HELLO, CHRIS TOWN AGAIN, OWNER OF TOWN CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT AND HERE WITH SOME GREAT TIPS ON HOW TO GET A BETTER DEAL FROM YOUR HOME REMODELING CONTRACTOR.
One of the biggest concerns when planning your home remodeling are the costs. Basically, you will want to ensure a good quality of work at realistic and affordable rates. On one side, you need to understand that the quality rarely comes cheap. Depending on the type of work you want to accomplish, and the professional service you want to acquire, you will need to stretch your budget a bit. On the other side, with good negotiation skills, you might negotiate a more fair price. Whether you are a homeowner or real estate investor, negotiating with contractors is the only way to get a positive return on your property updates.
Negotiating with contractors for the best deal
Owning a physical asset bears a great responsibility since you need to keep it in good condition. Unfortunately, major professional home improvements can be costly. However, you may be able to reduce the costs because estimates are not necessarily the final word. There is always some room to negotiate the contract price and terms. Since you will need to outsource your home improvement projects, you will need a few tips about how to adjust the price. This isn’t a passive activity, and you will need to invest a lot of time and effort to search for and negotiate the best deal. In essence, it’s necessary to understand the entire procedure yourself.
Once you decide to proceed with home improvements, consider the following tips for negotiating with contractors that will ensure you the best possible deal:
- Take time to plan everything
- Ask for recommendations
- Don’t stop at the first offer
- Pay attention to details
- Pick the right time frame for renovation
- Know the price of materials
- Never pay in advance
Take time to plan everything
The first thing you need to do is to plan everything carefully. This doesn’t include only the renovation costs but also every cost in connection with the planned project. When trying to determine the budget for improvements, you should also include all the additional expenses that can add up. For example, if you have to move out temporarily you have to account for accommodation and moving costs.
Some people also choose to conduct construction work while they live away. So if they have to move somewhere far, they have to organize a long-distance move. For example, that distance place is in Washington, where they have a job to tend to for a while. It is imperative to include these moving costs into the budget planning. You can use online resources to find both professional movers to relocate hassle-free within Washington and professional contractors to complete the renovation work. Taking everything into consideration is necessary so you don’t overlook costly aspects that may eventually surprise you.
Another thing to consider is that you will need realistic expectations. Never try to go too cheap. Home improvements and remodeling costs depend on the quality of work and used materials. If you want lasting results, set your budget a bit higher. But, avoid sharing your budget information with your contractors. Instead, ask them to give you an offer. Do that with several contractors until you find the offer that fits your budget.
Ask for recommendations
To find the best contractors, ask your family, friends, and even neighbors for recommendations. Also, there are many places online where you can find reviews and ratings for different contractors. These are by far the best ways to ensure you will get reliable and trusty contractors. People don’t hesitate to share their opinions, and you will most likely find plenty of comments from satisfied clients online. If possible, ask your potential contractors for reference. Call their previous client and check how pleased they are with the service.
Don’t stop at the first offer
To be sure you are making the best choice, get estimates from at least three or four contractors. Get everything on paper and use it to your own advantage while negotiating. If you find a contractor that you like but with a bit higher offer, show them the previous offers and ask them if they can match the price. Like every market, the contracting market is pretty competitive, so this may be your winning card. But, don’t forget to be polite and fair. Home renovation is hard work that deserves a decent payment.
Pay attention to details
When discussing the deal for home renovation, write everything down. Better yet, ask your potential contractor to give you a complete offer in writing. Ask for a detailed breakdown of all the costs and all the phases included in the project. Ask for everything from estimates about needed materials to the warranty. Also, make sure to carefully read everything to avoid any potential misunderstandings.
Pick the right time frame for renovation
If you want to get the best deal and price, be flexible about when you want the renovation to start. For the best chance to acquire reasonable prices, choose the period where contractors have less work. One piece of advice would be to plan your renovation at the start of the year. Also, by no means should you hurry things. By the same token, even if you are in a rush, don’t show that to your contractors. Some contractors may take advantage of it, knowing you are under time pressure. Carefully plan your project and give yourself enough time to work on finding the best rates.
Know the price of materials
One way to reduce the overall price and negotiate a better deal is to know the costs of materials. While your contractors will, in most cases, give you a complete breakdown of all the steps, the price of materials may provide you with additional room for negotiations. Contractors will rarely shop around, searching for the best prices. They usually have a deal to buy everything from the same place. You can do your own research about the alternative shops and alternative materials you could use. Eventually, you can offer to buy materials yourself, which will result in lower overall costs. However, discuss the quantities you will need with your contractor to ensure you have everything ready to complete the project in time.
Never pay in advance
This is probably obvious, but it never hurts mentioning. You should never pay contractors upfront. Pay the total sum only when you are sure all the work is complete the way it should be. While this is not directly connected with the negotiation, it will ensure you get what you pay for. Because unfortunately, there are dishonest contractors who take the money in advance and disappear, leaving you without both money and service.
While it may sometimes seem like an unprofessional thing to do, negotiating over construction work prices is a regular part of the job. After all, you want to be sure you get the best rates and quality of work. Negotiating with contractors is a necessary step that will indirectly ensure your plans work out the way you want. However, don’t forget that you are looking for a partner for your upcoming project, and remain polite, open, and honest. Nothing needs to be hidden in this line of work, and it is possible to arrange everything with proper communication.
“Be good to your house and your house will be good to you:
All solutions for home living have some advantages and disadvantages…“There are no perfect solutions out there, only the ones that are perfect and work for you.”
Chris Town
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