How to Approach Finding a Home Remodeler
When you are preparing for a home remodel, perhaps one of the most difficult (and intimidating) steps is finding the right home remodeler for your needs. With a quick Google search, countless contractors populate. It’s great knowing there are a lot of options available to you, but you’re left wondering how you know when you have found the right home remodeler for you and your project. There are quite a few variables to consider as you filter through your options, like the remodelers’ specialties, reputation, location, and of course, level of customer service. To ensure you can confidently choose the right contractor for your home remodel, let this guide point you in the right direction.
Finding Home Remodeling Companies Near You
First and foremost, you want to ensure you find a home remodeler that is near you. The last thing you want to do is a thorough evaluation of a remodeler, get your hopes up, then realize they don’t service your area. Start your home remodeler search where you would start your search for a new restaurant – Google. Google home remodeling companies near your local area to be certain you are only filtering through companies that are viable options for your project.
Identifying the Best Remodelers Within Search Results
Even though you have filtered search results by location, you are still going to see a long list of potential contractors you could hire for your project, so it’s time to start filtering through your options. The first qualifier you should use surrounds the reputation of the various home remodeling companies. A company may have a beautiful portfolio, but if they are awful to work with, you want to find that out sooner rather than later.
A fantastic resource you can leverage is Guild Quality. Guild Quality is a website that lets you look up businesses and see real, honest, reviews from their previous customers. Do not rely on the testimonials on a home remodeler’s website – those have been hand selected to ensure they put their best foot forward. Beyond that, some companies actually hire copywriters to write faux testimonials for their site, making them unreliable to use as a form of evaluation. The reviews you see on Guild Quality were written, unfiltered, by previous customers, so you know you can believe what they have to say.
Ensuring Their Portfolio Aligns with Your Needs
Now that you have found several home remodeling companies in your area that have a proven track record, it’s time to find the remodeler that has the skill and work quality you’re looking for. No two contractors are the same. Every contractor has their own niche they thrive within, so it’s important to be diligent in understanding if a potential contractor has the experience needed to not only do your project, but do so exceptionally. As an example, if you are looking to remodel an 80+ year old home, not just any home remodeler is equipped (or knowledgeable enough) to take on the job. Such a need requires you to find a contractor that specializes in vintage home remodels. Here is everything you need to know about vintage home remodels to help you find the perfect contractor, should you have that unique need.
Whatever your personal project requirements are, a contractor’s portfolio is a fantastic place to get a sense of the type of work you can expect from them. Typically, home remodeling companies will do their best to display a variety of projects, allowing you to see how they operate based upon different projects. Additionally, all contractors put their own personal touch on a project – some lean toward more modern styles, while others may be more traditional. Their portfolio will help you get a sense of that personality, ensuring you find the perfect contractor for your home remodel.
What Does the Home Remodeler Offer?
You’re nearing the end of your home remodeler evaluation, with one of the last two steps being assurance you are hiring a contractor that offers the services you need help with (or being certain your expectations are set if they don’t). Some home remodelers are essentially a one-stop-shop, handling every step of your home remodel or construction: design, builds, and remodels. Other companies only support a portion of the process, leaving you to hire additional contractors to complete the job (which can be stressful if you’re unfamiliar with the industry). Make sure you understand what your potential home remodeler can and cannot accomplish for you. Once you’ve assessed that, you can move on to the final step in your evaluation process: thoroughly assessing customer service.
Customer Service Recognition
Outside of your evaluation of previous customer reviews, which you have already conducted up to this point, another fantastic way to assess a potential home remodeler is by their customer service recognition. The best of the best have earned awards and/or certifications for their exceptional service, which will be proudly displayed on their website. To take your research further, you can Google those awards to see how a contractor earns them – helping you feel even more confident you have found the right home remodeler before you even reach out for a quote.
Another form of recognition comes from referrals. Once you have narrowed your list of potential home remodelers, talk to your friends and family (or even make a post on Facebook) to see who your personal connections would recommend. There is no better way to get a sense of the customer service you can expect than by hearing about the experiences of people you know personally.
Conclusion
Finding the perfect home remodeling company for your specific project does require intention, and a lot diligent research, but your proactive evaluation will pay dividends in the long run. When we’re talking about something as important as your home or investment property, anything you do in a remodel comes with a decently sized price tag. You deserve to get your money’s worth, and you make sure that’s the case by taking your time before you hire a contractor. By following this guide, you can feel confident you have made the right choice.