10. Bring a digital camera with you to Home Depot or City Mill. This comes in handy while picking out your fixtures and materials. Plus it helps with your budgeting and planning. While shopping, take photos of the items you like. Be sure to photograph the price and description tags. Once you have the photos, you can review them later with friends, family, other decision makers, and even the contractors you are working with. Plus, you can take your time at home to compare the prices and even make a budget.
9. Use Craigslist to hire help with your renovation or remodeling job. Maybe you don’t want to burden or use your friends. Or maybe you want it done right and done quickly. There are lots of pros looking at the Craigslist labor section for extra jobs.
8. Post your job on Craigslist about 2 weeks prior to the work being done. Post a detailed job description. I post the terms and conditions that I am willing to offer. Like the amount of money per hour, the time and days we will need help, the size of the rooms, etc.
7. Be safe and secure on Craigslist. Don’t post your personal information. Use the email feature on the site to start the initial contact. Trust your instincts. If someone sounds shady, move on. There are lots of great people using Craigslist.
6. Don’t be afraid to ask for bargain discounts straight away. I have hired labor a few times via Craigslist. Each time I was upfront about how much I was willing to pay for each job. And I was very happy with the amount I paid and the quality of work received. Also, the people I have worked with were very friendly.
5. You will get a ton of applicants if your job pays decent amount. Try to pick the best. Then remove your listing from Craigslist. On two occasions, I got full-time professionals that were between jobs and need some extra side money to help with the bills. It’s a win-win, you get professional help at a fraction of the price and they get some needed money.
4. Expect some flakes on Craigslist. Yes, with anything, there are going to be some people that are not reliable. Don’t let it ruin your experience with this great service. Just mitigate your risk by having a back up plan for time wasted, don’t tolerate lateness, laziness, unprofessional behavior, etc. Don’t pay up front. Trust your instincts. I can not stress this enough. If someone sounds like a flake via email, they are probably one in person too. I have had only one experience with a flake on Craigslist. I went against my instincts and gave the go ahead to someone on Craigslist. They called the day of the job and said their car broke down. Then I still gave them another chance to come the next day. They flaked out again! I paid no money upfront. So no problem, I just moved on.
3. Get this book, Home Improvement 1-2-3, even if you don’t do any of the work yourself. But if you are doing the work, this is a must have. It has very clear and step-by-step instructions on how to do almost every home improvement or remodeling job. It gives you estimated times on how long a job will take based on 3 different skill levels: expert, handy, and novice. This will help even when you’re hiring pros. You will have a very good idea on how long a job should take.
2. Make a plan and set a schedule that you stick to. One of the biggest issues with home improvement or remodeling jobs is the time spent. You run into 3 typical time challenges: 1. You never get started. 2. You never finish the job. 3. You take forever to get it done. If you plan and set a schedule that you stick to, you’ll be much happier. You’ll be able to enjoy it sooner. And you’ll add value to your property.
1. Don’t be afraid. If there is a project you have always wanted to do, go for it. If you plan, get good advice, hire the right people, and trust your instincts it should work out well. And for really minor jobs like painting a bold new color, if it doesn’t look right, no problem, just paint right over it.
Got any tips, comments, or suggestions? Please share them below.
P.S. This list could also be “Top Tips on Using Craigslist for Your Next Home Improvement or Remodeling Job”
Top 10 Hawaii Home Improvement or Renovation and Remodeling Tips
10. Bring a digital camera with you to Home Depot or City Mill. This comes in handy while picking out your fixtures and materials. Plus it helps with your budgeting and planning. While shopping, take photos of the items you like. Be sure to photograph the price and description tags. Once you have the photos, you can review them later with friends, family, other decision makers, and even the contractors you are working with. Plus, you can take your time at home to compare the prices and even make a budget.
9. Use Craigslist to hire help with your renovation or remodeling job. Maybe you don’t want to burden or use your friends. Or maybe you want it done right and done quickly. There are lots of pros looking at the Craigslist labor section for extra jobs.
8. Post your job on Craigslist about 2 weeks prior to the work being done. Post a detailed job description. I post the terms and conditions that I am willing to offer. Like the amount of money per hour, the time and days we will need help, the size of the rooms, etc.
7. Be safe and secure on Craigslist. Don’t post your personal information. Use the email feature on the site to start the initial contact. Trust your instincts. If someone sounds shady, move on. There are lots of great people using Craigslist.
6. Don’t be afraid to ask for bargain discounts straight away. I have hired labor a few times via Craigslist. Each time I was upfront about how much I was willing to pay for each job. And I was very happy with the amount I paid and the quality of work received. Also, the people I have worked with were very friendly.
5. You will get a ton of applicants if your job pays decent amount. Try to pick the best. Then remove your listing from Craigslist. On two occasions, I got full-time professionals that were between jobs and need some extra side money to help with the bills. It’s a win-win, you get professional help at a fraction of the price and they get some needed money.
4. Expect some flakes on Craigslist. Yes, with anything, there are going to be some people that are not reliable. Don’t let it ruin your experience with this great service. Just mitigate your risk by having a back up plan for time wasted, don’t tolerate lateness, laziness, unprofessional behavior, etc. Don’t pay up front. Trust your instincts. I can not stress this enough. If someone sounds like a flake via email, they are probably one in person too. I have had only one experience with a flake on Craigslist. I went against my instincts and gave the go ahead to someone on Craigslist. They called the day of the job and said their car broke down. Then I still gave them another chance to come the next day. They flaked out again! I paid no money upfront. So no problem, I just moved on.
3. Get this book, Home Improvement 1-2-3, even if you don’t do any of the work yourself. But if you are doing the work, this is a must have. It has very clear and step-by-step instructions on how to do almost every home improvement or remodeling job. It gives you estimated times on how long a job will take based on 3 different skill levels: expert, handy, and novice. This will help even when you’re hiring pros. You will have a very good idea on how long a job should take.
2. Make a plan and set a schedule that you stick to. One of the biggest issues with home improvement or remodeling jobs is the time spent. You run into 3 typical time challenges: 1. You never get started. 2. You never finish the job. 3. You take forever to get it done. If you plan and set a schedule that you stick to, you’ll be much happier. You’ll be able to enjoy it sooner. And you’ll add value to your property.
1. Don’t be afraid. If there is a project you have always wanted to do, go for it. If you plan, get good advice, hire the right people, and trust your instincts it should work out well. And for really minor jobs like painting a bold new color, if it doesn’t look right, no problem, just paint right over it.
Got any tips, comments, or suggestions? Please share them below.
P.S. This list could also be “Top Tips on Using Craigslist for Your Next Home Improvement or Remodeling Job”