Consumer Tips
For many, a home is probably the most important and expensive investment they will ever make in their lifetime. Before you spend thousands of dollars building a new home or remodeling your present home, you need to do your homework and understand your role as a consumer. By taking precautions and doing some research, the experience of home building or remodeling will be a positive experience with a worthwhile outcome.
Plan Your Project
-
Think your project through from start to finish. Consider special needs you may have and how you will use the space in the future. Consult an architect or designer if necessary, then decide on a realistic budget.
-
Think about the materials you want to use by visiting lumber yards and suppliers, look at magazines featuring distinctive home designs that suit your taste, see what your friends and family have done, and research sites on the Internet.
-
Clearly define the jobs you want done in a specification sheet (spec sheet) and rough floor plan which you can give to potential contractors. When all of the contractors who bid on your job work from the same design plan, you are more likely to get complete and accurate bids that can be compared.
Shop for Quality, Not for the Lowest Price
-
Once you develop a list of builders or remodelers, find out about their credentials, reputations, and quality of their work. Recording all information, as well as your impressions about specific contractors and homes, in a notebook helps to make later comparisons easier. The best way to learn about contractors is to visit homes they have built or remodeled and talk to the owners. Don't be shy. Knock on doors and ask the owners how they like their homes, and whether or not they would purchase another home from the builder or have another remodeling job done by the contractor. The more people you talk to, the better sense of the contractor's quality of work you receive.
-
Check out each contractor's credentials. Found out how long the firm has been in business and what kind of reputation it has established in the community. Try to ascertain information about the contractor's credit rating. Check with the Better Business Bureau and local consumer protection agencies to learn if there have been any complaints or action pending against them. Be sure to also find out if the contractor is a member of the local home builders association and/or chamber of commerce. Check with that association to verify the builder's professional standing.
-
Protect your investment by seeking out those professionals in the home building industry who are licensed and bonded contractors. New home builders and remodelers must be registered with the state.
