| There is plenty of information out there for | | | | contact you a little bit later. If they are planning on |
| homeowners about contractors, but there is very | | | | doing the work immediately and you're booked solid |
| little information about homeowners that home | | | | for the next two months, it wouldn't make any |
| remodeling contractors should be aware of. Here are | | | | sense to go look at their project. |
| five simple rules that every home remodeling | | | | 4. Try to get as much information about the project |
| contractor should follow. | | | | over the phone or through e-mail. If someone wants |
| 1. Try to avoid working with the disgruntled | | | | to build a deck on their home and you don't have |
| homeowners. The moment that you enter a | | | | enough information about the project, you could find |
| prospective client's home and start talking to them, | | | | yourself wasting a lot of time, especially if they don't |
| you need to keep one thing in mind. If these people | | | | have any idea how much the deck is going to cost. |
| are rude or mean to you in any way, inform them | | | | You could always give them a general idea over the |
| that you will not be working for them ever and they | | | | phone or through e-mail. |
| should seriously consider changing their attitude, | | | | 5. It wouldn't be a bad idea to ask your prospective |
| before calling another contractor. | | | | client to find out how many contractors they have |
| 2. Don't waste a lot of time designing a job that you | | | | contacted, before you. This one can be extremely |
| don't have. I just got through spending about five | | | | important, because it will tell you that the |
| hours with a woman designing her bathroom, only to | | | | homeowner is shopping the job and looking for the |
| find out that a local home improvement center | | | | cheapest price. |
| convinced her not to use my services and that she | | | | Most homeowners are interviewing you for the job |
| should use one of their contractors, even though she | | | | and you should take this opportunity to interview |
| had no idea that their contractors are going to | | | | them. Make sure that these are people that you get |
| charge her more money. | | | | along with and can actually work for. If you don't feel |
| 3. Always ask the prospective client, when they're | | | | comfortable with these people, there's a good |
| planning on starting the project. If they are not | | | | chance that you'll have problems with them in the |
| planning on starting to do any work for a few | | | | future. |
| months, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have them | | | | |