[US
Small Residential Personal and Commercial Investment Real Estate Enhancements]
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Brush
Up In Part Twelve
of this continuing article series, ‘How Do You Decide To Pay Contractors …,’
there was more emphasis on what is coined ‘strategic delay.’ It’s part of the
approach to property owners who are most effective at hiring the best possible
contractors for the best possible results. No doubt, the phraseology,
‘strategic delay’ might not be familiar with some, but it’s meaning is very familiar
among private home-decision-makers across America who are among the most keen about
selecting bonafide professional contractors. They’re not so whimsical about it.
Whether it was the hard knocks they’ve experienced going into the collaboration
on nothing more than faith, or by learning how and why others were so
effortlessly duped and summarily swindled, they conscientiously vowed not to
make the same critical mistakes. They made it more of their business to know
who they might invite on their properties, and what it could mean to their home
life. Yet, even more, they seriously considered what it could mean to their
physical, mental, and financial health. How would the presence of these
prospective contractors affect the comfort, stability, and enjoyability of
their home settings? So, they take this very earnestly, and responsibly. In
effect, these focused owners do what must be done to distance themselves from
being so capricious as to discount the necessity for being fully engaged. They
need to validate or invalidate the competence and reliability of the services.
Yet even more than that, the competence and reliability of the potential
services providers. No holds barred. Get it done.
Get
It Done. Some property
owners conduct themselves as though all they have to do is have the funds
availability. That all they have to do is show them ‘who’s the boss’ by showing
them the money. And it’s as though the money has the power to compel
contractors to do the work right. There must be some delusion about the
ownership of the money in relation to the quality of the performance. No worry.
Why bother to search when your possession of the funds is ‘sufficient?’ For
sure, notwithstanding the fact that once the money changes hands, the control
over what will and won’t be accomplished passes from the owner to the
contractor. Subsequently, the value of work that will or won’t materialize
rests with the value of the person hired for the assignment. No doubt about it
since the contractor’s engagement directly impacts the value of results.
Value
of Your Decision. But
let’s not lose sight of the fact that what transpires and how it transpires is
absolutely traceable to the value of the hiring decision. And this is reasonably
measured by the value of the sort of data you own about those offering home
services. What have other owners said about them? Are there outstanding
complaints? Are they supposed to be licensed, registered, or both to do the
nature of work you’ve got lined up? Do they carry personal insurance? Will they
have helpers or crew members assist? If so, are they covered by workers
compensation in the event they’re injured? Of course, that’s only the tip of
the iceberg. So for homeowners who are reasonably focused, it’s vital to
know who and what contractors are to other property owners, and whether their
credentials [real or professed] are verifiable through legitimate authoritative
sources. They won’t settle for having hunches or feelings about the productive
abilities and integrity of contractors since these have no practical basis
against effectively warding against unknown risk factors. They exist. These
property owners see them clearly, meaning, they see the ramifications. They see
the potential loss in the comfort, stability, improvement, and stability of
their personal and home lives due to foul people in contracting who could care
less. For these reasons they adamantly rebuke the solace they feel over the
prospect of finally investing in the property being ‘more inviting.’ Instead,
they regularly opt for the need to ensure contractors they select meet the
standards required for making it happen. The risk of arriving at a bad choice
supersedes the temptation for making a final hiring decision without first
being reassured via credible sources that the decision would be sound.
Sound
Decision-Making. It’s a
given that not a day goes by without making choices. And usually the choices we
make have very much to do with the challenges we face on a day-to-day basis,
and with our method of approach for overcoming them. This is as true for babies
as it is for adults. However, the obvious advantage is that as adults we’ve got
more control over how we’re going to face them. Nevertheless, it’s probably a
great idea for us to treat this concept we call sound decision-making
as basically split down the middle in the forms managing the home environment,
and managing the bills.’
·
Home
Environment. We’ve got
more control over what we will or won’t allow on our premises. The greater our
status on the property, the greater our accountability for ensuring that
whatever we cherish in this solemn space is aptly arranged, maintained,
replenished, and refined as circumstances warrant. Anyone or anything that
interferes with the continuity of these values has to be judiciously addressed
in the soonest possible time for the sake of the household. The means we resort
to for these purposes are intended to effectively resolve the inconveniences as
they occur. And, of course, this would include the mess contractors made of the property because we didn't vet them well enough ..... if at all.
·
Bills. In addition, for the sake of everyone on
the property, the bills must be met, and regularly met on time. So, in these
times of deep economic instability impacting millions of Americans, there are
real challenges for choosing which bills should be paid as opposed to which can
be delayed, or sacrificed. Should we cut back on our medicines or the children’s
nourishment? Should we hold back on getting the family’s only vehicle to the
shop, and use public transportation and bicycles, instead? Should we ask for a
reprieve on paying the monthly mortgage debt, or should we sell the house? Or
would a temporary forbearance do? Should we take out another loan? All said [where
applicable], recurring mortgage, property tax, utilities, and other,
unrelated ongoing financial obligations are regularly due throughout each month.
And the most diligent among us manage to pay them or have the charges
auto-deducted as they become due. But at what price? And what we really don’t
need is making a reckless decision hiring a miscreant ‘pro’ who could cost us
more than all the current debt we have ….. with interest.
·
‘Decision
making is easy when your values are clear.’ | Roy E. Disney
Summary.
Of all we’ve covered
here, there’s no doubt that the key to moving ahead to more successful
contractor collaborations is the values you incorporate into your hiring
decisions. Is getting the project done more urgent than discovering whether the
one you have in mind for the job isn’t what he/she seems to be? What do you
think is worth more, the possibilities for the project, or the comfort, convenience,
and expected results delivered by someone you’ve sincerely found would to be
the best for tackling the job? The value of the contractor is as important as
your expectations for the assignment. But the values you adopt into the
decision you’ll make will usually determine the value of your results. So if
you don’t handle that well, a licensed contractor who happens to be a scoundrel will do it for you.
* For visitors who are really serious about firming up your contractor hiring approach, you're always welcome to also visit the homepage on this site, Home Project Defense, to see what else you can use to that effect. It's a good starting place for familiarizing yourself about special other areas of this virtual homeowner service you would like to utilize to your home enhancing advantage:
God
Bless You, Your Family, And Your Home!
