By: Richard Armen
Submitted: 2011-09-09 23:41:48 | Word Count: 606
Whether you're in need of a painter, a plumber, or someone to remodel your living room, hiring a home contractor is typically one of the first steps of any major home improvement project. While the best way to choose a contractor is based on personal referrals from friends who have used their services in the past, if you don't know anyone who has had similar work done, you may not be able to use this method. If that's the case, how do you hire a home contractor?
When looking for a contractor, consider whether you would let just any stranger into your home. The answer's probably no, right? Then why would you let an unknown person who says they're a contractor into your home? Before hiring any home contractor, always consider the reputation of the strangers who will be entering your home. When you hire a service from an ad in the phone book or a flyer on a telephone pole, you never really know what kind of trouble you could be inviting inside.
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Anyone can pose as a repair man. With a white van and a generic uniform, there is little visual difference between employees of a reputable company and those who are posing as contractors to gain entry into your home. Always check their background and references before hiring anyone, and insist on using licensed and bonded contractors who have a business license, not just anyone who's decided they want to work as a handyman.
So, what's the danger of hiring a less than perfect contractor? Even if you ignore the potential for poor workmanship on your project, a dishonest contractor could steal your valuable possessions. In their own homes, most families leave valuable objects such as jewelry and electronics relatively unguarded. An unscrupulous handyman could take advantage of this fact. In addition to stealing your possessions outright, they could be casing your home for a future break-in, or even surreptitiously unlatching windows to make their return visit even easier. Statistics show that is actually far more likely for an acquaintance (such as any worker you've allowed in over the past several months) to break into your home than for a complete stranger to do so.
What are some other signs of a company you should avoid? For one, avoid fly-by-night businesses who are unable or unwilling to provide references for previous clients. Once you do have this list of supposedly satisfied customers, don't be afraid to give them a call. Never sign a contract if you feel pressured into it. If the contractor tells you that you must sign today or you'll miss out on a limited-time deal, or uses other high-pressure sales tactics, avoid them. Legit contracting companies understand that those planning a home renovation project need time to think it over.
Far too many unsuspecting homeowners decide to let the contractor work in their home without supervision. Maybe you can't get the day off work or think it would be boring to sit around all day watching them paint, but this step is absolutely critical to ensure the safety of your belongings. If you are a woman, consider making sure that a male friend or relative will be there as well, to guard your own personal safety.
Even if you are there all day, there's no way you can watch all of the employees at once. Surveillance cameras placed in strategic locations allow you to keep an eye on their activities. Also be sure to double-check all door and window locks, as well as the location of any valuables, as soon as possible after the workers are done for the day.
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