What Consumers Should Look For in a Home Improvement Company
In the wake of a pandemic, travel restrictions, cancelled vacations and lockdowns, homeowner’s turned to home improvement projects to pass the time, creating “staycation” ready environments. As the demand for renovations increased, so did the need for reputable contractors and home improvement companies, along with an increase in scams from unsavory companies. Before diving head first into a renovation, homeowner’s should take a few things into consideration when hiring a home improvement company.
There are several elements to consider when choosing a home improvement company. According to the Consumer Information Report, published by the Federal Trade Commission, research is a consumer’s greatest weapon. The FTC recommends homeowners ask questions, get referrals from friends, neighbors, or co-workers who’ve had improvement work done, check out a contractor’s licenses and online ratings from trusted sites and get written estimates from several firms, keeping in mind the lowest bidder may not be the best choice (Federal Trade Commission, n.d.).
With so many options for home improvement companies and contractors, finding reputable companies can be like finding a needle in a haystack, but in recent years companies like 5Estimates.com are offering online contractor locator services. 5Estimates.com provides a platform where homeowners can request and receive as many as 5 price quotes from reputable contractors in their area, saving the homeowner time by putting them in contact with home improvement companies in their area that specifically offer the services that need to be fulfilled (5estimates.com, 2021). By receiving multiple quotes, the homeowner is able to compare products and pricing to make better buying decisions (5estimates.com, 2021).
As a future homeowner, I have become devoted fan of the home improvement channel HGTV. One show that has captured my attention in recent months is the HGTV series Holmes Makes It Right. The show highlights homeowners who have been taken advantage of by unscrupulous contractors. Show participants get a second chance to have their home improvements completed or in most cases completely renovated by the host of the show, professional licensed contractor Mike Holmes. With over 35 years of experience, Holmes uses his no-nonsense Make It Right® attitude to educate homeowners on proper building code, what to look for in contractors and their rights as homeowners (Holmes Make It Right, 2021). In his blog post, “The Beginning of Holmes on Homes: My Life as a Renovation Television Personality,” Holmes shares how his rise to fame started on a job site where he was overhead ranting about the number of the job’s he had been hired to fix due to contractors who “didn’t care to do right”, leaving homeowners stuck paying to fix something that should have been done right the first time (Holmes Make It Right, 2021).
Home renovations can be exciting, rewarding and pay off big by adding plenty of value to your home, so it pays to be vigilant when looking for a home improvement company.
Works cited:
Federal Trade Commission. n.d. Hiring A Contractor. Consumer Information. Retrieved 30 March 2021 from https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0242-hiring-contractor.
5Estimates.com. 2021. Frequently Asked Questions. 5Estimates.com. Retrieved 30 March 2021 from https://5estimates.com/faqs/.
Holmes Make It Right. 2021. Mike Holmes’ Story. The Holmes Group. Retrieved 30 March 2021 from < https://makeitright.ca/mike-holmes-story/>.
Holmes Make It Right. 2021. Holmes Advice. The Holmes Group. Retrieved 30 March 2021 from https://makeitright.ca/holmes-advice/lifestyle/the-beginning-of-holmes-on-homes-my-life-as-a-renovation-television-personality/.