A new kitchen is a dream of yours but you’re not sure how to proceed or if you can pull it off. You’d love to do it yourself so you can save some money, but you’re quite sure you don’t have the skills needed. You think that it’s better to hire a professional, but how do you know who to hire and if you can trust them with your project and with the hard-earned funds you’ve saved to complete the renovation?
Hiring the right contractor for your remodeling job can be tricky. Make a quick online search of “kitchen contractors near me” and you’re likely to find that kitchen remodeling companies are a dime a dozen. So, how do you narrow down those numbers and come up with the right company?
If you own a company or if you’ve been in a human resources position at work, you’ve gone through the process of hiring someone for a particular job. In truth, hiring kitchen remodeling companies isn’t all that different.
As you peruse “kitchen contractors near me”, think about that process. For a potential new employee, you would expect to receive a resume, maybe some samples of their work (depending on the job type), and – finally – a list of references from companies or individuals for whom they’ve worked in the past. You should expect the same from kitchen remodeling companies.
Here are some steps to follow as you begin the process:
⦁ Before you make any calls or send any emails, take stock of your project and your expectations. Are you hiring a company only to reface your cabinets or do you want to replace your countertops and make other improvements as well? Be clear about what you want to achieve before you start contacting kitchen remodeling companies.
⦁ Next, make a list of at least 5 kitchen remodeling companies you’ve found. You may have located them online when your searched “kitchen contractors near me” or you may have gotten names from friends or family who’ve recently had their kitchen remodeled and were pleased with the contractor.
⦁ You’ll then want to begin the interview process. You can speak with the contractor or the person in charge either in person or on a video call. (Preferably not a phone call.) Ask questions about things that are important to you, like timeline, budget, and more. If they can’t answer your questions or are skirting a particular issue, that should send up a red flag. Take them off your list and move on. It’s also important to make a connection with someone you’re considering for the job of contractor. It’ll make everything easier when you’re comfortable with one another.
⦁ Next, look at their portfolio. When you searched “kitchen contractors near me” and found various websites, you examined them to look for photos of past jobs. Well, go back to those sites again and take another look. What do you like about this company’s work? Do you see projects like yours? Is there a lot of variety or does everything look the same? If you’re meeting with a company representative in person, you can also them to bring along photos of jobs they’ve completed as well.
⦁ Ask about current remodeling jobs and ask if you can stop in and peek if any of the jobs are convenient to you. When you check out a company while they’re on the job, you can truly see how they work. Are they neat? Is the work happening on time? Do the contractors and/or subcontractors are working well together?
⦁ Now it’s time to follow up on the references you asked for at the interview. Don’t skip this part! You might feel awkward calling the company’s past clients but doing so is an effective way to learn about their work ethic, punctuality, and more. Ask specific questions and take notes as you speak.
⦁ Finally, narrow down your list of kitchen remodeling companies to just a few and ask for project bids from each of them. Pay attention to details and take your time making a choice. Don’t let anyone rush you into a hasty decision by telling you the bid is only good for 2 days or something similar. This is an important decision and it needs to be considered carefully.
Hiring the right kitchen remodeling company from all of those “kitchen contractors near me” is the key to achieving a successful result. At KCR, we know all there is to know about the ins and outs of kitchen cabinet refacing and can help you make an educated choice for your remodeling project. Learn how kitchen cabinet refacing can help make your kitchen look like new again by visiting us at www.kitchencabinetrefacing.com.