How not to deceive contractors during repairs

Repairing a house or apartment is an expensive and time-consuming undertaking. By hiring craftsmen, everyone wants to get the best quality at the lowest cost. But the delegation of a number of powers to the hired team often gives them the opportunity to deceive the customer. How to avoid this? There are a few rules.

Careful choice of artist

Fictitious companies, one-day firms and other scammers work in the construction market. They resell your contacts to other companies, often offering a much lower quality of services than stated.

To avoid this, carefully study the contacts of the contractor - he must have not only a phone number, but also an address. At least one meeting should be held at this address to make sure that the office exists and has been operating for a long time. Look for reviews, especially negative ones. Pay attention to how the company reacts to these reviews.

Estimate estimate

Low estimates should alert you. Most likely, only major works will be recorded in it, and a number of minor operations that the builders will perform anyway will be presented to you in the final bill.

To protect against fraud, check the estimate carefully. It is advisable to calculate all the numbers on the calculator. Check the footage with that indicated in the passport of the apartment. In no case do not show estimates to other companies if you have not yet decided on the contractor.

Make an agreement

Never trust offers to start work before the contract is ready. Do not sign anything without reading. The contract must be read and studied to the last comma. Only this will help you defend your interests in case of fraud.

The contract must discuss:

• Can builders live in an apartment during a renovation?
• Who is engaged in the purchase of tools and supplies.
• Who buys and delivers building materials.
• Who will be involved in garbage collection.
• Payment procedure - advances, prepayments, etc.

Be sure to verify all amounts with those indicated in the estimate.

Conduct an inspection

Before taking the job, go through all the important areas. The checklist of areas that will show the quality of repair includes sockets and switches, surface joints, seams between materials, any movable structures. If none of these sites are satisfactory, work can be accepted. But remember that you can make a complaint if repair flaws occur later.