02/26/2019
Here is a useful article for anyone wanting to hire a contractor. Sent to me By Zackaery Adam at Prime Mortgage:
How to Hire Contractors to Help with Your House
Whether you’ve bought a home that needs a little work or you’re looking to sell your current property, you’re going to need contractors to help with the process. Electrical, plumbing, painting, landscaping, and so much more can be included on this list. How do you know whether you’re hiring someone who will be reliable and able to perform the work on your Asheville home? Here are some tips to help you hire the best contractors in the area.
Word of Mouth
It’s not surprising to learn that word of mouth is still the most effective way to learn about contractors. And honestly, the internet and social media make this even simpler. If you’re looking for someone to do work on your house, talk to your friends and family they can tell you about their own experiences.
To expedite the process, you can post about it on social media. Share a status on Facebook asking the people in your area to recommend someone to help with painting, landscaping, plumbing, electrical work, or any other sort of home repair. People are always happy to share their good experiences. And they’ll even share the bad ones so you know who to avoid.
Read Reviews Online
Once you get a short list of contractors who can help with your project, do some online research. Sites such as Angie’s List offer reviews of service providers in your area. You can also check the Google Reviews or Facebook Reviews to see what others are saying.
It also helps to understand a bad review before making decisions. Sometimes, people on the internet are willing to complain about a situation beyond the control of the service provider. Read the reviews carefully to understand if they’re important concerns or just sour grapes. Also see how the company is willing to respond to negative reviews.
Verify Insurance Coverage
Once you’ve selected a contractor to contact, your next step is to verify that they have all the right insurance and licenses to complete your job. This will vary based on the kind of work they’re doing, so we encourage you to review the requirements for your specific work before making a choice.
Thoroughly Review the Contract
If you decide to go forward with this contractor, be sure to review the contract in its entirety. It’s not uncommon for people to give it a glance and sign without fully understanding the fine print. Skipping this step can lead to major problems in the future.
If there are any questions about portions of the contract, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification before signing.
Trust Your Gut
Finally, you should also trust your own instincts along the way. If a trusted friend recommends a contractor with whom they had a good experience, don’t just take that at face value. If you meet them and you don’t click or you feel uncomfortable, it’s okay to move on and choose another provider.
As a part of the Asheville homebuying community, Prime MortgageLending, Inc. has an extensive network of people in the area that can help with a variety of contracting needs. We’re happy to help point you in the direction of trustworthy contractors in the Asheville area.
