I made another post about working with Detroit general contractors, but there are a few things I wanted to elaborate on.
So I’ll be doing so today.
Anyways, let’s get this show on the road.
A Good, Reliable Contractor = Good, Reliable Income
OK, well maybe not literally. But a good, reliable contractor plays a HUGE role in your success as a rehabber.
Your projects get done faster, and they just make life SO much easier.
They’re worth their weight in gold.
They’re like a woman; if you find a good one, keep ’em close.
Moving on…
Be Specific
When it comes to explaining to the contractor what you want done, leave absolutely NOTHING open to interpretation.
You can never be too specific on how you want the work done.
When we walk through the property with prospective contractors, we tell them what we want and how we want it done with confidence.
That confidence comes from not only us knowing how to estimate repairs, but from the fact that we have our inspector give us his opinion as well, which adds even more confidence.
Not all of them will, but if a contractor senses that you don’t know what you’re talking about, a lot of them will try to take advantage of you.
Not only will they over charge you, but they’ll tell you stuff needs to be done to the house that doesn’t really need to be done.
Scope of Work
Don’t just rely on a handshake.
Avoid any potential misconceptions down the line regarding what work needs to be done.
Once we pick and hire a particular contractor for a project, we both sign a scope of work document so that everything’s in writing.
This will help things go a lot smoother between you and the contractor.
BE What You Expect
Never forget that YOU’RE the leader on this project. It’s your house.
Leaders have to show the qualities that they expect out of those that are following them.
The same thing applies when it comes to working with contractors. If you want “them” to show up on time, and do what they say they’re going to do, you have to do so yourself.
If you want them to respect your project and your business, they need to see that you take things seriously yourself.