When you think of building something, you might think of trying it yourself. The truth is that you simply can’t finish such a project unless you are a construction engineer, an architect or you own a construction company.
If you’re neither of those, you will need the help of a contractor to make the house of your dreams. There are many steps for successfully finishing this project, and we’re going to present them to you so that you can make an idea if you ever want to build your own house.
Talk to Friends
If you have someone who has recently built a house, then they are the ones you should talk to. Look among your friends, people you know or relatives and ask them for references. If they had a pleasant experience with a contractor and they were satisfied with the work that was performed, then you will definitely get a recommendation for someone.
Look Online
The online environment is full of presentational websites from construction companies. Look out in your area and see what you can find. The website should be up to date, with contact information like address, phone number, e-mail and a representative. Note down those details and start calling them.
The Meeting
Once you get to meet with the representatives of the construction companies, see where they ask you to come. Their office is the first thing that you will notice, so if they don’t have a headquarters, but they ask you to come at a coffee shop or somewhere down town, look for someone else.
A respected co
ntractor and one that has plenty of work, will have a decent headquarters, with special places to meet the clients.
Experience
Now that you’ve met them, ask them about their experience. See how long they have been on the market, how many people do they have working for them, if they have license, if they can offer you an architect and so on. This is very important, because it will tell you a lot of details about what you need to know.
License and Credentials
Ask them about license. You can’t hire a contractor without a construction license, because this would mean breaking the law – not just you, but also the contractor. The license and the rest of the credentials show you that they are working legally, that they respect the construction rules and regulations and that they are working with written contract.
Materials
Based on your desired project, ask them where they get the materials – from the stores where you have access too, or directly from the factory or from big deposits. This is very important because it will tell you something about the prices that they practice.
Portfolio
Ask to see their portfolio. This is very important, because it will give you details about what types of buildings they have already done. The portfolio is very important – it’s like a visit card that they can present to the clients and sometimes you can choose to go and talk to the owners and see how satisfied they were with the house.
Estimation
Each building company can offer you a price estimation for your project. The estimation will contain everything that is of relevance for your project – based on the blueprints that you have, they will tell you exactly what type of materials will they use, what is the price of each material, how many stages there will be, what is the price for each stage, who will be working on your house, what engineers will supervise the construction and so on. In the end, you will have an estimated price, with an addition of about 10% in case something else is needed during the project.
Warranty and Written Contract
This is the last thing that you have to ask about. They have to be responsible for everything that they do, so the warranty is essential. Apart from this, the written contract is also mandatory. Building a house is not cheap – it’s not like you are buying a toy house and you can take it back. This is a big project and you need to have a written contract with the contractor to make sure they deliver the house and that they also receive the money.