Picking a contractor to complete the rehab work on your handyman special property involves more research than picking up the phone book. You’ll need to decide if the contractor is offering you a fair price, if he’s reliable, if he’s competent to complete the work and more. Luckily most of these things can be figured out with a quick meeting, a few pertinent questions and making a few phone calls.

Comparison Shopping For Contractors

If you have the time on your real estate rehabbing project, meet with a few different contractors first. This gives you the chance to comparison shop for the right guy or gal for the job. This will also be the first step in weeding out the bad contractor work from the good. You’ll get the chance to meet the contractor face to face while he comes out to look at the work and give you an estimate.

Remember, some contractors will require that you pay them to come out for that estimate. They just don’t want to waste their time, so this isn’t necessarily a sign of a bad contractor.

The contractor’s appearance is also important when you first meet with him or her concerning your handyman special. They don’t have to wear a suit and tie, obviously, but a groomed appearance, clean hands and maintained clothing indicate a contractor who will take care not to damage property or leave behind a mess.

Also the contractor should not behave like a high pressure salesperson. They’re job is to fix homes and if they are charging you for their time to make an estimate, they are still getting paid for their time. A contractor that pressures you into hiring them on a real estate rehabbing project will probably make you feel uncomfortable throughout the rest of the project. It’s just not worth it. If a contractor starts getting pushy ask him or her to leave.

This also applies to contractors that give you one time only discounts on your real estate rehabbing project. Most companies mark up their prices in order to mark them down anyway and that one time only offer may not be much of a discount at all.

During the Meeting

While speaking with your contractor about the handyman special project you’ll want to feel comfortable. The contractor isn’t your employee, but you are paying him for a service, so you’ll be working closely with him or her for a period of time. You should ask yourself if you feel comfortable giving orders and input to the contractor. Does he or she seem like they’d take your opinions and directions well?

You’ll need to be able to communicate well with a contractor. He will need to listen to your ideas and answer your questions clearly without any room for misinterpretation on either side.

The contractor should also be able to let you know how long it should take to complete the handyman special. A time estimate is never exact, but a good contractor will be able to give you a basic idea of how long the project will take to complete.

When giving you that estimate for the work on your real estate rehabbing project, the contractor may also let you know that they’ll require a down payment. This could be an indicator that the contractor doesn’t have any money and isn’t stable enough to complete your project.

However, it’s not unusual for a contractor to ask for a small amount up front to pay for supplies, especially if they are custom ordered items for the handyman special. A good down payment on any project is one third the final estimated cost of the project.

Checking up on your Contractor

After you get an estimate or talk with a contractor about a possible job on your handyman special you’ll want to call his references. Ask him or her for the names of a few satisfied customers if possible. This way you can call someone else who’s worked with your potential new contractor and get a feel for how he or she behaved on the job.

You should also have asked your contractor if he or she is licensed to work in your state. Not all states require contractors to be licensed though, so check to make sure this is a requirement before asking. A licensed contractor can be held accountable if work is sloppy or left unfinished on your real estate rehabbing project and will have a harder time getting their licensed renewed in the future if there are complaints. So, they tend to be more professional and reliable.

Call up the local county courthouse to double check the license number your potential contractor gave you too. If they are licensed they’ll be on record and you’ll be able to confirm it.

Last but not least, don’t let your family, friends or co-workers talk you into hiring someone. They may know a contractor, a handyman or a guy who does stuff like this on the side. It doesn’t matter, just because a guy has your family’s recommendation doesn’t necessarily mean he’s good. Take their names sure, ask the guy for an estimate sure, but if he or she doesn’t feel right for the real estate rehabbing job don’t hire them.

Real estate rehabbing is a project to project business, but you will more than likely end up working with the same contractors repeatedly. A little research can help you find which contractors are the best sooner rather than latter on your next handyman special.