12 Weeks to Buying or Selling a Home: Week 9

A Real Estate Series

We are finally in Week 9 of my home series! As I have said before, I truly appreciate you taking the time to read my posts and I hope I have provided you with some value along the way. This week is short and sweet as we will be focusing on the nitty-gritty of finding the right contractors to make your new home exactly what you want it to be after move-in day!

Where should I start my search for good contractors?

Finding contractors who are right for remodel work is not as easy as it may seem. In fact, finding people to simply show up and give a quote for the job is a task in itself! A really good place to start looking is through a Google search in your area. But don’t stop there! Find contractors who have stellar reviews and then READ those reviews! You can find out a lot about how efficient, trustworthy, and cost effective a company can be based on the experience of others. Another great place to ask for recommendations is in local Facebook groups, again because people love telling you all about how great or awful their encounters were with businesses. Also, we keep a running list of wonderful contractors for our real estate clients, so you are always welcome to reach out to us for recommendations!

Should I go with the first contractor who gives me a quote?

The short answer here is no. It is always best to get several quotes and compare both pricing and reviews of the different companies. However, there is really nothing wrong with you feeling confident in the first guy that shows up at your doorstep (on time of course) and the price fits your needs. This is totally up to you and whether or not you want to put the time in to look at all of your options! But if you are unsure about how much a service should really cost, it is best to get the opinions of more than one contractor and see how they match up.

Does it matter how much experience they have in the business?

You are likely to get a much cheaper price if you go with Billy Bob who has been in the business for 6 months as opposed to Richard who has been doing construction for 45 years. Have you ever heard of the saying, “you get what you pay for”? This is true 99% of the time. So the choice is up to you here and what kind of work you are willing to pay for at the end of the day.

I got 3 quotes and the prices were all high. Should I keep searching to find someone cheaper?

Of course you can always dig deeper to find someone in the business who is willing to do the work at a lower cost, but as mentioned above, the quality of work may not fit your expectations. It is always a good idea to do your research and understand what the going rates are for materials and labor for the type of work you are wanting completed so you have a realistic idea of how much the service should cost. Nobody likes to work for free - you don’t either. So why would you expect a contractor to sell their services to you at a lower rate than they should? This is definitely a huge thing to keep in mind as you choose the right business for you!

As you can see, there are a lot of different factors and choices involved in picking the right contractor for any remodel job. Today we just scratched the surface on how to find and choose the right company to do the work for you. Do you have more questions or need a list of our recommended contractors? You are always welcome to reach out to us and we can help! Thanks again for joining me today, and check back next time for Week 9 of our series!

About the Content Creator:

Courtney Burke is a real estate agent and co-owner of Welcome Home Realty Group, LLC located in Franklin, Indiana. She spent 9 years as a Biology teacher at Franklin Community High School but left teaching in 2021 to pursue a career in real estate alongside her husband, Chris Burke, who has been in the business since 2014. She uses her background in teaching to educate her clients on the steps to home buying, selling, and investing and help them reach their goals.

For more information, contact Courtney at 317-416-3073. You can also visit her website at www.whindiana.com.