Need to Find Help with a Home Improvement Project?
(ARA) - Wish you had a more modern kitchen? Spending too much money on heating and cooling? Having trouble with a leaky roof?
There used to be a time when realizations such as these meant families would pack up and move; but not any more. With the real estate market stagnant, more and more people are choosing to instead update the homes they're in to make them more comfortable and energy efficient.
But you've likely found the projects you really need done, such as replacing the air conditioner or furnace, updating the windows and siding or fixing a leaky roof are beyond your capabilities. So what do you do? Hire a contractor, of course. But how should you go about finding the right person for the job you need done?
The Associated General Contractors of America, the largest and oldest national construction trade association in the United States, offers this advice:
* Verify the contractor's licensing and insurance.
* Make sure the contractor has at least 5 years experience and is an expert doing the type of work you need.
* Ask the contractor for references from 10 current and/or past clients who have had work similar to yours done. Most business comes to a good contractor from referrals, so investigate these references. Randomly call at least three.
If this sounds like more work than you have time to do, a good option is to turn to a company like QualitySmith.com that specializes in matching customers looking for a wide variety of home improvement services with professional and reliable service providers.
Here's how their service works:
1. Log on to their easy-to-use Web site, www.QualitySmith.com and fill out the form describing the project you need done. The company works with contractors capable of doing all kinds of different jobs, including: kitchen and bath remodels; heating and air conditioning work; roofing; and replacing windows and siding.
2. You'll receive a call from someone at the company who will confirm your request, then set up appointments for you with at least 3 prescreened, reputable contractors qualified to do the work you need done.
3. You meet with the 3 contractors, receive their estimates, and choose the contractor that you feel is right for you.
"All of the contractors in our network are licensed in the states they work in, and have reputations second to none," says company president Chad Kreutz.
The service is free to homeowners and there are participating contractors in all 50 states.
Copyright © 2008, ARAnet, Inc.
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