Monday Market Update: What Contractors Wish Every Homeowner Knew

Homeownership. It’s a beautiful thing – but it does require renovation and repair at times. Making your home your own, and keeping it that way, is an exciting experience at times. With that enthusiasm, however, often comes unexpected challenges and big decisions.

Recently Rico Leon from HGTV’s ‘Rico To The Rescue’ shared the things that drive contractors crazy. We have reframed his advice into what you can do to make home repairs and renovations a more seamless experience. 

Here goes… 

1) Home values have gone up a LOT in the last few years (yay!)… but so have materials and labor. Rico explains that people were thrilled when home values went from $230K to $700K in Denver, but then shocked when a kitchen update went from $30K to $90K. Keep in mind that home prices are rising – and so is everything else that goes with it.

2) Don’t always select the contractor that promises perfection. Look for realistic expectations and promises of communication. Very, very few home projects are seamless – and anyone who tells you otherwise may be setting you up for disappointment. Rico shares that some contractors focus on the ‘sell’, then over-promise & under-deliver. His style shares ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’ and he swears that honesty is the secret to his success. 

3) Have an open conversation about will & will not be in the contractor’s control. Two of the biggest time hurdles are city permitting and insurance battles – two factors that neither the contractor nor homeowner can control but do need to follow-up with. 

4) The language of the contract matters – greatly. Be sure that the project contract has the full scope of work and what is included, and outlines project milestones, which costs are due when as well as who is responsible for what delays (i.e. the homeowner chooses a tile that will take 3 months to come in). 

Last but not least… don’t forget the golden rule. Rico tells Realtor.com® that homeowners often talk to contractors like kids or begin with accusations rather than questions. He suggests treating others how you want to be treated; instead of saying "Why isn’t the floor in yet?” try rephrasing as “It looks like things are going slower than we planned, let’s figure out what happened.”

Ultimately you are the homeowner and the contractor is providing a service. But like any working relationship, upfront expectations, honesty & communication are the keys to a great experience and fantastic result! 

Do you have any home projects planned in 2024? What are your biggest hopes… and fears? We’d love to hear all about it! 

Source: ‘Rico to the Rescue’ Reveals What Drives Contractors Crazy: Have You Done It?

Cheers,

Bobbi

Bobbi Decker
DRE#00607999

Broker Associate, Bobbi Decker & Associates
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650.577.3127 efax
www.bobbidecker.com
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