Investing in a home remodeling project is a major decision both personally and financially. You need to trust who comes into your home, and also that they have your family’s best interest at heart.
We understand that it can be difficult to find the best home remodeling contractor for your project, which is why we’ve put together this handy list of things to look for when conducting your search:
Explore all the options.
Before you contact any specific contractor, search online for remodeling contractors near you and create a list of options that you want to dig deeper on, based on their website, social media presence and online reviews. Ask friends, family or neighbors in the area that recently completed a project who they recommend. Try to gather a list of at least five contractors that you can whittle down to three to call.
Compare and contrast.
A reputable contractor should have a strong portfolio, featuring at least a handful of projects with high-quality before and after photos. Go through and eliminate contractors that don’t feature the type of project you are looking to complete. Now that you’ve pared your list down, you can start contacting the remaining contractors to inquire about their portfolios.
Trust but verify.
By this time, you’ve identified the contractors whose work you like and which contractors come highly recommended from family and friends. Now it’s time to verify that they are properly licensed, insured and certified to perform the work you need. Make sure they carry current liability and worker’s compensation insurance.
See for yourself.
Once you’ve narrowed your list down even more, ask each contractor for the names of previous clients who would be willing to let you see their work for yourself. This may seem strange, but happy clients will be proud of the finished project and open to showing it off and talking with you about their experience with the contractor.
Be a critic.
Normally, we don’t recommend looking for the negative. We’re glass half-full kind of people. However, when you’re examining a potential contractor’s work, look for defects in construction or finish work that indicate poor quality of work materials or a lack of attention to detail.
Get competitive.
Collect project estimates, timelines, material descriptions, and specific costs from your top candidates. When making your final decision, DO NOT simply choose the lowest bid. Base your decision on the overall sum of information about the contractor – the quality of their work, their reputation and the cost.
At The Lifestyle Group, our priority is making sure your home remodeling project exceeds your expectations. We sincerely want you to find the best contractor for your remodeling project, whether that is us or not!
However, if you are looking to remodel your home, we would love to be the contractor at the top of your list!
We pride ourselves on being transparent throughout the remodeling process. We will happily answer any and every question you have and are able to provide countless referrals from our list of over 1,400 happy customers.
From our initial bid to completion of your project, our number one goal is making you fall in love with your home all over again.