How does one prepare themselves for a major facelift of their home? Before all the chaos ensues, before those handymen move in with their big truckloads of materials, and definitely before the first blow of the hammer, what is it that you have to consider first and foremost? Anticipating the stress is one thing, but finding the right contractor is another and absolutely essential. After saying that, why should the renovation process be stressful at all if you have the suitable people doing the job? Finding the right contractor that will give you the confidence to entrust your home to them can be tricky. You’re basically handing over the keys and telling them to make this house your dream home. So what you need to do is to arm yourself with your requirements and your budget and scout around.

Trade Shows

For starters, you can go to trade-shows, such as Home and Garden Shows or Home and Design shows, and talk to exhibitors there to get more information. (Alair Homes does that every year at both shows, just in case you might like to drop in!:-))

Alternatively, you can get referrals from friends and relatives who will definitely give you an idea of their reliability, or you may want to take a risk and conduct an internet search for a random contractor. The last option may seem risky because you never know who you are going to end up with . You just have to trust your instinct or put your smarty cap on to find out. It would then be advisable to do a background check.

So what happens next?

It’s important that both parties, meaning you and the contractor, keep an open and honest communication on all aspects of the construction from budgeting, to the usage of the relevant building materials, and even to the attitude of the project manager. There should be consistent transparency from the contractor regardless of any issue. In short, maintain a good rapport with the Project Managers and the workers. Of course, after that being said, at the end of the day, do have everything written down in black and white. By that I mean to have a contract drawn up for both parties to agree on the terms and time of delivery.

Getting started

Finally when all the paperwork and the red tape is over and done with, work can begin! The venture is just as exciting for you and your family as it is for the contractor. His aim is to get the specifications right down to the tee and deliver the house you want on time and in pristine condition!

And there’s Amy from our Sunnyside Project getting super excited to enjoy some hammer time with Jason (for the demolition)!

And did I mention the enthusiastic Alzheimer’s BC team who kickstarted the project with an awesome groundbreaking party? I mean, that’s how we do things here!

Like I said, happy clients = happy life!

Before you sign on the dotted line, make sure the contractor you choose is the one who is going to deliver your dream home on time, within budget, and with a positive, approachable attitude.
Good luck and happy renovating.