What to do When You Hire the Wrong Workers to Work on Your House
Hiring an electrician, contractor, handyman, and plumper to work on a house can be stressful. One never knows if the worker is a professional or an amateur claiming to know how to install drywall after watching DIY tutorials online. To avoid situations like these one needs to do a lot of research and keep the contacts of previous good workers.
My partner is a real estate agent and she works very hard at doing everything in her client’s best interest and being a professional. The greatest grievance for her is when her client does not trust her counsel and suddenly they become professionals in her field.
Don’t Waste Your Time Hiring the Cheapest Workers
One of the main issues is simply that we don’t hire the quality of a professional that is able to meet our standards because we don’t want to pay for it. In reference to an online blog post, are you hiring a professional based on how cheap they are? If so, you may often find yourself questioning their ability to achieve your desired goal. This is counter-productive and rarely ends up well for either party.
Remodeling the Home
I was rehabbing (remodeling) a house that had foundation issues and the drywall was cracked up severely and we were removing popcorn from the ceiling. In desperate need of a good, cheap drywall and paint expert, I hopped on Craigslist and answered a couple of ads that I felt good about. I met with two different men. One was a young man who met me at the house and gave me an incredibly good price and he talked the talk, but I really did not feel all that comfortable with him. Nonetheless, I chose him over the other contractor that I knew was very experienced and I could trust, but he was $1,000 higher in price.
Hiring the Wrong Construction Workers Will Cost You More on the Long Run
As this contractor began to work, my heart fell into my stomach. Realizing that he had no idea how to repair drywall. I even saw a copy of “How to Install Drywall 101” laying in his tool bag. I would respectfully ask him why he was doing things a certain way, and he would assure me that his methods were proven. 3 days into the job and 20 bags of 30-minute mud later, I cut him loose. I had hired someone that was not a professional.
I brought in a professional to complete the job, and because I trusted him, I never questioned his work. When he was done, it looked like I had desired, but it cost me much more than if I would have originally gone with the professional that gave me the higher bid. This article is not about nit-picking the professionals that you hire, but rather trusting them.
10 Questions to Ask Yourself When Hiring a Professional
- Do they communicate well?
- Are they timely and clear in their communication?
- What things are they expecting?
- Are they accountable?
- Do they have a problem with you inspecting their work?
- Are they willing to communicate their progress with you?
- Are they willing to get paid after work is completed? (industry-specific)
- Do they have the tools & experience to achieve your desired goals?
- Are they willing to give you references for the work they have done that is SIMILAR to what you need?
- When are you available?
If you hire someone and they do not meet your expectations, do not hire them again. If you are rehabbing, your sub-contractors must be able to fulfill your goals on a project or you will have regret. There is plenty of fish in the sea of tradesman and professionals, so go find someone that you can trust. When you find that someone, heed their advice.
Great, now go hire your professional and trust them. When they make recommendations, strongly consider them, and in fact, do them if possible.
As a fix-n-flipper, here is a list of my trusted professional team that is crucial for my success:
- Realtor
- CPA
- Escrow Agent at Title Company
- Flooring Specialist
- Carpenter
- Tile Setter
- Landscaper
- Paint/Drywall Expert
- Plumber
- Heating & Cooling Company
- Window washer
- Roofer
- Make Ready and Maid
Many people get into the real estate business to flip homes to make a quick buck, while others will buy a fixer-upper and fix it to save money. The real estate business can be a complex field but it’s also rewarding.
