In article , Liz says...


"Kim" wrote in message
...
My husband has been remodeling our house himself for the past 5 years. On
the
3 occasions we needed someone to do some work, 2 out of 3 made
appointments and
didn't show up or call, and one showed up once, then never showed up
again.

Is this the norm?

We are currently finishing a kitchen remodel and need to have a granite
counter
installed. Called a guy who was recommended, he made an appointment to
come
today at 1:00 and show samples, etc. And never showed up or called.
What gives?

Any suggestions on finding someone reliable?

Thanks,
Kim

With real estate values escalating and home equity loan rates still
relatively low, more and more home owners are borrowing on the equity of
their property and going ahead with remodeling. As a result, a good home
remodeller can pick and choose his/her projects, so why would one pass up a
large remodelling job to just finish up the remodelling you and your husband
already started? That's just not sound business. I'd suggest you go to
Lowe's or Home Depot and have them do the installation of your
counters...and keep your fingers crossed that the guy they send out on your
job is one of the good ones!

True, true.

But then, he shouldn't have committed to the appointment.


BTW, we are doing a kitchen remodelling starting in February. We contacted
our contractor in August to tell him exactly what we wanted done. He got
back to us within two weeks with the plans, helped us choose cabinets that
fit our budget, recommended several sources for the appliances we need to
purchase, and has kept in touch via fax and e-mail to keep us updated
regarding his schedule so we can plan our own. Last night he called to see
if he could come today with the hardwood floor contractor, and the two of
them came within minutes of the scheduled appointment. We have used this
contractor before. His work is excellent and he stayed within the time
frame he promised. However, I doubt we'd get such attention if we were just
asking him to finish off what we had already started rather than asking him
to do the whole job. In that case he'd probably just fit us into the gaps
between his larger, more profitable jobs, and I suspect this is what you're
going to experience.

I have a contractor that does big jobs on my house, but also small jobs, where I
actually arrange to be a 'filler'. (Such as - indoor small jobs for inclement
weather in summer when he's doing a lot of roofing and framing...). That we're
of very long acquaintance, and that he's trustworthy enough to leave a door
unlocked for, makes this work. He gives a call in the morning if the weather is
bad, or some materials didn't arrive in time on some other job, or they're
waiting for inspection on some other job.... and he comes in that day. Win-win.
Quality-wise, like yours, he's excellent.

If they're amenable to a very flexible arrangement, being a filler isn't
necessarily all that bad.

Then again, there are contractors who are just plain ****-poor at any
arrangement.

Banty