If you are a homeowner in America the chances are pretty high you had to deal with the contractor. The contractor is usually a small business man who does jobs by handling a specialty for consumers in a local area. By specialty it could mean: a heating and air conditioning repairman, roofer, fencer, painter, or a general contractor to remodel your bathroom or kitchen. Contractors will usually stay in a specific town rarely venturing outside to do jobs, unless business has dried up. Contractors will tell you what you want to hear when bidding a job, so buyer beware. They will price too high when they don't want to deal with you or your work. They will underbid a job when times are tough, and they usually end up skimping on the job to make it profitable for them. Understand that when you ask a contractor to do intricate and detailed work you better make sure that the labor is upfront in the estimate. If the work turns out to be too much it won't be done, and you will surely be disappointed.
Since we purchased our used home in 1995 we have used over 17 general contractors for various work we needed to have performed to improve our house. The costs ranged from extreme ($45K) having a in ground pool installed to having a new garage door installed ($750). I have dealt with everyone running these jobs and most of their subordinates. It is important for me to know who is working in my home, this makes it easier for me to sleep at night. I also have offered food and drinks to every one of these contractors and workers. (Okay usually it is my wife, but it comes from our home) We do this to make people feel more comfortable in our home, and it helps us with being easier to address "concerns" we might be having about a particular job. Like that pink paint wasn't what we had in mind, and want it redone. Oh we will still pay for the rework, but it makes it easier to talk to people about.
My family is on the far end extreme end of using contractors. Most of my neighbors rarely use someone unless they have something not working, like the furnace, or leaky roof for example. We feel like we are investing our money when we hire someone for a home improvement. We are not extravagant but we will spend our hard earned money if we see value in the future. Example, we had a deck built to replace the 1st homeowners do it yourself job, (Greg Bauer) that was falling apart after 10 years. Hint homeowners, be careful what you choose to do yourself. Usually you or someone else will have to pay a "Pro" at a later date, if you have no experience on the project to redo your mess. We shaped and wrapped the new deck around the back of the house for a slimmer look at a total cost of 17K, including removal of old deck.
We feel strongly that with the addition of the pool a functional, good looking deck was a must. Would our neighbors have spent that much, probably not. Then again, they would not have had the pool installed either. We stand by our decisions, but I will say, knowing how to deal with contractors is the crucial 1st step to improving your home. I recommend starting with something small like hiring someone to fix your drywall in the house before you upgrade the paint. This will give you the confidence to work with others, and before you know it you will be working with someone to fix your roof, rather then putting it off because of a sunny day!
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