Real estate brokers, plantation workers/contractors and interior decorators like racehorses-they can be as lazy as all get out, and then they can race to finish line and surprise you. There's not much in between. They can really be difficult to handle, but if you prepare yourself, you'll have a much better experience working with them. Always remember that they will try to get away with as much as they possibly can. If you call them on it, they'll shape up. They're a strange bunch- and I won't offending anyone by saying that, because they know it as well as I do.
Some of them can work wonders and will do so eventually. Some of them won't work wonders ever, which you will also find out eventually. That's way it's good to pick contractors, ask neighbors, friends, and colleagues about contractors they're worked with. Nine out of ten will tell you horror stories, and if they don't, get the contractor's name and put it to use.
Always get references from contractors. Ask the contractor to give you ten names of other jobs they have done within the last year. Jobs that they did four or five years ago are not good measures; the jobs need to be recent. And don't ask for just two names; ask for full ten. It's easy to make two parties happy, but only a great contractor can make ten parties happy.
Once you've hired a contractor and negotiated a budget, my best advice for you is to be tough on them. If you're not, they think you're soft and a pushover. You have to make expectations clear. Be clear and up front about timing and the inflexibility of your budget. If you need the job finished by a certain time, hold the contractors to that date. If you keep an eye on their work and act as knowledgeable as possible, you increase the chances that the contractors will respect you and get something done.
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