When it comes to home ownership, many things can keep you busy. Whether it is basic maintenance projects like mowing the lawn or cleaning or larger scale jobs like building a deck or painting a room there is always something to be done. However, not everyone is comfortable with the various elements of home ownership. In these uncomfortable, and perhaps beyond one’s skill, situations it is often necessary to call in a Apple Valley home improvement professional.
Of course, you don’t want to call in someone you, nor your friend or those well established in the field, have never heard of when it comes to making home improvements. So you will want to take the time to find a home improvement company that can be counted on. To do that, be sure to employ common sense while paying attention to the suggestions below.
- Talk to the people you know-especially those you know have had home improvement work done- and find out who they recommend. If no one you know has ever hired a home improvement professional, talk to people at your local home improvement store(s).
- Check out any potential companies with the Better Business Bureau, on Angie’s List or your local Home Builder’s Association. Chances are these organizations will be able to prevent you from making a poor choice.
- If you need specialty work, especially things like bathrooms, roofing or perhaps knocking out a wall, be sure that the home improvement company you talk to has a reputation for that type of work.
- Be wary of any company that solicits work by door-to-door marketing. These are oftentimes fly-by-night businesses that cannot offer you a guarantee or don’t carry proper licensing or insurance. Also, regarding guarantees, if the company offers an exceptionally long warranty on a service or product, view this as a red flag that should be heeded.
- You should also be concerned about a company that is not listed in the phone book or is not found anywhere on the Web.
- Avoid any companies who ask for the following: Only accepts cash payment; must have all payment up front; wants an immediate decision; asks YOU to get the building permit; offers you a discount for finding them more customers; suggests that you borrow money from someone that they know; or tells you that the work they do for you will be a demonstration.
- Another common thing a less than circumspect home improvement company might say is that they can give you a discount because they have materials left over from another job. If it just an item or two, this is usually not a huge concern, but if it is an exorbitant amount of product, this is a concern.
- You should ask to see, in person if possible, other jobs that they have finished. If they can’t provide anything local, that is a warning sign. For companies that do have local job site available, ask for the contact info of those jobs and visit them. While there, talk to the people and find out what type of customer service the home improvement company provided, did they exhibit dependability, whether or not they cleaned up when the job was finished, etc.
Home improvement is a common part of owning a home, but it doesn’t have to mean that you do it yourself, or get taken advantage of by a company.
