Do you know what a good contractor/builder looks like? Do you know what you WANT in that builder? If not, you simply won’t know what to look for or what to ask during interviews. Never base your choice simply on his or her quote! Here are some of the main qualities that I recommend that you look for: · Speed of work: Slow and methodical can be good but when it comes to a major project where interest costs are involved, you want reasonable speed. · Quality of work: Seek out physical evidence of their competency in their trade. · Competitive pricing: It’s not the lowest bid you want, but at the same time, it usually makes little sense to choose a builder who is more than 20% higher than average. · Exceptional communications: Be sure that you can communicate with your builders. There’s nothing worse than working with someone that won’t listen or you just don’t understand. · Performance that matches promises: It’s easy to talk a good game. This is where people get fooled. Never assume … look for proof. Now that you know what to look for, you can base your interviewing on these factors. Get a minimum of THREE BIDS on each trade and a minimum of THREE REFERENCES. Question the references based upon these qualities. If the builder doesn’t measure up, don’t hire her.