Should You Do The Project Yourself?

This depends on many different factors, but it’s still a question you should always ask yourself before looking for a contractor to do the work. Ask Yourself These Questions:

What is your skill set? If you do it, will it look good? Don’t sacrifice saving some money for poor quality. If you aren’t confident that you can complete the project and be satisfied with it, don’t do it.
How much of your free time will it take to complete the job? Lately, I have begun to realize that my time is worth quite a bit of money. If it’s going to take me two or three weekends to complete a project and it would take a contractor one day to complete the project, then I am going to pay the contractor to do it. This is why I paid for a landscaper to come out and rip out all of the old and dead plants in my back yard, rip out dead grass, and re-plant sod and new plants. He did it in a matter of hours with a crew, and it would have taken me several full weekends to complete all of the tasks he performed. The money was well spent.
Do you like working on home projects? If home projects aren’t your thing, it will probably show in the quality of your work. Even if you don’t have a great skill set but you are willing and eager to learn a new trade, you will probably create a better finished product than someone who hates doing home projects.

Find The Trusted Little Guy

For every bad, dishonest contractor out there, there are several trustworthy contractors that bid a fair price for their trade. The problem is finding these guys in a sea of bad handymen and corporate greedy businesses. You want to look for the guy with a medium sized operation that has been in business for a long time and loves his work. Where can you find these guys? They are probably right under your nose. Ask all of your friends, family members, and co-workers for a referral from someone they used. Most people are brutally honest about the contractors they have used in the past, but watch out for referrals coming from a spouse or family member of the contractor. Bob from work might only be recommending his nephew to renovate your bathroom because he’s trying to help him out, not because he’s good at what he does. You can also check websites like Angie’s List and Yelp.com for great reviews of contractors from past customers. I found my landscaper, who I really like, from a direct mail coupon book. The little guy often advertises in small mediums. Try to stay away from the companies with huge advertising campaigns and state-of-the-art equipment, because they all have their overhead factored into the cost of their work.

Do Your Research

Know everything about the project you are taking on before you hire a contractor or even ask one to come out and give you an estimate. Contractors love to upsell their work. They know what makes homeowners say, “oh yeah, I want that!”, but it was never in your original scope of work. Creat your own scope of work, and be the boss of the contractor. You call the shots, and you tell them what you want done. Don’t let them dictate to you what “should” be done, unless it’s something that is necessary to comply with code laws. If you let the contractor paint the picture of what you want done, he or she will paint the Taj Mahal when all you wanted was the Ritz Carleton.

Contact me or post a comment for any more suggestions or questions about where to find a trusted contractor.
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Finding A Contractor You Can Trust is a post from: Money Crashers

The Lawn Mower: We immediately started scouring Craigslist for a deal on a gently used self-propelled mower. We saw a couple of deals, but most of them were already gone. We went to Home Depot to see what it would cost to buy new, and we saw a Cub Cadet self-propelled mower for $175, which was about 40% off of the original price. The mower was recently reconditioned, but it still came with the full 2 year warranty. We didn’t buy it that day, and we slept on it. This is a method that my wife and I use for deals that we find on larger purchases. We like to go back home, talk about the purchase, and then go back the next day to purchase. This helps to eliminate hasty decision making based on impulse. I went back the next day, and the mower was still there. Home Depot accepted my 10% off Lowe’s coupon, and I had a $25 gift card that I used. When it was all said and done, I got almost-brand-new mower for $132.50 plus tax.

Washer and Dryer: We really wanted a front-load washer and dryer, but we knew that they were out of our price range. It’s not that we liked them just for their trendy, stylish appeal. We liked them, because they really do save you money on reduced power and water usage. So again, we scoured Craigslist for a gently used, front-load washer and dryer. We didn’t find much, and we were ready to just buy a dryer at full price, and save for a washer. But, then I saw an ad for an LG Tromm Washer and Dryer for $700. I emailed the seller, and they contacted me a day later. He explained to me that they had some dents and scratches on them, but they worked perfect. We were a little hesitant about the dents and scratches, but we decided to go look at them. I did some research on the model numbers of the appliances, and they retail new for about $799 to $899. We went to look at them, and they did have some fairly significant dents and scratches. We used a non-confrontational approach to negotiating the price down. We showed our interest in the items, but we expressed concern about the dents and scratches. We went outside to discuss, and then came back into the house. By the time we got back into the house, the seller blurted out that she would sell the pair for $600, instead of $700. When I heard that, I knew we had a deal. So, we got a front-loading LG washer and dryer for $600, and they are only 18 months old.

If we had bought new for both items, we would have spent about $299 plus tax on a new mower, and we would have spent about $1,300 on a new front-load washer and dryer for the basic GE/Amana models. So, our total savings for the week was $860! No, we didn’t get brand-new items, and the washer and dryer have some dents and dings, but our rationale was that very few guests hang out in your utility room. If it had been a refrigerator or dishwasher with a huge dent or scratch on the front, we probably would have passed on it. But a washer and dryer is more about the functionality, even though they have become a status symbol of style with all of the different colors and sleek designs. Anyhow, that’s my story, and I’ll continue to update you on more ways we’ve found to save money on home decor, appliances, and projects. Related Posts:

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Two Examples About Saving Money During Hard Economic Times is a post from: Money Crashers