Six Steps to Choosing the Right Renovation Contractor for Renovations in Brisbane
Luxurious, good-looking homes are considered status symbols in most parts of the world, including Australia. With its distinct Queenslander architecture and contemporary house designs, Brisbane in particular, is a place where the aesthetics of your abode can make or break reputation. But that's common knowledge, isn't it?
What's not-so-common is the knowledge of how to achieve that luxurious, good-looking home, especially when you don't have the choice of new construction. The answer is only one – home renovation.
The advantages of home renovation are numerous. For one, it increases both comfort and value of your home by upgrading aesthetics and function. For another, it adds ages to the life of your home by fortifying the bases and structures during the renovation task. Renovation helps decrease building maintenance and utility costs as well. This is in addition to the fact that home renovation aligns your home to the latest in Brisbane house designs and trends.
However, only if you choose the right renovations Brisbane company
Indeed, the quality of remodelling-work and outcome you will achieve depends heavily upon the experience and excellence (or lack thereof) of the team or company you hire. Choosing the right company is vital to ensuring the advantages of renovation are delivered.
Here are six steps to help you do the same:
1. Have a plan before you start
Before you begin flipping through the Yellow Pages and calling every contractor in the book, prepare a plan. You want to be sure of the remodelling work you want to get done, or the expectations you have from the renovation. Depending upon your renovation needs/expectations, you want to specify the “minimum criteria” for Brisbane renovations company selection. It is also wise to set a budget bracket for the renovation at this stage.
2. Research and review credentials
The World Wide Web is your best friend at this stage. Use keywords such as “renovations Brisbane”, “renovation home designs Brisbane”, “remodelling house plans Brisbane”, or “home renovations company Brisbane” to have Google or your preferred search engine return the most relevant search results. Stick to the first page of the Google results (you will find around seven companies). Visit the website of each company and run a customary check on the credentials provided. You want to check if they provide business address, phone number and a list of services.
3. Request quotes
The best companies will allow you to request a free quote for your renovation needs. Be as specific as possible in your quote request and have each of the seven companies get back to you with quotes. You can also request the company to provide a time estimate as well.
4. Read quotes to narrow down your list
Read the quotes to narrow your selection. The majority of quotes you get will belong to the same price range. There will also be a couple that are significantly high and a couple of quotes that are significantly low. Weed out the costliest and the cheapest ones. The 'right' company for renovations in Brisbane, such as Empire Design & Drafting is sure to provide you competitive pricing.
5. Interview candidates
By this stage, you may have narrowed down your list to about two or three companies that provided competitive quotes. Schedule meetings with these companies for the final selection. Have a list of questions prepared before the actual meeting. You want to find out details about insurance, licensing, membership in professional/industry organisations, certificates, qualifications, contracts and more.
You also want to find out all details about their company policies for Brisbane renovations. What happens when they fail to meet deadlines? What happens when you are not satisfied with the work? Will there be refund or rework? Be sure that you don't just take the company's word for it. Ask for proof of documents, and take the terms and conditions of service in writing.
6. Ask for references
And finally, ask for references for the final three companies specialising in Brisbane renovations. When checking references, be sure to ask about the quality of service and experience as well, apart from other technical details such as quality of work, and whether the delivery was on-time and within-budget or not.
Ask to see samples, and completed projects as well. On the Empire Design & Drafting website you will see links to some of our completed home renovation projects as both sample and design inspiration.
By the time you conclude this step, you will already have a name a mind. Approach them, schedule the first appointment, ask for a detailed service contract, and you're good to go. Happy remodelling!