3 Things You Must Know About Hiring a Contractor in [Profile.market2], by Real Estate Expert [Profile.full_name]

If you're a buyer, a seller or investor who wants to get the best price for your property, chances are at some point you're going to have to work with a contractor.  In this article, we'll go over 3 essential things you must know about working with contractors to ensure that your experience is both rewarding and cost effective.  Many investors are purchasing REO or bank owned properties or buying a foreclosure to fix up.  Whether you're buying your first property or your tenth, you're going to need a good contractor to do some work for you.

Tip #1 - Be Very Specific

When you're requesting a bid or when you're talking about a job with a contractor, be very, very specific about what you're looking for.  After you've agreed on a number, you should also be very meticulous about being specific in what you put in writing.  Taking this precaution will ensure you get exactly what you want, no more and no less.  Ask the contractor to prepare a drawing noting all the particulars on the drawing.  Pay attention to what type of material is going to be used as you might pick a lower priced contractor who is using inferior material.

Tip #2 - Find a Good, Reliable Contractor

Speak with several contractors before you decide on one for sure.  The contractor should have a book with pictures of the work that they have done for other clients.  Get a feel for the contractor's quality of work and integrity.  Don't just decide based on price alone.    If your contractor is experienced, they should have references you can check.  I can't stress this enough - CHECK REFERENCES.  Questions to ask the references: Did the contractor perform as expected?; was the work of the quality that they expected?; did he finish on time?: and was the price the same as you had agreed upon?; are you happy with your choice of contractors?

Not all contractors are licensed.  Does a license mean that the contractor is good?  Not necessarily.  I've dealt with more than my share of contractors and I've found that the unlicensed ones that have proven references are well worth the money.  I've also had tremendous luck with licensed contractors.  Do your due diligence.

Tip #3 - Payment Tips

In general, it works in your favor to pay your contractor by project rather than by hours.  A contractor can estimate how many hours it will take to complete a job, but that's just an estimate and the contractor can always exceed that estimate.  Rather than overpaying because your contractor billed by hour, agree to pay per project only.  VERY IMPORTANT:  Do not release payment until the job is complete.  Once a contractor has been paid, often times they won't finish the job or the finished work will be of lesser quality.  Even if the contractor asks, do not pay the final payment for the job until the work is complete.  Depending on the size of the job, you can agree to pay incrementally based on performance but hold out at least a third until the end to ensure that the job gets completed as agreed.


There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in [Profile.market2] real estate.  For complete information about the Cape Coral Real Estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more, please visit the most complete websites online at www.livingincapecoralnow.com and www.dancraddock.com. Please feel free to contact me with any of your real estate related questions and I will be happy to answer your questions.  Call me on my cell at [Profile.cell_phone] or email me at [Profile.email_link].

Have a Prosperous Day!