Tips on Hiring a Contractor
Making a Choice
Your choice of a Minneapolis area home improvement contractor is crucial to the success and lasting quality of your home improvement project. By taking your time and being thorough, much like you would do when you select your doctor or accountant, you can avoid the pitfalls of choosing poorly. Here are some tips to help you make the right choice.
Buyer Beware
Most contractors are honest professionals, committed to providing you with quality products and services. However, as in any buying situation, it’s your job to avoid the unscrupulous few. Here’s what the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) warns are some of the dangers of fraud*:
- Fantastic promises or wild deals
- High pressure sales tactics or threats to push you into signing up on the spot
- Attempts to scare you into signing for “urgent” repairs
- Offers to consolidate your existing loans through a home improvement contractor
- Trial purchases, or guarantees of significant discounts, if you allow your home to be used as a “demo”
- Offers of a “bargain” price using “leftover materials” from a contractor who makes unsolicited phone calls or visits to your home.
Questions To Ask Yourself
- Were you able to communicate effectively with the contractor throughout the project?
- Were you pleased with the quality of the contractor’s work?
- Were you satisfied with the contractor’s business practices?
- Did the contractor begin work on time?
- Was the project completed on schedule?
- Did the contractor fulfill all the terms of the agreement?
- Did the contractor stay in touch with you throughout the project?
- Were the final details completed in a timely fashion?
- Would you use this contractor again without hesitation?
