Category: House Renovation

5 Things to Know Before Hiring a Grey Lynn Home Renovations Builder

5 Things to Know Before Hiring a Contractor

Thinking about hiring a contractor usually sends uncomfortable chills up your spine. So much can go wrong – and we’ve all heard stories about how prices can skyrocket and/or the hired contractor disappears before the job is done. So much can happen that it’s imperative you know what you’re doing before letting a contractor “fix up” your home.

 

Grey Lynn home renovationsThe best way to find a reputable contractor is through friends, co-workers and neighbours. If your neighbour is having a job done such as renovations or repairs, make it a point to go over and chat with one of the workers or the contractor. You can also chat with the neighbour about how pleased they are with the job, both during and after the work.

 

Other than great references from those you know, here are five tips you may want to know about before you proceed with a home improvement job that can cost you a ton if it goes wrong.

 

  1. Know exactly what you want. You’re the only one who can accurately convey to the prospective house builder what the scope of your job will be. Spend time assessing the project, write down or print out pictures of what it will look like when finished.

 

Always specify the grade of features you require – such as brand names for appliances or the specific type of floor covering you’re expecting. Then, when you get an itemised quote, everything you specified should be addressed.

 

If you don’t have any clue about how to proceed with a design idea or to convey your desires, it may be a good idea to meet with a design consultant to lead you in a direction that will be clear for the contractor to follow.

 

Insurance. All professional contractors should be insured and should provide proof. The contractor should be up-to-date on his public liability insurance. If not, delete them from your list quickly. If the contractor can’t provide proof of insurance, you may be held responsible if one of the workers is hurt on your property and the contractor has no insurance. For Master Builders, they are required to carry this form of insurance so be sure to check it out.

 

  1. Get several bids. Most people consider that three bids are the minimum amount to seeking a good contractor, but more is better in this case. Six bids will definitely show you a pattern about the difference in contractors and the way they quote and do business.

 

You may be tempted to go with the bargain price for the work needed, but the work may be questionable. A higher bid might indicate higher quality work, but not necessarily.  Also look for a contract that has fixed prices. Many firms will bid low to get the job and then add on lots of other costs during the project. Make sure that any additional costs are agreed by you in writing before the builder commits to them.

 

  1. Investigate before signing a contract. Be sure you know and have seen the company name, address and have seen the insurance information.

 

Their customer services should have been professional up to this point too. Were your phone calls returned promptly and appointments met? Do the contractor and workers look professional? Pay attention to the details.

 

  1. Receive an itemised quote. Without that document, you’re in dark about what the contractor will do. You also won’t have a clear understanding of the prices involved in materials and labour.

 

An itemised quote means that the contractor will have less chance of “padding” the quote with unnecessary expenses and sky-high material and labour costs.

 

A building contractor’s reputation is their best form of advertisement. You can either use friends and other people you know to check him out or look at online. There are some rating sites but they might also get reviews posted about them too.

 

For a highly recommended Grey Lynn home renovations builder, try Repair and Restore.

Mt Eden house renovations builders

Why House Renovations Builders Are Cheaper Than DIY Jobs

Do-It-Yourself house renovations can be inexpensive and easy to do. However, these days fewer people are wanting to go down the DIY route especially for big house renovations. There are various reasons for this including, people not having the skills required to make the renovation, lack of motivation, and being time-poor for big renovations. So more people are turning to house renovations builders in Mt Eden to renovate their home.

DIY house renovation builders don’t finish

House renovations Mt EdenMany people have started renovation jobs on their homes but the jobs remain unfinished. They may lose motivation, the y might get frustrated because they can’t do a certain task properly, or the run out of money. Whatever the reason, we have all seen house renovation jobs that linger for months and months. The original idea of saving money by doing the renovating yourself soon becomes an expensive, unfinished task. However, if you hire a house renovation builder, they have to complete the job to get paid. It’s as simple as that.

House renovation builders will complete the job

The builders are going to stay on task to finish the renovating the house. Also, and this is a really important pint, the builders will work to the plan they have been given. They are not going to change their minds part way through the project. That doesn’t mean the home owner won’t change their mind but at least the builder will do what they have been tasked with finishing.

House renovation builders make fewer mistakes

The builders know how to do the job without making excessive, expensive mistakes.  They and their workers, will have years of experience so will be able to see how a job ought to be done. Their skill will mean that there are fewer errors which will save a lot of money. Imagine if you make a mistake when you are cutting the kitchen counter-top. How much extra will that cost to replace?  However, if the builder makes this mistake it is up to them to get the new supplies and it cannot be tacked onto the bill at the end because it was part of the supplies.

 

House renovation builders work faster

The renovation builders will also be able to work faster. This will be apparent in two ways.

Firstly, they will complete a specific task in less hours than a DIY amateur. Secondly, they will be able to work eight hours a day rather than only in the evenings or at weekends.  So for both reasons, the renovations building guys will complete the task \much faster.

Mt Eden house renovation builders work out cheaper

House renovations builder Mt EdenWhen people are looking at major house renovations it will definitely be a challenge to get the work completed properly if they go down the DIY route. It may seem that paying for the labour of a building company is a big expense but when compared to the final build quality, the cost of materials and the time to complete the entire house renovations project, this is a relatively small price to pay.

One of the leading house renovations builders in Mt Eden, is Repair and Restore. They have a long and proud portfolio of outstanding house renovations in and around the Mt Eden area. Visit their website to see some video testimonials from happy clients.