Here are the five (5) ways to protect your home by choosing the right team of experts to help…
Don’t Make a Decision Based on Numbers Alone – If you’re still choosing renovation or interior design pros by getting 3 quotes and choosing the middle number, you may be setting yourself up for a huge disappointment.
A dollar figure alone won’t tell you whether a person is trustworthy, reliable, or competent.
In a busy market like what we have, finding good professionals isn’t easy as they’re already working several jobs.
In-demand pros are also not inexpensive.
However, they won’t run away with your money or leave you hanging, since their longevity & reputation depend on being able to deliver on time and on budget consistently.
And since their work can add 10% – 15% to your home’s resale value, hiring good people (rather than the cheapest you can find) is worth every penny.
Gather Clues About Their Character & Ability to Deliver – When you meet – or talk – to someone do they show up (or submit their proposals) on time?
Are they generous with their expertise – or guarded and abrupt – during your initial meeting or call?
How someone behaves before you hire them will give you a good idea of how they will perform during the life of the project, as people’s behaviour tends to be consistent on big and small matters.
Being able to meet your target budget is one thing. But being professional, respectful, and consistently delivering on their promises is just as important and are things that you should look out for as well.
Avoid Getting Quotes over the phone or via Email – It’s hard to give people estimates without visiting the actual space (or looking at photos and floor plans of it, at least).
Get more accurate quotes by giving design/renovation pros images & floor plans – and inviting them to see the space – instead of keeping them at arm’s length and asking them to give you numbers over the phone or via email.
I’ve had general contractors give me quotes that were way off the mark, resulting in them having to ask for more money at the end to finish the job because they didn’t get to see the space at the beginning.
And be wary of low quotes as these can sometimes just be a ploy to reel you in so your renovation ‘expert’ can ask you for more money once you’ve already hired them.
Find Out What Other People Are Saying – To find out in advance whether you’ll have a good or bad experience with a person that you’re planning to hire, check their Google or website reviews.
And then try to call 1 or 2 people that they’ve worked with in the past to find out if they’re happy using this person or company’s services and if they would recommend them.
Do your homework first before hiring anyone. Skipping this step might just cause you a lot of grief down the road.
See If Their Work Resonates – Before you even talk to anyone, check their portfolio online.
It will give you a pretty good sense of what they’re capable of doing and if their visual aesthetic closely matches yours.
If there is zero evidence of their work on their website, then you might want to keep looking at other options.
Planning to renovate or know someone thinking of doing a kitchen or bathroom remodel? You can forward our solutions@flowformdesign.com email – or pass along our (604) 321-8008 number – so we can help.
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