Buying a fixer-upper: a lot of us have done it! With the popularity of HGTV and all of their home renovation shows, we can feel emboldened to try these projects ourselves! Unfortunately, we don’t always realize the truth of the matter.
Home renovation is a difficult beast to conquer. While it might be tempting to try a DIY project, a lot of the times it isn’t worth it in the long run. Costs add up! You can also lose valuable time – one of our most valuable resources, especially nowadays.
Finding a contractor might sound intimidating at first. Don’t let that steer you away! Here’s five reasons you should consider using a contractor directory to find your next one!
1, Contractors Save You Time
Trying to renovate your home all on your own is a daunting project. A lot of us work full time. Because of that, finding opportunities to work on our homes can be a real pain! After all, work often isn’t our only responsibility. We have families to take care of, and friends to spend time with!
Luckily, home contractors are here to help. It’s their job, so of course they can dedicate more time to these projects! Of course, maybe you’re worried it will take too much time to find one. Thankfully there are a few solutions to this. For example, you could try a pro contractor app like this.
2, Contractors are Experienced
Renovations often have complications. Especially when you’re doing a large-scale renovation, complications and difficulties often emerge. Water lines burst. Electrical outlets become faulty. Unfortunately, the possibilities for things going wrong is almost limitless.
If you have one on your side, they can help you sort out these issues quickly and easily. On your own, handling a plumbing issue might seem impossible. Maybe you end up having to hire a professional anyway, wasting precious time. Most contractors have professional connections. This means they can contact those professionals for you!
A contractor can also advise you on whether you’re taking on too much at once or not. There are countless blogs out there like this one with horror stories of trying a renovation way too big. Hiring a contractor can save you the heartache and struggles – at least some of it!
3, They Handle Codes and Legality
Making sure you stay up to housing code can be tricky. Housing code violations are no laughing matter, though! Some of them are simple, like a fire alarm or carbon monoxide detector being out of date. A lot of violations are a lot more complex.
With housing codes always being updated, you can rely on your contractor to worry about that for you. They’re educated on this stuff, after all! Electrical lines need to be properly labelled, appliances need to be vented correctly, plumbing pipes shouldn’t leak…the list goes on and on.
Unless you want to learn all of these things and become a professional contractor yourself, you probably don’t want to waste time on understanding what proper flashing on your windows is, for example. Contractors are a great resource to help you through these laws.
Especially if you’re in the business of house flipping – code violations often have to be fixed before you can sell a home! So, when a home or code inspector comes calling, having confidence in your renovation by hiring one.
They handle permitting as well. All in all, hiring them to handle the legal things for you saves time and energy that can be better spent focusing on the people you care about.
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Contractors on Directories are Insured
Like this blog details at https://www.chrislovesjulia.com/hiring-contractor-vs-diy-breaking-down-the-pros-and-cons/, you should always hire a licensed and insured contractor. Many horror stories about them come from non-insured or non-licensed contractors. That’s one of the biggest reasons you should consider locating your contractor in a directory.
When yours is insured, you have a lot of security even if things do go wrong. If something in your house is messed up in the process, they have to fix it! Having an insured contractor also saves you a lot of liability.
Finding a contractor on a directory generally means they are trustworthy. You don’t have to worry about getting ripped off by a bogus contractor who doesn’t know what they’re doing or doesn’t have insurance. That’s why it’s really worth it to find one on a directory app or website. The research is already done for you, meaning a local and trusted contractor is just a few clicks away.
5, Contractors Make the Possibilities Limitless
With a contractor, the only real limit on the work on your house is your own budget! Rather than having a mountain of tasks that you aren’t even sure where to start climbing, let a professional do the work for you. They eliminate the stress of learning how to renovate a difficult space like a bathroom or kitchen.
With their professional connections and tendency to buy in bulk, they often get better prices on raw materials as well. This helps you squeeze your budget even more to get the most value possible. It might seem like a small perk on the surface, but every penny adds up!
Contractors allow you to dream bigger than your own skillset. A small renovation can change into a big one that really changes your life thanks to the outside help. I renovated my home a few years ago. My family became a lot bigger – we needed two more bedrooms and a bathroom. Thanks to one, we were able to add a third floor onto my home.
I couldn’t imagine trying to add another floor all on my own. I didn’t have the skills or the resources to accomplish something like that. Hiring a one that I found on a directory, that I knew I could trust – well, it really opened up the possibilities for my family and me. If you’re on the fence about trying DIY or hiring a contractor, consider this your sign!
