Whether you’re looking to repair your home, renovate a couple of rooms or finally fix a flickering light bulb, hiring a tradesperson is something that we all have to do at some point in life. But if you’re like anyone else, then you’ve probably had your fair share of awful tradespeople that either don’t get the job done properly or are incredibly rude and obnoxious. Tradespeople come in many different varieties and there will be good and bad eggs among all of them. Finding reputable tradespeople can be challenging, but we’re going to give you five tips to help you ensure that you’re hiring someone reliable.
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Do they have a portfolio of their work?
In most cases, the website of the service you’re hiring should have some kind of portfolio that they’d be willing to show you. This should showcase some of their finest work and it should give you an idea of what they’re capable of. This is generally your only indication if they can actually meet your standards or not until you actually speak to them and see if they’re professional and courteous to you.
Get to know your contractor
When contacting your local electrician, builder or plumber, try and get to know them. We know it’s a little difficult to judge them based on a phone call or messages, but they might have a location where they offer products as well. Give them a visit, try and get to know them, and judge for yourself if the team has reliable people.
Never pick the cheapest option
The cheapest option might save you money, but you might lose a bit of your sanity in the process. Most would say it’s not worth it, especially given that the cheapest option is usually too good to be true. They might have terrible contractors or they might add on a bunch of extra fees later on. Whatever the case is, make sure you never pick the cheapest contractor out of your shortlist and read the fine print carefully to understand how the costs are broken down.
Are there any real reviews?
Reviews these days can be difficult to trust. Some reviews are obviously far too positive to be true, and others are extremely negative and could come from a rival contractor. Either way, the only reviews you should trust are the real ones that go into detail about the tradespeople you’re hiring. Look for longer reviews and read them the whole way through. It should give you a rough idea of what they’re capable of and how they’ll treat their clients.
Could you do the job yourself?
If you’re a homeowner that wants to become more self-sufficient, it may be worth tackling some renovations or repairs by yourself so you can learn how to deal with it in the future. Of course, you should always avoid anything that poses a threat to you such as electricity-related repairs or tinkering with the main gas line.
