Contractors: How To Hire Them

As a property owner, there may be a task that doesn’t fit your expertise. A property manager will rely on contractors as part of their business.

Contractors are important people in the community that can help you with your needs. For example, home security, maintenance and even investing needs.

Just like your tenants, contractors can be valuable assets to your company; but things can change quickly in this business. Many companies have been at the losing end of a bill for unfinished or improper work.

It’s important as a property manager that you ensure you’re hiring good and professional contractors.

The steps are simple:

Research a company you’ve decided to hire. Are they a new brand? Then ask how many projects have they done so far? If they are a well-known company, what is their reputation in the community? Have they consistently done good work? Have some been unsatisfied, and why?

Next, look at whether their employees are insured or bonded; inquiring about whether the company is insured is also a good idea. Insured companies are protected against mistakes or errors. Bonded employees usually have gone through background/criminal record checks. This will ensure that you’re working with individuals you can trust.

But what about their reputation? Google is your best friend; in the internet age, everything is online. When you want to do some further research, check websites and links to things that have been associated with that company. The Internet is the place where people truly express themselves. It will provide insight into the company’s ratings and reviews.  Do your due diligence, the internet can be a great free asset.

Always ask the contractor if they are licensed. While this might seem like a silly question to ask a company, there are companies who will hire general labours who have no specific trade/license. These individuals are experienced in many different areas. It might, however, be the best idea to have a licensed contractor doing all major renovations.
While this might seem like a time-consuming process, you can rest assured at the end of the job, the company you hired will get the job done.