By Julia Robertson, May 3, 2019
Hiring a contractor: 101. Learning from my personal success and failures working with contractors.
First I’d like to say, when you hire the right contractor- your project will be so much easier to deal with. When you hire the wrong contractor- get ready for a long, stressful, expensive process. When we started our renovation in 2015, many of the bids we received were from contractors referred to me within our broker network(other real estate agents that I know). Other contractors I hired were from “Thumbtack” or personally referred. If you have a large project, having the right mindset is #1! You can’t be passive, you must be deliberate. Here are some basic do’s & don’ts. I’m happy to share my experience with you, to guide you in the right direction. Feel free to reach out if you’re curious about the process.
- Do include a design plan in your budget. Having a plan is worth the extra couple hundred/thousand dollars.
- Do have a design plan before getting a bid with your general contractor.
- Do get multiple bids. Second phase of our attic/master bedroom renovation, we got 6 bids.
- Do ask for past client references. We are very happy with our contractor that we had a personal referral from. When I say personal, I mean- a past client that personally shared their experience with you. Hiring a contractor for a job because you like their work, “hear good things”, or another REALTOR® used them to fix something on a repair addendum- is NOT the same.
- Do plan for your project to take longer than expected.
- Do read your contract thoroughly and look at how the contractor expects to be paid.. Biggest mistake we made with one of our contractors is not reading this fine print. We were so eager to negotiate price, that we missed our contract stated- “50% payment due 30 days after project begins…” This landscaper only worked 5 days in the first month because his crew quit and weather delays. This was a stupid oversight on our part. So many decisions are being made, it’s easy to miss something. Best situation for us was paying our contractor by cost plus. He pays all the sub-contractors directly, emails us all the invoices, then we pay him about 30 days after the work is complete. Then he takes an overall percentage for managing/cleaning/communicating the jobs.
- Do pop in and check on your project and ask questions. I can’t even count how many times our landscaping contractor had to re-do parts of our project. If we had brought up our questions sooner, the project would have been finished 3 months sooner and cost several thousand less $$.
- Do tell your contractor that you want weekly updates.
- Do make sure EVERYTHING you discuss is in writing. Ask to update your contract if there is a change order to remove or add a part to your project.
- Don’t make your final payment until you are completely satisfied. I’ve made this mistake twice! Trust me, they’ll never come back to fix those final things if you’ve already paid them.
If you’re having thoughts about buying, selling, or renovating- give me a call! I’d love to be your guide through the process. Watch for part II of hiring a contractor!
Julia Robertson
Broker licensed in Oregon & Washington | Living Room Realty
541-505-1111 | julia@rebyjulia.com
Julia Robertson
Broker OR, WA, UT | Earth Advantage
She/Her
During a two-plus decade career in real estate, Julia has approached her job with one overarching goal in mind: to help people get from where they are, to where they want to be. Julia moved to the Pacific Northwest 18 years ago and genuinely loves showing the city to clients who are considering whether to relocate. Julia constantly explores neighborhoods so that she can accurately match clients with a part of Portland Metro or Vancouver that is perfect them. She believes that everyone deserves the chance to own a home in an area or neighborhood that they love.
Since a real estate purchase is one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make, Julia works tirelessly with her clients to build a trusting relationship and help them find not just a house, but a home. She has experience working with a broad range of clients to fulfill their diverse and unique needs. Whether it be a downtown condo, home in the suburbs, or a property with acreage, Julia can help you come up with a plan that meets your timeline, your budget and your needs. If you’d like to meet for coffee or lunch to discuss potential real estate opportunities, Julia would love to hear from you.
From an early age, Julia loved everything related to homemaking. Her childhood spent moving from town to town and always having to be “the new kid” gave her the personal confidence to meet new people and boldly operate in the high stakes world of real estate. Julia has lived in every state across the West - Arizona, California, Utah, Montana, Oregon and Washington. In 2006, Julia rented a uhaul and drove to Eugene where she proceeded to fall in love with the beautiful state of Oregon. She spent six years as a marketing specialist for a global furniture company, until she settled down to start a family. Now with 12 years in her real estate career, Julia has honed in on Southeast Portland and Vancouver as an area specialist. She provides full service listings for sellers, including professional staging, professional photography, drone footage, social media marketing, and networking with agents across the United States. Julia is a licensed Realtor in Oregon, Washington, and Utah as a Seller Representative Specialist(SRS) and Earth Advantage-certified broker. She served on the Living Room Realty broker advisory board(2015-2017) and attended the Portland B corporation meetings.
When Julia represents a client in the sale or purchase of a home, Julia goes above and beyond to serve her clients. She considers the client’s budget, bottom line, area preferences, and future plans. While Julia doesn’t consider herself a “sales person,” she does have over twenty years of experience in the field of sales and knows how to conduct herself in negotiations and details. Your business is Julia’s top priority, and she always makes herself available.
Along with her husband, son and dog, Waffles, she and her family love traveling, taking trips to their favorite beach in Encinitas, California, and searching out new adventures—usually with an eye toward finding new and unique places to eat.- T: 541-505-1111
- julia@rebyjulia.com