Working With Your Contractors
Finding A Contractor
Ask trusted friends or family if they have any recommended contractors
If you have hired a contractor in the past, ask them if they can recommend others to do work they don’t cover ie electrical, tiling, plumbing etc
Ask potential contractors questions like
How long have you been in business
What type of jobs do they mostly do
What references do they have – then check them out
Are they licensed, and what guarantees do they provide on their finished work
Their contact details for any follow-ups and do they have a website
Do they do the work themselves, do the employ their own workers, or do they use sub-contractors
What suppliers do they use
Most of these questions are for your own piece of mind, but ensuring they are registered/licensed contractors and getting references are essential. Then check out their credentials and their references.
Once You Have Secured Your Contractors
You now need to make sure everything is in place and all the materials are available for them before commencing. You do not want to be held up waiting for your bench-top to arrive, or find the taps you ordered weren’t available.
Time is money, and hold-ups may cause a domino effect that could cost dearly. Good contractors have their own schedules to work with-in, and if your timing is out, you can run the risk of having to wait till they are available again, or having to find someone else.
Scheduling Your Contractors
Make sure you have discussed and scheduled all your different contractors to come in at the most appropriate stage. You certainly do not want them falling over each other or potentially ruining work already done because it was completed at a wrong stage. Therefore it is wise to not have a schedule that is too tight. This especially applies if it is an older home, or one that has has dodgy renovating done in the past. There will probably be electrical, plumbing, structural or just inconsistency issues.
Time Is Money
Once work has begun, don’t cause any distractions. Time your contractor spends on other things, is time they are not spending on the job. Do you want to be paying them for just shooting the breeze with you? Make sure children and animals are kept well away, as they are not only a distraction, they are a potential danger as well.
Contingency Fund
You definitely must allow for at least 10% extra to use as a contingency fund. Consider it a miracle if everything goes according to plan without hiccups. Keep any changes to a minimum, as these also cost extra.
Payments
Your contractors should not be initially asking for payment other than a part deposit, and they should be able to get any necessary supplies on credit from their supplier.
Weigh up the pros and cons if your contractor supplies their own materials. Although they will no doubt charge you a percentage on top of what they paid, more than likely they have negotiated a good discount between themselves and their supplier. Therefore the price they charge you may still be cheaper , or at least on par with what you can obtain yourself. If both the quality and style suit, save yourself the bother.
Stay Organised
Keep a folder and put everything pertaining to the project into it. All plans, schedules, bills, receipts, contact details, paint colours etc. I am sure you will be thankful as you will refer to it time and time again.
You The Client
Be a considerate client. Make sure there is a designated bathroom area for them to use, and if they do a good job, make sure you thank them and pass on the praise.
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