Home Remodeling Made Simple - Design Build with Trust
Home Remodeling made simple? What construction company truly has the audacity to say that? Answer: any design-build firm that has a long track record of being trusted and success!
Everyone has heard the horror stories about homeowner's having bad experiences in their home renovation projects. You really don't have to go far to find them. There is something about all of these stories, however, that is incredibly redundant - with each story, there is a questionable contractor. And usually this contractor provided a price to the homeowner that was just way too good to pass up. At first glance, the proposal looked thorough, the contractor seemed like he knew what he was doing - he was licensed, he was insured, he was available - BUT, did you really trust him? From speaking with many homeowners over the years, the cold-hard answer to this question is most often, "no, I didn't have complete trust in him."
Simply being able to answer "yes" to that question would probably clear up 95% of the bad stories floating around. Whether it is a bathroom renovation, kitchen renovation, whole house renovation, or construction of a new house - there is always a business transaction taking place and most importantly, a relationship is being started. If all a homeowner had to do was simply swipe a credit card and like magic, her new house was built, then trust wouldn't matter. But in the residential construction industry, a project takes form over the course of time and the transaction can last several months and sometimes several years. This is why trust is your contractor or design-build firm is so important. It is imperative that the contractor you are inviting into your home, your lives and your kids lives is someone you trust is looking out for your best interests. After all - for many people - a home renovation will likely be one of the largest monetary investments one will ever make. If you think about it from an investment standpoint, would it be smart for someone to give their 401-K plan to someone they didn't entirely trust? I sure hope not! The same thing applies with a contractor.
So how can you determine if a contractor or design-build firm is truly trustworthy? I would always be able to answer a resounding "yes" to all of the following questions:
1. Are they licensed/insured?
2. Do they have a nice website with an extensive portfolio?
3. Were they responsive to my inquiry?
4. Did they listen to me more than they spoke?
5. Were they genuine, respectful and polite?
6. Did you feel comfortable around them?
7. Have they been in business for 5+ years?
8. Have my friends or neighbors ever heard of them?
9. Do they have references and were they more than willing to provide them for me?
10. Did they allow me to tour a recent project of theirs?
11. Was their proposal thorough and did they break out the project my individual line items?
12. Do they take a collaborative design-build approach to projects?
If you can answer "yes" to all of those questions, then I'd say you're dealing with a solid company.
On a side note - family businesses are usually the safest bet and the most trusted. A family business - especially with a younger generation working in the business - will most often always put a client's feelings and satisfaction first because they naturally tend to treat everyone like family and since the younger generation wants to ensure a future in the business, they are more than happy to go above and beyond to ensure client satisfaction.
It sounds so simple and it really is - do you trust the contractor you're interviewing? If the answer is a resounding "yes!" then there's a 95% chance you're dealing with a great company. Don't be fooled by the low prices, gimmicks, promises, discounts, or ads - take your time to make an informed decision by asking yourself the twelve questions listed above. You are making a very large investment and you should look at it that way. You and your family have worked very hard to get to this point and you deserve an excellent project delivery.
Home remodeling made simple design build
"Home Remodeling Made Simple - Design Build with Trust" was created as fresh content for potential homebuyers or owners looking for good advice on what to look for in a contractor or design-build firm.
