THE SOLUTION IS IN YOUR HANDS.
In the best case, one meeting with the contractor is usually sufficient. If we are lucky enough to have a meeting with the contractor, not having yet paid the full amount of what was signed in the contract (if you have one), surely the botched job they left us at home will be solved more easily. If we do not reach a good conclusion, we will have to get into litigation that will take up our time, will give you headaches and they will deplete our piggy bank.
The key is to avoid an unnecessary claim by getting ahead of events. For example, Hiring the “technical assistance” of a professional Throughout the entire process, we will have a person on our side who will quickly solve the various problems that each finish presents in a construction job.
What can a technician help us with in our home?
- Initial advice and guidance. It's good to have someone explain to you what is worth spending your money on. Then each person will decide what they want personally, but I understand that having a different point of view is an added value. Now that energy efficiency is very fashionable, even more so.
- Request for quotes. We have already decided what we are going to renovate, but now it is time to look for who will do it for us and compare the offers we have with each other (4 or 5 seems adequate to me). In addition to looking at unit prices, it is worth studying equally important things such as the execution periodIt will not be the first nor the last work that had to be finished by Christmas and because of Carnival they keep putting us off.
Ayyyyy friends, The Deadline! Battlehorse between Mrs. Dorotea and Paco "el chispas"
- Payment method, guarantees, added value of proposed improvements and other "things" that some include and others do not (the fine print(Wow). There is nothing worse than a call to tell us that something was not planned and is going to cost us the same as a litre of printer ink. These are opportunities to charge much more on the fly to some unsuspecting owner.
- Formalize a SERIOUS contract. Bar napkins are great for exchanging a phone number on a day when we are caught without business cards, but contracting work that involves 15 or 20 months' salary does not require a lawyer, but we are there. Bear in mind that it is preferable to include in clauses the requests of both parties rather than only those of the sole author of the contract, usually the contractor. If we sign it word for word, we will not be able to demand anything from him when we want to make a claim.
- Once the ideal candidate has been chosen, it is time to turn the house upside down and start bothering the neighbours; especially those who spent the last year doing work on their house. Our manager will be there to control whether things are done well or badly. Guardian Angel, who will pass by there as many times as necessary, ensuring that the work that we are paying for with the sweat of our brow is carried out correctly. Do we pay an electrician with Monopoly tickets? The logical thing to do is to demand that the mechanisms that have been installed are well levelled and that the cover of the automatic control panel is suitable for the standards expected in the 21st century.
- Anticipation and resolution. If there is a problem, someone with enough experience will know what to do to solve it and not waste 3 days on the renovation. If the door gaps are stuck to the corners, someone will warn us that the result will not be as nice as if we move the gap a little. If we have the heating pipes visible through the skirting boards, someone will give us a hard time to fix them. Let's invest a little more and they are built in. I don't think it's crazy if we've been able to leave home for 2 months and invest €25,000, for example. The easy thing would be to arrive and finish without any rigor; once painted and finished, who wants to break everything and do it again?And who guarantees that it will turn out well anyway??
And the best of all remains, friends… The final settlement (excuse the redundancy).
See you tomorrow 😀
- The secrets of a good renovation (Part I)
I would like to state that there are many good contractors, with and without technicians on their staff, so I ask that good professionals do not take what I have just expressed in this post as a reference.
I encourage you to comment on this matter, and/or share your own experiences with renovations you have made in your homes.
Likewise, it is of great help to me if you share this on your social networks. Keep in mind that even if it doesn't help you, there may be someone in your circle who is having a similar problem. Logically, if I gain a client, I will be grateful to you and I won't deny anyone a Christmas card 😉
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