Five Keys to Discussing Remodeling Ideas with Your St. Cloud Contractor
Your relationship with your contractor begins as soon as you contact his or her office for the first time. That’s why it’s important to find someone who strives to make a great first impression with you, and it’s also why you need to focus on finding someone whom you can communicate easily with from the beginning.
Use these five essential practices to discuss your family’s remodeling ideas with prospective St. Cloud contractors.
1. Get to Know Your Contractor
Before you even start to discuss specific remodel ideas for your St. Cloud home, get to know prospective contractors. Licensed contractors who have proven track records in the remodeling business are a safer bet than fast-service companies and DIY professionals who have never really received proper training.
Ask your contractor how long he or she has been in business and find out what companies your contractor works with. During this process, you’ll get to know your contractor better—and you can also decide whether or not you feel comfortable working with him.
2. Request an Itemized Bid
The estimation process for any remodeling project can be stressful, as it’s the time when you’ll start to get a real sense of the dollar amount required to complete your dream. Make sure your contractor provides you with an itemized bid that includes everything from the cost of installing new electrical fixtures to a price for new knobs for your cabinets. As you start to make decisions about which elements of the remodel are really necessary, you need to know how each item will change the project’s final price.
3. Ask for Everything in Writing
Similarly, as you start discussing remodeling ideas with your St. Cloud contractor, you need to make sure that any agreements you make with him or her are put in writing. Don’t do business with a company that functions on verbal agreements alone. First of all, verbal agreements are ripe for confusion and misunderstandings—and more importantly, if a problem arises, you won’t have any legal recourse if you didn’t get the contractor’s word in writing.
4. Be Descriptive and Clear
You probably have lots of ideas about what you’d like the finished remodeling project to look like, but your contractor can’t read your mind. As you start discussing remodeling ideas for your St. Cloud home, try to be as descriptive and clear as possible for your contractor.
If you have trouble finding the right language to communicate what you want, bring pictures along from magazines or the Internet. Of course, a great contractor will ask lots of questions to help you figure out what you want—but it never hurts to have a clear image to start from.
5. Let Your Contractor Know How You Feel
Remodeling your home is a big decision, and you’ll be working closely with your contractor throughout the process. Make sure to be honest and upfront about how you feel along the way. If you’re unsure about a particular decision, say so—don’t rush yourself into a choice that you’re not confident you’re going to love.
Similarly, let your contractor know if you’re not satisfied with the quality of the work or if something is completed or installed wrong. It’s much better to express your feelings early on while the contractor can still make a change than to quietly stew throughout the remodeling project and end up dissatisfied with the new look of your home.
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Are you looking to hire a home remodeling contractor in the St Cloud MN area? If so, you need to know that Craig at Schoenberg Construction is one of the best Remodeling Contractors in Central MN. He always gives honest, fair bids with no lowball, fake pricing, and there’s no sales pressure EVER! Craig and his staff never use cheap materials or engage in sloppy workmanship, plus his company is known as one of the top remodel service providers because Craig always INSISTS on doing every job EXACTLY right! Give him a call today at 320-252-0911 for your no-obligation consultation.