Choosing a painter decorator for your home or commercial project can be a daunting experience. But it does not have to be. Follow these simple steps to find the best painter.
ASK FOR REFERRAL
Start asking your family, friends and work colleagues if they can recommend a good painter that they have used before and were happy with. Ask for contact details. Ask them why they were happy with their trader: Were they tidy, fast, courteous, on time? Did they explain everything, look professional and/or solve difficult issues?
If you can not find any referrals ask local real estate agents in our area. Real estate agents often have lists of trusted traders and contractors that they use. They also routinely check their licenses and insurances. Call an agency from where you bought a house/apartment, or through whom you are currently renting or previously rented in the past and ask for few contacts for a painter decorator.
If this does not work you will have to rely on reference from the strangers. Simply go to Google, Yellow Pages or True Local and look up for painters decorators. Look for those that have references, but read references through and use common sense to judge their reliability. Inline feedback can easily be manufactured. If most painters have 0-2 reviews at the most, and one in particular has 30 reviews, it’s rather suspicious. Check every reviewer and how many reviews they left in total. If all 30 reviewers have left a review for any other business before or after this, it is a good reason to think that something is not quite right there. So look for painter decorators with reviews that look most genuine.
CALL OR EMAIL AND ASK FOR A QUOTE
Usually it is a good sign if a painter decorator replies to your email or phone call promptly and is polite and courteous. Ask for the specific appointment time. Companies who give you a 4-hour gap are usually too large or too disorganized to give you the personal service that you deserve.
CHECK LICENSES AND INSURANCE
Your painter decorator must have a current painting and decorating license. If it is a company (Pty Ltd) their license must be in a company name and they must also have a supervisor’s license. In addition to this they must present you with Certificate of Currency of minimum $5,000,000 public liability insurances (the more, the better) and Workers Compensation Insurance. Do not accept invoices or letters from insurance companies as proof of insurance. It has to be a current Certificate of Currency.
CHECK REFERENCES
If you used Google or local directories to find your painter decorator – ask for references for similar works in your area. Be sure to call to check references. For the large commercial projects you would want to have a site address, so that you can at least check the work from outside.
MAKE A DECISION
Ideally you would want to receive 3 quotes for painting, so that you can make a better choice. Once you receive quotes, take time to think about them – at least overnight. This way you will make a less impulsive decision. In addition to price for the work, ask yourself these questions:
- What is your general impression of the person you dealt with? Were they courteous, accommodating and did they arrive on time?
- Did the painter look tidy and clean? Were their clothes clean and in good condition? Was the car tidy? Some paint splashes on uniform are expected and are rather a good sign. You are dealing with a person who is doing the job and not some office based estimator and a professional salesman. But if clothes are dirty, untidy, their car is unwashed, dented and badly stained with paint splashes, it is rather a bad sign. If a person is not precise with his own appearance and his car, he/she is unlikely to be precise and tidy in your home as well. In this business, if you work messy the result will be messy too. Avoid untidy traders at all costs!
- How was general communication with a painter decorator? Did they explain everything to you clearly? Were your phone and email conversations clear? If you can’t communicate easily now – it is unlikely to get better when your home painting starts. How was the quote presented?
- Did you receive different advice from different painter decorators? If so, tell them that and ask why is it? Also ask how you can reduce the price without affecting the quality. Remember that less can be more. For example some painters will quote for painting 3 coats of paint on your home. But previously painted surfaces often need only 2 coats. If you only want to refresh your home in the same color, even one coat may be enough in some areas. Also your painter decorator may be able to use a lower-priced brand of paint that is as good or even better quality then widely advertised brands.
- Ask contractors when they can start and how long it will take them to complete the job.
Based on this information – you can make a good decision and choose the best painter decorator for your project.
How to Select the Best Painter Decorator
Nav komentāru:
Ierakstīt komentāru