Even though the market is huge, it is often hard to find a reliable team of contractors. It is often difficult to simply look them up online, but also get recommendations from someone from the industry. Other investors are hesitant to give out contacts of their favorite teams, as they want to keep them free for their own jobs.
It’s simply the way people do work in the real estate business. For that reason, if you’re new at investing, you need to learn how to manage all these things. In this guide, you’ll learn how to best work with contractors, from a real estate investor’s point of view. Let’s dig in!
Focus on finding reliable and professional experts
If you can’t get a good recommendation to find a good contractor, you need to spend more time finding your perfect team. A proven technique is to go around the city and check out the places where contractors are still doing some work.
This will give you the chance to meet them on the spot and actually see the way they’re completing a task. Before talking to anyone in charge, make sure you pay attention to the quality of the work. Here are some details you can check on your own:
- safety of the construction site
- the working atmosphere – is the team working or sitting, chatting, talking on the phone, etc;
- check if the site is clean, and there’s a dedicated dumpster at the spot;
- the lines between the walls, ceiling, and the floor should not be messy, but clean and precise;
- the general tidiness of the team – are there food leftovers, water bottles, or beer cans all over the place? Are workers smoking inside the property?
- Paying attention to these details will give you a rough idea if you should contact someone in charge and ask if they can work at your property.
Remember: when doing an online search, make sure you take recommendations from reliable sources. Also, check the website, reviews and other online indicators of the team you’re interested in. A professional contractor should have a well-designed website and a clear presentation of their services. One example is generalcontractorlosangeles.us – a high-rated choice, with a full array of contracting services, and an informative website you can get a quote from.
Contact multiple companies
If you’re new in this and don’t have so many reliable contacts, it is essential to contact a couple of construction teams. Get a couple of quotes for this specific job of yours, so you can compare them and get yourself the best deal. Remember, the price shouldn’t be the only indicator. Sometimes, the lowest price means the lowest quality of work. But at the same time, the most expensive team doesn’t guarantee premiums services.
Know what you’re looking for
Be straight with the contractors you contact – present your requirements and ideas clearly. It is important to know what you’re looking for, to be able to find a contractor that can make your ideas happen. If you’re building some office space or a store, look for a team that has experience with the construction of different types of business premises. This type of work is different from residential properties, so be sure to pick the appropriate team with the right experience.
Make a contract
It is necessary to have a well-written contract that will protect both parties. It will give you peace of mind and help you avoid problems and complications. Make sure to include all the precise details in the contract, including the following:
- address of the property
- the time necessary to do the work – both start and end date;
- parties involved
- the exact list of work that the team needs to finish before the due date. Be very specific about this, and list the tasks precisely;
- penalties in case of any changes or extension of the contract time;
- specify which party is in charge of providing tools, materials, and other necessities;
- payment agreement;
- insurance details.
All of these details are important in clarifying the work that needs to be done and protecting both of the parties during the process. Furthermore, for investors who have multiple projects going on at the same time, using contract management software is a great idea.
Make use of the technology tools that can help with the real estate business. This software can keep track of the payments, send reminders and make the documents exchange a lot faster. It’s a safer way to run your project, so you can consider one of these to help you out.
Ask the right questions
When talking to a person in charge of a construction team, be sure to ask all the necessary questions. To best work with contractors, you need to know more about their experience, the job they’ve done, and the time needed to finish the work. For flipping home projects, ask for before and after pictures so you can see their work.
Also, inform about the number of people in the team, any exceptions in their work, but also their schedule and current projects. Be open about your expectations and don’t be afraid to ask everything you need to know about your project.
Consider hiring a manager
In case you are too busy with other projects or do not live close to the construction area, it’s a good idea to hire somebody to overlook the whole process. Sometimes, people are not comfortable doing that on their own, so they hire a reliable person to be in charge of the construction progression. It is important to keep track of the progress, communicate with the contractors in case of some unexpected issues, and simply see if everything is going according to the plan.
It’s all about the precaution
Being smart in the real estate business can bring you a lot of income. Precaution and wise moves are essential in finding the right partners, but also help you to best work with contractors and stay safe. Take your time when picking people you work with, and it will save you from trouble and make the work done with ease.
