Hiring a Contractor? Avoid These Common Mistakes

In our last blog, we discussed some of the best questions homeowners should ask their prospective contractors before hiring them. It’s a well-known fact that hiring a contractor goes hand in hand with stress and anxiety. However, read up on our last article to find out what exactly to ask to weed out the bad apples, then educate yourself on the following common mistakes to avoid hiring someone you’ll end up regretting. Before moving forward on any hiring or projects, protect your home with a Windham County Home Insurance policy.

Avoid hiring someone just because you like them.

Sure, building rapport with someone who will potentially be in your home every day is a great place to start. But, while you might like their personality the most, are they the most qualified for the job? Ask about their experience, specializations, references and more before deciding on hiring them.

Ask the right questions.

Before hiring anyone, especially someone who will be in your home each day, you should inquire about references. Make sure they are relevant and recent. If their references are from years ago, that could be a red flag indicating they haven’t worked lately or their recent clients are unhappy with their quality of work provided.

Next, checking their references requires asking the right questions. According to Angie’s List, here are some important ones to ask:

• Did they do design work for you?
• How did that go?
• How long did it take?
• How long ago did they work for you?
• Were you satisfied with their work?
• Was he or she reliable?
• Was he or she personable and communicative?

It’s best if you ask for references from the last five clients at least. This way, you can get a good grasp of how the contractor works, how satisfied his clients are, and what his skill sets include.

Don’t get roped into time and material contracts.

The workload of the project will determine the timeline until completion. However, many contractors try to sway the homeowner into a contract that allows them more money—an hourly wage. Instead, get a fixed bid to avoid any surprises when it comes time to pay the bill. As we mentioned in our last post, ask your contractor to comb through the unknowns of the job before giving you an estimate so that you can get the most accurate bid possible for the job at hand.

About Byrnes Agency

At Byrnes Agency, we offer auto insurance solutions that can be tailored to meet your specific needs. Whether you have an old classic car or a brand-new model, we have the right coverage for you. To learn more about our products, contact us today at one of our two locations.

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Phone: (860) 774-8549
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Dayville, CT 06241
United States
info@byrnesagency.com
Hours of Operation: Monday- Friday 9:00am-5:00pm

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