Great TOH Post on Finding a Contractor

There is a great new post by Sal Vaglica on This Old House Online called How to Use Contractor Referral Websites that is a perfect adjunct to my article on finding, interviewing and selecting contractors on my web site.

Sal's article details how to use the services such as Angie's List and Servicemagic to find a contractor when you don't have the usual resources like coworkers, friends and family to ask for referrals.

I tried a couple of the services myself (Servicemagic and its predecessor, ImproveNet), years ago, to market my services before I discovered the (wonderful) world-wide-web.

I found that paying for "leads", when the service was unwilling to include detailed budget questions in their questionnaire, was not very fruitful for me.

My clientele tends to be a small percentage of the overall population of consumers looking for kitchen design services. They are mostly middle class people with difficult kitchens that require a lot of remodeling and a designer with a "fresh eye". They also put more dollars into their projects than the average because of their complexity. Thank GOODNESS the web came along!

I think the referral sites work better for contractors though. It gives them a chance to connect with new potential clients who aren't friends of friends, or are new in town.

I also think Angie's List is well worth the cost because you get to read other consumers' thoughts on working with the individual or company AFTER they have had the experience...and the comments are unsolicited.

It is certainly de rigeur to ask a contractor, or anyone else you are contemplating hiring, for references; however you must understand that those references are going to be among their happiest clients.

I like to ask for a reference who had problems on the job as well. That way I'll learn how the individual performs under adverse conditions and problem-solves.

So, if you (and all your friends) are new to remodeling and looking for a contractor, try Angie's List. I bet you'll be glad you did.

Peggy