Posted by admin | Posted in Home Improvement | Posted on 12-07-2009
You wouldn’t pick the low bidder to do plastic surgery on you, so why pick a fly-by-night operator to give your home a facelift?
Picking a home improvement contractor is a lot like picking a roommate, you’re going to have to live with them for a while, so you had better pick someone you can get along with and trust. Here’s a few pointers:
Know what you want going in: If you already know exactly what you want and can communicate that to a home improvement contractor, that allows the contractor to tell you how he or she will complete your project.
If the home improvement contractor sounds knowledgeable about your specific requirements – knows how to install hardwood floors, is familiar with the type of window frames you want, etc. – it’s a good bet that he or she is a reliable professional. Conversely, if a home improvement contractor gives you the deer in headlights look when you discuss the advantages of a floating floor, you might want consider going with someone else.
Do further research: The more you know about the project you want to undertake, the better you’ll be able to direct your home improvement contractor. Also, knowing what’s up will also make it harder for your home improvement contractor to pad the bill with unnecessary additions or outrageous labor costs. Not that any of them would do that, of course.
Don’t believe the advertising: Remember, contractors pay for all those flashy ads and television spots. If you want to find out a home improvement contractor’s real value, ask for references and a portfolio.
Papers please: Most states have laws requiring home improvement contractors to be licensed and bonded. Ask to see your home improvement contractor’s credentials and also check your contractor’s certificate of insurance. Contractors in most states are required by law to carry worker’s compensation, property damage and personal liability insurance.
Ask questions: Word of mouth is usually the best reference when it comes to contractors. Talk to friends who have recently had work done and also ask other professionals like your plumber or landscaper who they would recommend. Also check with local building inspectors and other public officials involved in construction.
Get legal: Check with your local district attorney’s office, the Better Business Bureau, or small claims court to see if any your potential home improvement contractor is facing any pending litigation. In most jurisdictions, court records are available to the public, and you should be able to see if any judgments have been entered against the contractor for incomplete or shoddy workmanship or shady business practices.
Picking the right home improvement contractor is key to the success of your project. Be informed and be aware and you’ll ensure that you get a professional that’ll do your home right.
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hi in what episode of home improvement is tim taylor asked to fire al?i have been looking around for it but could not find it.hheellpp.oh and do any of you know a good web site to watch home improvement.
no as there are more property owners out there trying to get work done for free, also take a look at the developers who build on the credit of subs, then go belly up leaving the ones who not only put their blood and sweat into the project but now have to pay for it as well.
if you feel you were taken advantage of than you did not put the time and effort in to find a contractor that fit your needs. if you buy the house take a little more time to find the right contractor. agreed that is the wrong contractor you just have to keep looking
I owned my own landscaping company and would like to help.
You must hire or know how to maintain and fix your own equipment.
Yearly contracts with a one price yearly is a bad way to go as the end figure scares away people that are frugal but still desire lawn care.
If you do go yearly then you will get calls to do it better time and time again.
No employees can get the day off before a holiday as this is always the busiest time.I have found that females are better suited for landscaping and lawn care.
Try not to commit to gardening of pretty raised beds that you did not create yourself as the faults of the creator will become your own.
A separate billing and rate for gardening is wise and will pay off in the end for you and as well the home owner as this can be and will be a very talked about and picky item on your workload.
Always remember that the billing of time for hedge trimming and whipper snipping is 3 times the rate of simple mowing as it is a very meticulous and tedious chore.If you forget this then the good work you do may actually increase your own workload without proper compensation and to change rates in mid season is a bad practice .
Always try to hire people that will be presentable,smile,not curse,and do not smoke dope when working.One ciggarette but can lose a client.
Old ladies and fellas like to brag about thier landscapers but seldom do.Yet the same people will surely talk bad about anything negative as it is a hobby of the elderly.[no offence mom,but its true]
Always fertilize in the fall and the spring but never in the heat of summer.All digging of weeds should be on an hourly basis and never guarantee it,because you cannot.
Go old school and airate, try plugging as well as dethaching as a way of keeping creeping weeds like crabgrass and creeping charlie at bay.
Always water and fertilize your soil before laying sod down.Always.
Never tell your employees your rates.
If you cut grass before it is allowed to seed then you must seed it.
Grass may burn but a three leaf clover never does,it is always green and beats out weeds.
Always pay your employees a good wage as an extra dollar an hour can make or break your healthy business.They will also steal less and show up for work on time more because you have shown them that you care about them.
Billing can be done by the amount of gas used .
If you bag the grass toss the weedy stuff but save the good healthy grass trimming and use it for a compost to use for patching and turning of lawns.
Recommend the planting of flowers [crokus,hostas etc...]around evergreens not grass as it will make your labour costs go up with snipping.
Always wait untill the first string of weeds come up before removing leaves from under hedges as it is a natural protector to keep weeds out and keep the soil moist.
Never agree to take a hedge down low unless it is in the fall or the very early spring or you will get complaints.
Always give xmas cards .
Never ask for water or beverages .
Do not ask to use thier washrooms.
Always leave the place better than you left it.Leaf blower.
If your vehicle leaks fluids never park it in thier driveway.
Advertising is crucial but beware as you can bite off more than you can chew.
If your doing a good job and practice good work values than the magnetic ad on your trucks should be sufficient.Always make the phone number bigger than your name.
Word of mouth is always better than the yellow pages but both show results.
If you post ads on billboards/pinboards then make sure your damned smiling face is on it as people like to know who they are calling.
Have an extra everything.
Never spill gas on a lawn or driveway while filling equipment.
When in doubt the best lawn food is a 1-1-1,5-5-5, or a 10-10-10
To do ph testing of soil is wise .
All steel mowing decks should be cleaned totally and sprayed underneath with a zinc infused primer before every season.
Your mower blades are always dull,so sharpen them frequently and balance the blades to ensure a shorter,more reliable,and better work day.
All snippers should use a square or hex line,never round,never.
I could go on for hours.
I wish you luck.
phew…I think what you are describing is something a lot of people are dealing with right now…
not that it makes it easier for you to deal with that…talk to him "out of the moment". Don't start a financial discussion unless you are both calm. Write out a budget, (keep track of every cent you spend for at least a week so you can see exactly where the money goes)
My husband and I posted a bank ledger on our bulletin board in the kitchen (you have to see it every day, every time you're in the kitchen! no "out of sight, out of mind") We write out every penny spent, and put it in categories- we have – household bill, food, entertainment, school…and an "other"…we know that "other" is the area we can cut…(my husband smokes…the "other" column helped to stop that)
The key is communication and patience- know that the 2 of you are going through something a lot of us are…good luck and hang in there!!
I would not call this a stimulus package, at least not in these times.
Housing prices are falling and gasoline costs to much, with the cost of gas it increase the transportation costs of food so that is higher as well.
No one that is not in foreclosure wants to risk available cash or debt that may lead to foreclosure during the uncertainty of the housing market.
The other problem that you have is that rental prices would increase because home owners will increase rents to help pay for these upgrades.
You could say that money for rental properties would be in the form of a grant but then the people with several rental units get the benefit of property value increases at the expense of the taxpayers, if you make it a loan that is paid at the time of resale, these same people may elect not to use this money as they would be getting less of a profit when they sell out.
Stimulus packages have to be very well planned, dumping money into the economy is only part of the answer because only those that do not have a lot will spend, others will just pocket the money or put it in the bank.
Edit: Note to asker.
So, if I upgrade my own rental property and invest my own funds as well as the stimulus package, why wouldn't I raise the rent to cover my costs? That is the real point that I am trying to make, if you own a house you benefit but if you own rental property you benefit greatly. Your proposal is not a win/win for a renter.
Local newspaper advertisement, local radio or tv ads, signs on your vehicle, signs place at the location where you are currently working, billboard ads. I could go on, but I think that you get the picture.
Well, the answer is obvious when the question is poised in this fashion. Of course I'm buying the cheapest appliances when presented with the opportunity. Though I am very care full about the term "cheapest".
For example – right now I'm looking for appliances for 3 suites I'm building or own. In total I need 3 fridges, 3 stoves, 3 over the stove micro wave hoods, 3 deep tub dishwashers, 2 stack able washer/dryers and a host of other items. I went directly over the where a buddy of mine use to sit and sell. Apparently he has been replaced with someone they don't have to pay benefits to.
After marching about the showroom, several calls to the sales manager – a price was created … then the extended warranty sales battle and finally taxes and delivery.
At the end of it all the contractors appliance warehouse that I used had come out considerably lower than Home Depot, than Lowes , lower than Sears, lower than Costco and everybody else; but still I needed more.
I took my written offers and called each store, informed each sales manager of the prices and asked if they could do any better and then asked then to call me in a week and I’d buy then.
A week later the appliance warehouse called, offer another $600 off and that was that. Did I buy the cheapest … oh ya! The moral of the story – no matter how many appliances I buy and from whom – none of those guys is ever going to spend $30K on a reno … with me or you. It’s not the cost or “cheapest” price, but the constant pressure to get a deal you can brag about.
As a general contractor I’ve been a one man show for over 8 years now. I can do 10million $ TI’s or $300 fences – I hire who I need, when I need them and I owe few favours.
I guess I didn’t really answer your question – but I think I reflect a lot of GC’s and their method of operation.
my time is worth $125.00/HR. I'd rather pay someone $50/HR…I'm still ahead
Get the estimate first. Make sure you know what you want and what you're dealing with. If you want to learn more about tiles, and installing them here's a good page about what kind of tools you'll need, how to prepare the subfloor, some flooring terms too – throw those out at the guys doing the project – they wont mess with you if you know the lingo!
Here's the page. Just browse through and get a feel for what these installers/contractors do and how they install floors… don't forget to throw some of your own brain power at them and you'll be fine!
http://www.findanyfloor.com/tile/TileFlooring.xhtml