The Contractor Triangle

With the weather warming up and people wanting to get their homes ready to sell, many folks have improvement projects that need to be completed before they put their homes on the market.

I have renovated many homes and have a lot of experience working with contractors and subcontractors.  When choosing a contractor to work with, make sure you know what you need from the them.

There are three characteristics that every person wants from the work of a contractor or handiman.  They want the work done cheaply, quickly, and at top quality.  Unfortunately, one of these characteristics is always working against the other two. What I have experienced in real life is that you only get to pick two out of the three.

For instance, if you get a really cheap bid, you can expect the work to be quality but slowly done.  If you get an expensive bid on the other hand, you should expect the work to be done quickly and at top quality.  Meanwhile, sloppy work can be done quickly and cheaply.  Keep in mind that you should get at least two of the desired characteristics.  If you are only getting one, you are being cheated.

For work done on our rentals and listings, I always shoot for good quality...even if it costs a little more or takes a little longer to achieve.  In my experience, there is nothing worse than regretting the quality of work done on a project or having to redo it again in a few years due to poor craftsmanship.

So, while you are thinking of fixing up your rental property or getting your home ready to for sale, think about what you want and need out of a contractor.  Make sure you establish your expectations with them in advance and in writing, and then enjoy getting work done without much sweat on your own part.

If you want to know what improvements to make to your home before putting it on the market, CONTACT ME, and I would be glad to do a walk through and give you some ideas so you get the best return on your money.