What’s the Best Way to Choose Your Contractor?
[2nd blog in the series]
Thinking about remodeling your home? Once you complete the design process with your interior designer, you will need to hire a contractor. As a professional Interior Designer in Bergen County NJ, I have worked with many clients who are in this position and want to ensure that what I create actually turns out correctly in the finished product.
Here is some advice I give my clients.
#1. How to get started
A renovation project starts with working with your interior designer on a wish list of what you would like to have in your new space. A frank discussion about the budget is critical so the designer knows what can or can’t be accomplished with that investment and plans accordingly.
Once final design plans are completed and approved, they are usually given to several contractors who bid on the project. We try to make it so it is “apples to apples” and get the best results. Interior Designers are often asked to sit in at each appointment with clients when they interview the various contractors.
#2. How do you make a choice?
It is a fact that many decisions on who to hire are often based on cost. People tend to go towards the lowest bidder, thinking everything is the same.
However, no two contractors detail everything alike. You must also take into account how a contractor handles the details that affect the cost.
So, let’s say a new window needs to be installed in the project you are doing. It needs trim, especially a window sill. You don’t even think about it. But how each contractor on the list cuts, fits, and installs that window sill makes a big difference in how it looks in the end. Multiply this example by hundreds of these kinds of decisions that go into your project.
Quality matters. And it shows.
Asking the questions that relate to quality gives the contractor the ability to explain the way he works and the materials he uses so you get a better understanding of the costs.
#3. What about the others involved?
The sub-contractors matter too. The electrician, plumber, tile setter, flooring installer, trim carpenter, sheetrock and spackler, and appliance installers all make up the team. Their work is super important to the outcome of the project. Sometimes the designer may request certain professionals do the work because they know the type of work is more complex and the one they suggest has lots of experience with it.
#4. What happens once we start?
Relationships Matter.
The best projects have weekly meetings for the duration of the project where the designer, the contractor and the clients get together to see where they are, and plan for the next week. This gives all involved a chance to express themselves and make sure everyone is on the same page. Any problems that can arise during construction can be addressed.
