Having the Upperhand - Blog - JOMA Construction Athens

Trust your contractor. It’s hard to trust someone you’ve just met and a new acquaintance normally won't hand you a resume and credentials. But your builder can! Do your research, find reviews, and ask your builder if they are insured. You should also ask for examples of similar builds they have done in the past, if you are lucky, your builder has already posted images to their website and social media outlets so you can go in without any mystery.

Get a quote . Your contractor should be happy to communicate the expected cost of the job from start to finish. Job costs can change, it happens, but knowing what you are in for keeps you from getting blindsided.

Can you track the progress and changes during the building process? There should be no secrets in the building process, this is your home after all. There are many ways builders can communicate their progress, changes to the timeline, and monetary changes with you. You should establish what outlet your builder uses to keep you informed. Emails and phone calls are fine, but in your busy day, you may not be able to catch up with your contractor during business hours. If your builder is really savvy you may have the option to log into a project portal online to see your project details, pricing, progress, and options for changes in materials and fixtures. This type of portal would allow 24/7 access to updates made daily.

Like your builder. If you are about to go out to eat you will probably check the restaurant's website to see the menu. And aesthetic. And cool-factor. And seating arrangements. And everything you can absorb from their website that may indicate that you will enjoy the experience. That is a lot of insight into the business before you get there. Because of technology you can expect to find everything you were curious about when researching your dinner for the night. And you learned a lot, didn't you? It should be just as easy to find out about your builder. Are they doing the type of things you want to see in your home? Did they bother to build a website? Home builders are busy on the field and may have missed the chance. Does that mean it should be hard to see an online presence? Not at all! Customers who are both satisfied and dissatisfied are motivated to say so on the internet. The information you want is out there. And if it’s not, think about how hard that would be for an established, dynamic, TRUSTWORTHY builder not to be simply by accident.

Set extra money aside.  Change orders happen. Don’t stretch your budget so much that if a certain material is not available you have to settle for less. By holding a little back for those changes you keep from ripping yourself off and being needlessly angry at the builder. A good rule of thumb is being prepared with an extra 15% just in case. You’ll be happy if you don’t need to use it and you'll be even happier if it keeps your project at the level of quality you wanted.

Get your to-do list.  You may be able to help the builder stay on track by preparing for their arrival. Should you clean out your basement before your construction crew shows up to finish it? Absolutely. Your builder can help outline your tasks along the build to ensure each step happens on time and out of your way.

You will be presented with a contract.  Don't let a builder start without signing a contract, don’t sign a contract until you trust your builder. This is a big step and may even motivate you to contact your lawyer if you need help reviewing your contract. Don’t feel obligated to trust a long, over-written contract because it looks official. A plain words contract that is short and concise is just a binding and shows that no one is attempting to hide anything. The purpose of a contract is to outline the responsibilities and protections of both parties. The contract protects you just as much as it does the builder and should read this way.

Ask your builder about their guarantee.  Many building materials are guaranteed by the manufacturer. Has your builder taken the extra step to guarantee their work? You may think it is standard practice to have a guarantee but because of the variables involved in construction, many builders shy away from making promises. A guarantee is just another protection on your investment and source of trust. It will allow you some leverage if things don’t go as planned and it will let you sleep at night even when your bed is 10 feet from the job site.

All of these points are founded on communication.  If you miss a chance to ask all of your questions at your initial consult, don’t worry, you will still have some chances to ask before your final proposal is signed.  If your builder shows any sign that they are not willing to communicate, walk away.  Your area has motivated and excited building contractors who are waiting for your call. Construction is a customer-oriented business, and you should feel treated as a respected customer. For more information on what to ask your contractor, download our free guide and ask away!