When you want to hire a wallpaper contractor, there are so many things that you need to do. This is because there are many people out there posing as wallpaper contractors when in real sense they are incapable of providing high quality services. That is why you should be keen to ensure that you work with the best wallpaper contractors. There are many mistakes that people seeking wallpaper contractors do that prevent them from getting the quality services that they want. If you want quality services, you have to avoid these mistakes at all costs. Here are 7 most common mistakes that you should avoid when hiring a wallpaper contractor;
1. Choosing the contractor who quotes the lowest price
Price is the key consideration when you are looking for a wallpaper contractor. However, when you are looking for the best wallpaper contractor, you should not make the cost of the services your main focus. This is because if you focus on choosing the lowest bidder, you might end up choosing a contractor that will provide you with poor quality services. There are many other things that you need to consider when looking for a wallpaper contractor. Considering price is important but if you don’t consider other things, you might hire a wallpaper contractor who will provide you with poor quality services. If you care about the price alone, you might end up losing more if you land into the hands of contractors who offer poor quality services. You need to carefully analyze every contractor that will come your way to determine if you are going to get quality services.
2. Paying a down payment that is too high
A well-established wallpaper contractor will not ask you to pay a lot of money as down payment. That is why you should raise a red flag when you come across a contractor who is asking you to pay a huge sum of money as down payment. A contractor that is asking for a lot of money as down payment is probably not confident that he/she will provide quality services. That is probably the reason why he is asking for a lot of money so that you don’t refuse to pay the remaining amount when you notice that you have been given poor quality services. Furthermore, stable companies do not require you to pay a lot of money as down payment. This is because reputable contractors have enough cash reserves to complete your project before asking you for payment. Typically, most reputable contractor will ask you to pay 10% or less as down payment. If a given wallpaper contractor is asking for an amount that is higher than that, you should raise a concern.
#3. Hiring a contractor that offers no guarantee
A contractor should not only guarantee quality services, but should also guarantee to take responsibly for any damage that may take place while providing the services that you are paying from. You should not hire a contractor that does not provide a guarantee. The guarantee should be in writing, not by word of mouth. When you have a guarantee, you can also hold the wallpaper contractor responsible if things don’t go as planned or if the contractor fails to provide the service that you had agreed. Remember, a guarantee is your last line of defense against malicious contractor. That is why it should be the first thing you demand from any contractor that you are planning to hire. When drafting the warranty, make sure that it clearly spells out what it covers and what is supposed to happen if things do not take place as planned.
4. Not checking customer reviews
There is no better way of finding more information about a given wallpaper contractor than reading reviews from other customers who sought the services of the contractor before. This is will help you know the experiences of other people who have sought the services of the contractor before. When you find a lot of positive reviews, it is obvious that the wallpaper contractor provides high quality services to the customers. If you find so many negative reviews, you should raise a red flag. This is because a wallpaper contractor with so many negative reviews obviously does not provide quality services to his customers. Reading reviews will also help you get additional information about a given contractor that you would not have known.
5. Not defining what you want
You are the only one who knows exactly what you want for yourself. That is why you have to tell your wallpaper contractor what you need. Wallpapers can cause a significant change in the look of any room. However, if you don’t do things right, you will not be able to achieve the look you want. That is why you should spare same time, sit down with your contractor and give a clear explanation of the look you want. This is the best way to ensure that you get exactly what you had in mind from the contractor. A good contractor will be ready to give you free advice when you need it. Take the advice but keep in mind that you are the ultimate decision maker.
6. Not interviewing the wallpaper contractor
Before you hire any wallpaper contractor, it is very important to conduct a short interview. You can conduct the interview on a face to face basis or do it through the phone. During the interview, ask all the questions that you have in mind and pay attention to the answer that you are being given. You should not choose a contractor who does not give you satisfactory answers. Do not settle for anything that is less than what you want. Remember, it is your hard earned cash that is at stake here. If you are not careful, you may end up losing your hard earned cash.
7. Not checking the wallpaper contractors insurance coverage
When you ask about the insurance coverage of a contractor, don’t believe the word of the contractor. Ask for valid documentation. This will ensure that you are not held responsible because of the negligence of the contractor.