I
definitely don't claim to be a handyman of any sort.
Although
I do work in the hardware section of a department store, and have learned a lot
about the items that I sell in that area, I will be the first to admit that I
have never used about 65-70% of the products that we sell there.
Of
course, everyone knows how to use a tape measure. I know everyone knows what a toolbox is. Most everyone has owned a portable fan at
some point. And I am quite positive
that everyone here has painted something with semi-gloss, satin, flat, or
eggshell finish paint.
But
I've never installed any sort of plumbing.
I would flood the whole place.
I've never done any sort of wiring whatsoever. I would likely burn down the structure. And please, for the love of God, do not let me near a circular
saw, a hacksaw, or a reciprocating saw.
I like my arms and legs just fine ON my body, thank you!
Thankfully,
I happen to know a few people who are willing to help me with home improvement
projects. I have a home, and it needs
improving, and I know I can't do it all by myself! Though I definitely don't mind learning how to fix things. Now that I have the opportunity and the
responsibility of having my own home, I should bone up on it so that I can save
money by doing it myself.
Or,
at the very least, not strive to be Canada's Worst Handyman. Thankfully, the show is on hiatus right now,
so I won't have to worry just yet.
But
when it comes to big jobs and huge projects such as replacing a roof, or fixing
a staircase, or knocking out a wall in a house to make a room bigger...I think
I'll play it safe and leave it up to a professional.
And
hiring a professional to redo your home can be a risky thing in itself. I know you have sites like Angie's List to
help you out in finding the perfect contractor for your home, but aside from
that you really have to do your research when it comes to finding the right
people for the job. Things like finding
out if they have the specific license to do home repairs, seeing samples of
their work, talking to people who have hired them before. It never hurts to know who you're hiring.
After
all, you definitely don't want to spend a lot of money on home improvements if
the work done does nothing to improve the home.
Now,
luckily, I did my research, and when it comes down to working on fixing up the
home, I trust the people who will be working on it completely. But so many people have had great
expectations, and they end up nearly broke and with a home that is completely
uninhabitable. And that would be a
complete nightmare.
I
suppose that watching the Spike show "Catch A Contractor" has
served as the inspiration behind today's posting, and if you've ever watched
this show, you know how scary it can be.
And, I'm guessing that when Adam Carolla and Skip Bedell agreed to host
a show where they find the worst built homes in the state of California, they
didn't quite expect there to be so many hack contractors!
I've
watched several episodes of the show, and I can't believe what I see a lot of the
time. Ceilings that are one crack short
of collapsing on people. Windows that
are so drafty that there's no point of even putting glass on them. Kitchens that have no drawers, bathrooms
that have no bathtubs, and backyards that are deemed unsafe for the general
public.
And
the reason why these homes are in such horrible condition? Well, a lot of the times, the contractors
that they hire have absolutely no license whatsoever. This makes it really hard to call them professional
contractors. And for another reason,
many homeowners make the mistake of paying for the work to be done before a
single nail is hammered in. There was
one episode where a couple paid a contractor nearly $20,000 up front before
anything was done, and what they ended up with was having a home that was one
step away from being condemned.
Now,
fortunately, Adam and Skip always have a team of investigators to help the
homeowners find the contractors to try and get them to fix the mistakes that
they made. Skip's wife, Allison, who is
a private investigator, is often the brains behind the operation, and with help
from a decoy, they manage to lure the contractor to a sting house in order to
confront him.
It
is here that the contractor has three options readily available. The first option is that he/she pays the
money back to the homeowners, but nobody ever chooses this option, as most
times the money is spent...and it would make for a really short episode. Choice #2 is that they roll up their sleeves
and help Adam and Skip do the work the proper way, hopefully learning some
things along the way.
And
Choice #3 is that they do absolutely nothing about it, refuse to help put
things right, and the homeowners take them to court to settle things.
In
most cases, the contractors choose #2.
But even if they build and dash, Adam and Skip will at least stick
around and redo the rooms that were mangled up the first time.
And
I have to say, watching the work get fixed is actually the best part of the
whole show. Not only do we see them do
the work the right way, but in between segments, Adam and Skip give us tips at
home on how to do our own home improvements, what materials to use to do the
best job possible, and the consequences that can take place when shortcuts are
taken. And, yes...I have been taking
notes lately. It's good advice!
By
the end of the episode, the results are absolutely worth it, and Adam and
Skip's work look like something that you would see in a furniture
showroom. It is definitely like night
and day for sure.
And
usually there is one final confrontation between the contractor and the
homeowners that the contractor screwed over in the first place. In some rare occasions, the contractor has
seen the error of their ways, and has made peace with the homeowners. And in one even rarer occasion, the
homeowners were the one in the wrong and the contractor was the one who looked
more like the victim. But usually the
final meet and greet usually involves the homeowner telling the contractor to
go to hell.
Which
is strangely satisfying.
So,
after watching "To Catch A Contractor", there are some rules that
should apply to anyone who owns a home.
1 -
Do your research and make sure your contractor has a license. In most cases, databases are available and
their names should at least show up in a general Google search.
2 -
Never pay the full amount that a job is worth until the completion of the job
itself. Doling it out in small
installments will keep the contractor coming back to do the job the right way.
3 -
Don't be afraid to check on the contractor and offer some input. Just because the contractor is an expert
doesn't mean that he/she isn't receptive to any ideas. Working together is definitely an asset.
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