TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Remodeling a room in your home can be exciting and rewarding. Kitchen and bathroom makeovers often return as much as 80 percent of the original investment – if the job gets done right. Done wrong, it can be costly and very frustrating.
Shannon Roberts dreamed about having a new master bath in place before her fourth and fifth children were born over the summer. The project started great and finished on time and on budget, but her dream became a nightmare just months before her trip to the delivery room, “I didn’t realize how different it was until it started leaking through my ceiling into my kitchen and that’s when you find out that the underneath part was not as pretty as the finished product.”
The original contractor told the Roberts the job was out of warranty. Instead of fighting, they hired Jon Guy to fix the problems, and that’s when they discovered how little information they received from their first hire.
The Roberts consulted three companies, but didn’t do a thorough reference check, and the choice to go with the lowest bidder became a very expensive lesson.
Angie says you need to get at least three estimates so you can know if you’re paying a fair price, but don’t look only at the project cost. Examine all the details and ask questions if you don’t understand something. Find out how the contractors’ work holds up over time by talking to past clients. Tie payment to progress and hold back at least 10 percent until you’re fully satisfied with the work.
