You already know that HomeStars is full of useful tools to help you make smarter hiring decisions. From real homeowner reviews to Verified pros, our mission is to help homeowners hire safely. Whether you’re in the planning phase or are ready to get your project started, there are steps that will make your project easier. Follow this Ultimate Hiring Guide Checklist from beginning to end to help you successfully complete your next home improvement project.
Step 1. Find Inspiration
It’s always easier to start a project when you have an idea of the final outcome. For your first step, find inspiration by looking online for images and articles about your project. You can browse reviews to see photos of projects other homeowners have already done. You can also check out HomeStars’ Blog, Instagram and Pinterest accounts for more project ideas and inspiration. Keep your inspirational images and articles in a folder so you can easily share them with your pro when the time comes.
Step 2. Get Quotes
Now that you have an idea of what you want your project to look like, it’s time to find out how much it will cost you. Make sure you get multiple quotes from different companies to compare pricing. The easiest way to get multiple quotes from pros in your area is to fill out a quote request form. Give us some basic details about your project and HomeStars will do the rest. For more details on how to submit a quote request, click to read this article.
Step 3. Interview the Pros
After submitting your quote request, you will be contacted by pros who are interested in your project. Take the time to chat with each company so you get a better understanding of what they do. When it’s safe to do so, you can interview the pros in person and have them come to your home to look at your project. If you cannot safely have a pro over, you can still video chat with them using your phone or computer.
Once you’ve spoken to the companies, be sure to check out their HomeStars profile for reviews and pictures of past work. You also want to take note of their communication style and how quickly they respond to you. Pros that are quick to respond show they are interested and want to work with you. If they take a long time, don’t answer your questions or respond at all, find another company.
Step 4. Hire and Start Project
Once you feel comfortable that you’ve found the right company for the job, you need to get a written contract. This is an essential step of the process and you should not begin your project until you have a signed contract in your hands. Make sure the contract contains a payment schedule, start and end dates, and a detailed description of the project discussed. Once both parties are happy with the contract, the work can begin. For more on the importance of a signed contract, read this article.
Step 5. Review Your Experience
Now that your project is complete, there’s only one thing left to do, write a review. Reviews are essential for two main reasons. First of all, they let other homeowners know about your experience. Remember when you were first planning your project? Reviews written by other homeowners likely helped guide you to find the right company to hire. Now it’s your turn to repay the favour by writing a review about your experience.
The second reason why reviews are important is that they help the company learn and improve. Do you have some helpful feedback? Let the company know in your review. Did they go above and beyond and you want to thank them? Put that in your review too. The more details the better, especially if it will help the company provide even better service to future customers.
Whatever stage in your project you’re at, HomeStars is here to help. Download our Ultimate Hiring Guide Checklist to help guide you through your next home improvement project. This guide comes with a step by step checklist, pro comparison chart, and key interview questions to ask. Our Ultimate Hiring Guide is the perfect companion to help you get quotes and start your next project.
