Our reality is such that we have to be a universal - "and the Shvets, and the reaper, and the gamer on the pipe", as the old Russian proverb says. We apply the same principle when renovating an apartment: we ourselves determine the scope of work, think over the design, choose materials; we plaster, paint, drill ourselves ... But, you see, this approach is not always acceptable. For cosmetic repairs - back and forth. And if you have set your sights on renovation ? And if the walls, roof and communications are in a depressing state, and major repairs are required ? Here you cannot do without a contractor.
How to choose a construction companyYou looked through a bunch of newspaper ads and websites on the Internet, chose a dozen that seemed suitable at first glance, and were faced with the torment of choice: which of them will do everything efficiently, within an acceptable time frame and for a reasonable price? There are a few things to look out for first.
Hours of work on the market. Better not to mess with newbies who have been working for less than a year. A company that has been engaged in construction and renovation activities for three years or longer, as a rule, has regular customers to whom it can refer, experience in solving common problems and trained personnel.
Office availability and accessibility. If, on the offer to drive up to them, a nice young lady on the phone in every possible way avoids specifics, there is a risk of running into scammers.
Formation of estimates. An adequate company will never tell you the cost of your repair over the phone. Only on the spot, having seen the entire scope of work and delving into the features of the object, the specialist will be able to draw up a list of your costs.
The price of the issue. Ask 2-3 companies to make estimates for you. Too high or too low cost of work should alert you. Unlike cosmetic repairs, overhaul involves a complete renovation.
Prepayment. When it reaches 50%, you are tied to the contractor with no room to maneuver. It is optimal to divide the entire front of work into stages, and pay for each stage separately: this disciplines the contractor and protects your money from potential fraudsters.
And finally, document all your agreements: sign, at least, a work contract, an estimate, a work schedule, a resource sheet. And ideally, there is also a design project, an apartment plan before and after redevelopment, technical documentation for all engineering systems with diagrams and calculations.