovation or renovation tax credit dollar – the painter would also check up on references – both by asking the caller “Who referred you?” and then following up and specifically checking with the referring customer. Often as well this showed attention to detail and resulted in extra and additional work at the home of the initial referring customer or their family.
There is nothing wrong and a careful homeowner out to do a home renovation project or task who fully completes a step evaluation of home contractors and renovators be it for full garage renovation into a living space or simply a kitchen, bathroom or deck addition or renovation
Bill Piker