When you are looking for someone to hire to build your home, there are many important factors and characteristics to look out for.
Just like there are major characteristics that make a great builder, however, there are also characteristics that could seriously get in the way of you enjoying a successful home build.
So, when you’re asking yourself, “Who do I want to help me build my home?” keep an eye on these red flags to help you separate the wheat from the chaff.
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They aren’t making it easy for you to get the details
When you are trusting a builder or company to handle your major home rebuild, it means handing over a huge amount of money over to get the job done. That in itself is a risk, but you want to make sure that you are taking as small a risk as possible by getting a great idea about their possible work.
Ask for the contact information of previous clients and ask to get a walk-through of their current or past projects. If a given builder is reluctant to do that, run for the hills!
The same can be said about the estimate that you ask for. If they are reluctant to go into what things are going to cost and why, it’s time to look elsewhere.
They try high-pressure tactics
A major red flag to keep an eye out for is if the builder uses any high-pressure tactics. If a builder you’re thinking about working with is pushing something like a “temporary” low rate, or saying that prices often change because material cost can increase. Instead, focus on builders who offer market-value pricing with detailed analysis of the costs is going to be the much more reliable hire.
Another thing to look out for is builders who badmouth their competitors in your area. It’s much more likely that you’re going to get a great job out of something who talks about the strength of their own service rather than trying to talk poorly about the other builders you may be considering.
They want the money upfront
It’s a story that too sadly is not very uncommon. An unexpecting customer offers a down payment to a contractor for work to be done on their home, and then the builder disappears with the money and never does any of the work. While not every contractor who asks for money upfront is a swindler, it should still be considered a sign that working with them might not be the best decision.
Your personal styles just don’t match
Even if their past clients have positive things to say about them and everything else seems to be up to snuff, if you and a given builder are simply not able to see eye-to-eye from the jump, it’s probably a sign that you should look elsewhere. It’s essential to find a contractor whose personal working style will fit well with the needs of your household.
This is especially something to keep in mind if you have kids or pets. If you do, make sure to ask a contractor about how they feel working with such variables in their working environment.
