10/12/10

Question of the day?


Has anyone ever been 100% happy in every way when dealing from start to finish with a building contractor?

The reason I'm interested? We are currently avec building contractor, which is in part the reason for my absence, but I'll be back soon.

In the meantime....let me know your experiences.

13 comments:

George said...

I haven't had any experience with a building contractor, but the fact that you are asking your questions leads me to believe that your experience has not been good.

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Sorry, not much experience here.
I can share the fact that each time I hire someone to repair, something else ends up broken.
It pays to hire a contractor with a good reputation, and one you may run into locally, not some fly by night, who operates out of thee trunk of their car.
Word of mouth is the best advertisement.
Hope all is well !
Jo
x

Gaelyn said...

No experience here. Good Luck!

Have missed you.

Pam said...

Avec = without? Speak English/Spanish please! No good with the Frencho. We've not done your type of remodel but I do know somethings are just worth paying to have done rather than trying yourself. I would think with the economy the way it is, if one contractor doesn't work out, there is another good one who should be easy enough to find and willing to work hard.

Kay said...

We've dealt with building contractors twice. Once in Illinois and once here in Hawaii. Both times, we made sure we had contractors who would listen to us. You have to be careful because all kinds of stuff does (DOES!) happen. Art and I were always checking and asking and making sure things were carried out as they should... and still there were things that weren't perfect. However, overall... we were satisfied and that was the main thing at the end. A lot of the times they're trying their best, but miss things in the plans.

Sherri said...

Sarah, I work for a commercial construction company and my Dad was a residential builder until he retired. We have used a general contractor once when we owned a small victorian. In large and small jobs you really need to hire a reputable contractor, someone maybe that someone you know knows or has heard about. You can really get ripped off if you are not careful. Ask alot of questions before you even start the job. Check with the Better Business Bureau also to see if there are any complaints against them. A contractor could be wonderful or they could be a nightmare! I don't mean to scare you, but there are so many horror stories out there. Question whether they are paying their bills, or ask if you could call their suppliers to see if they are paying their bills. If they are not, your place could have a lien placed on it and you don't want that! Good Luck!!

Flea said...

Never done it. Certainly don't envy you. But why aren't you taking photos of the progress to entertain your blog friends?!? :)

Expat mum said...

Done three huge rehabs. This one, (as I might have told you) we gutted completely on the inside - floors included. First one we did was a total nightmare and left us $10,000 in the hole, but we learned a lot (which I am happy to impart) and the next two came in on time and under budget. AND we're still speaking to the builder!

Jill of All Trades said...

You know we are in the business of contracting (electrical) but we've had our experiences too. I actually love to remodel or add on or whatever. The thing is that you HAVE to be there or at least check on them all the time. Stay on top of it. Good luck!

Anna's Spot said...

My dad was a building contractor/cabinet builder who was a craftman from England. He built two houses a year and was always in high demand. I don't ever remember any one he built a home for that were unhappy. Our building contractor forgot to flash one of our windows to which we all got sick from toxic mold, you can guess our family is not really happy with him. So I guess you can get ones you are happy with and ones you are not. It could be the luck of the draw but research on them is very important now a days. Good Luck Sarah <3

anita said...

hello! first time visit via turquoise diaries!

my hubs is a CGC in florida.
my perspective is, unfortunately, customers can be nightmares as well. sometimes folks have huge demands, but only select their contractor based on cheap prices. big mistake. contractors are bashed so harshly on account of the fly-by-night-handyman-wannabe-hackwack types...they r often treated as criminal before they have a chance to prove their skill and ethics. again, not a great way to start a job. some homeowners have unrealistic expectations about the process, they dont want dust or dirt, but want their job done asap, they want to peer over your shoulder and question everything yet would never allow someone to question what/how they do for a living in such a demeaning way. they change their minds, then get upset when it is an additional charge. a contractors time = money, just like everyone elses. often a homeowner makes unwise demands and a contractor must hold the line because of codes or ethics and then they are maligned b/c they didnt do something the "cheap" (aka wrong) way.

as in all other things in life, the boat floats both ways. and you always get what you pay for. because of economy folks have tremendous opportunity to get real, skilled, professional contractors (who are largely slow on work thesedays). though everyone is working at much lower prices, my suggestion is to pay reasonably less, not insultingly less.

we are commercial renovators in the hotel industry, but have done our fair share of residential work. wish you happy renovating and happy new life. drop by "my blueskies" sometime :)

hellipoos said...

I was so pleased with mine, I married him nearly 16 years ago!

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