Any style of home services contractor can be hired with ease if you learn how

The time will come when you will need to hire some kind of professional services for your home needs. It may be a repair job, a legal issue, maintenance, or selling needs. Knowing how to hire these professionals and what to look for will help you have a better experience.  I will break these professionals down into 3 main sections of Financial/Legal Services, Repair/Remodel/Maintenance Services, and Design/Inspection Services.

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Design/Inspection Services:

• Municipal Building Inspector: This is the person you need if you are doing a project that your city requires you to pull a permit for. If you are doing the work yourself you will need to go to your local municipality and get all of the permit information. Then when it is time for inspection, you will call a schedule an appointment. The inspectors are paid for with the permit cost. The only time that you would have to pay more is if the inspector needs to come back more then the standard for this project.
• Home Inspector:  This is a service you should only need during the sales process of your home. Normally the appraiser is hired by the buyer’s. I suggest that you hire an Home Inspection before you list your property. This will give you a better idea of any thing to fix and pricing strategy. When Hiring make sure your inspector is certified and a member of one of these organizations; NAHI, ASHI, or NACHI. A standard inspection should cost around $250. Make sure to get references. You should be able to get good suggestions for an inspector from a local real estate agent.
• Interior Designer: Designers tent to be very artistic style people and therefore very widely in their designs. It is best to find a designer that you are comfortable with. You will need to work closely with this person to get a room to feel and look the way you will be comfortable in. Good Interior designers have full portfolios for you to see their work. Call references and ask how people feel in their finished spaces. Make sure to have a contract with all pricing included. Make sure your interior designer is certified in your state.
• Landscape Architect/Contractor: Before considering hiring a professional you will need to have a general idea of your budget. Also you need to determine what your intentions are; design, installation, maintenance, or all of these.  You should take some time and collect some pictures of landscapes that you like. The landscape architect can plan every aspect of your yard including out building, patios, harbors, pools, and decks, including all of the plantings to fill the space. In most states landscapers do not require any specific education or licenses.  It is best for large projects to work with a well established firm that has been in business for a while.  Get references from the landscapers and go look at their recent work. Expect that for a fully landscaped yard on a new home to cost around 10% to 20% of what the house cost.
• Home Appraiser: This is a service you should only need during the sales process of your home. Normally the appraiser is hired by the buyer’s mortgage company. I suggest that you hire an appraiser yourself before listing your home for sale to see how it compares to the rest of the homes in the area. Average price for an appraisal is around $350. Best bet for hiring on is to call a local bank or other lending service company and ask for suggestions. Make sure the appraiser is certified in your state.
• Architect: Because architecture is such a creative field every professional will approach a design differently. It is important to really understand what you are looking for in a design. Look at the web site of the American Institute of Architects for professionals in your area. Interview 3 people to see who fits your personality best and who has the qualifications and experience that you believe will give you the best results. Make sure to get a written contract of fees and charges before the architects start the project.

These professional services are normally on the higher end of cost therefore make sure to take your time deciding whom to use and make sure you feel comfortable about their qualifications. You would hate to get half way through a project just to realize you hate working with the person you hired and now you have to start all over. Try always using suggestions from friends and family that have had good luck with contracting services.

Make sure all your contractors are following the law during projects to the best of your knowledge. If you suspect that something does not seem right, call and ask the building inspector at your local municipality.

By: Tom Corliss

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