Like any industry, there are professionals, and there are shysters. Finding credentialed contractors can be very challenging, particularly with the plethora of disreputable businesses who are unfit to fold an origami swan let alone undertake a major renovation. As a realtor of many years, I have cooperated with many contractors, whether for clients or myself and like many I have had good experiences and bad experiences. This blog post will provide sensible criterium for people looking to hire a professional contractor who will produce optimal results.
The process of having renovations done can be overwhelming and stressful; it is advantageous to take time determining what your desired goals are, and then find a contractor who makes suggestions that are compatible with your goals. When searching for contractors online, don’t rely too heavily on online ratings, as they can be misleading. Contractors have in the past, hired professional companies to publish favourable online reviews. We experienced this ourselves when we gave a commendatory online review too much credence, which consequently misrepresented the contractor we hired. Ultimately, a reputable contractor should provide you with testimonials from past clients; this will give you the impression of whether or not customers have been satisfied with their work. You can always validate the testimonials by calling past clients, the contractors we have had a good experience with over the years, were always willing to provide us with their previous customer’s information.
Once the contractor is ready to start the project, it is important to remember no consumer is legally obligated to pay a deposit larger than 30% of the job’s total cost. Anything over 30% is unreasonable, as Mike Holmes divulged in his weekly National Post column that, if 20% of the job has been completed, then 20% of the total cost should be paid. It is unnecessary to provide a 50% deposit, as many consumer report shows illustrate, some shysters will opportunistically take a 50% deposit and disappear after only completing 50% of the job.
Consumers should feel comfortable asking their contractor questions, as it is important to have a healthy dialogue to make sure your needs are met, and your renovation goals are achieved. For anyone living in the GTA looking to hire a reputable contractor, please feel free to contact Williams Family Real Estate and we will send you our Referral Directory Brochure.
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