How To Hire A Pro Right

Home-ownership comes with a lot of responsibility and a variety of unique tasks. Some projects can be DIY  where you can just do your research on YouTube and get the task done or it is a project needs a professional or its just tedious and you would rather have a someone do it for you. Knowing how to hire a Pro, and how to find the right one for you, will help make your project a success

When you hire a Pro, you’re putting a lot of trust in them. You trust them to be on time. You trust them to finish the work. Most importantly, you’re trusting them with your home.

When you do your homework and hire a top notch Pro, you’re doing more than just checking credentials. You’re making sure your home is in good hands.  The goal is to hire a quality worker who can complete your project efficiently while ensuring the outcome is functional and looks great. Getting the job done right the first time will save money on future repairs or adjustments.

Most of us aren’t handy or experts in home improvement, so we can’t rely on intuition to pick the right Pro. Make sure you go the extra mile to make sure you hire only expert top notch Professionals. Use these rules to hire smarter.

1. Check if your Pro is licensed

A lot of homeowners do not check if their Pros are licensed before hiring them. You should check if a Pro  is licensed to do the work before hiring them. Any job with safety risks needs a license. The following categories require a license For example  plumbers, gas fitters, air conditioning specialist, Electricians and any sort of construction that affects the structural integrity. Unlicensed can be low quality, illegal, and dangerous.

Different Countries and licensing bodies may have different rules. Different jobs call for different licenses and this can vary according to countries, for example a licensed gas fitter from the UK, will not be  licensed to do the work in Portugal.

2. Check a Pro's recommendations

The best person to ask about a Pro is someone who’s hired them. In fact, 77% of homeowners like to see reviews from other people when selecting a Pro. Luckily, the internet has made it easy for people to share their experience through online reviews. You should read some reviews on a Pro before you decide to hire them.

But be careful, here are some questions to ask about every online review:

Is the review detailed? ‘Great job’ or ‘good service’ doesn’t say much. Specific details of past projects are much more useful.

Has the reviewer left other reviews, or is this their only one? Regular reviewers are more trustworthy.

Is the reviewer a verified customer? If not, they may never have even hired the Pro!

At AllFeito we invite every customer to leave feedback on a Pro. It helps Pros improve, and helps others choose the best Pro for their job. Our Trust & Quality team verify recommendations to make sure they’re legitimate and try to resolve any problems. The AllFeito star rating lets people quickly see how good a Pro is.

3. Get multiple quotes (in writing!)

A quote is more than an indication of how much a project will cost. It’s about accountability. If a Pro isn’t prepared to give you a written, itemised quote, you might want to reconsider if they’re the right fit for your home.

Here’s what to look for in a quote:

An estimated cost for the project

A breakdown of what’s included in the price

A list of what’s excluded in the quote (such as materials)

Getting multiple quotes gives you a sense of the proper market price, reducing the risk of being overcharged or under-quoted (a sign of a potentially dodgy Pro).  At AllFeito we recommend  you get at least three quotes, so you have as much information as possible to make a decision.

4. Pay a reasonable deposit (and get a receipt)

Deposits and progress payments are a natural part of hiring a Pro. They help balance Pro s’ business needs, while giving homeowners protection.

However, good Pros don’t ask for unreasonable deposits. Pros who ask for big deposits might have cash flow issues that could lead to problems later, and paying too much upfront could risk a Pro running off early. Requests for deposits of 40% or more should start raise eyebrows.

For contracts over euros 4,000, a 10% deposit is typical. For smaller jobs, 10-20% is okay. You might agree to pay 25% upfront, 50% at the halfway point, and the final 25% when the job is done. It’s not set in stone, but be confident negotiating something that suits you both.

5.  Hire the right Pro once

All these tips point to one important lesson. The best way to hire a Pro is to do a good research. From checking licenses to checking recommendations to checking you’re not being over charged, and seeing what others have so say will help. It gives you a much better chance of hiring someone you can trust. It all about helping homeowners make great decisions about their home. Whether you find a Pro on AllFeito or do it the old fashioned way, these tips will help pick the right person for the job.  

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