1. Create a shortlist of 3 to 5 potential candidates – Ask your friends for referrals to design and/or renovation professionals who they’ve worked with in the past that they highly recommend and then put them on a shortlist of “potential candidates”. Visit Google to search for companies with a rating of 4.9 stars or higher to identify potential service providers. Once you’ve created a shortlist of 3 or more people (or companies) who seem to be a good fit for your requirements proceed to step two, which is to do some more digging online.
Come up with a list of 2 to 3 candidates you think would do a good job renovating your home
2. Check out several portfolios online before even speaking to anyone – Before you even meet with someone who can help, check out their online portfolio and see if their work resonates with you. Read through their list of services to see if they can help you not just with some but with all your requirements. If you need some assistance choosing finishes or materials, space planning, decorating, finding art for your empty walls, or selecting the right trades for your reno in addition to managing them make sure that they offer these too so that you end up coordinating with just one person instead of several (such as an interior designer, general contractor, and/or the multiple subcontractors working on the job). And then look at pictures of work that they’ve done before to make sure that they have what it takes to meet your goals. Doing a bit of research online is a good way for you to preselect 2 or 3 companies out of the hundreds of thousands that are out there who might be able to help.
Look at a few portfolios online before doing an interview to ascertain who will be a good fit for you
3. Do a pre-interview over the phone before meeting anyone in person to weed out the ones that aren't right for you – Try and have a conversation over the phone to share your requirements with several companies that you’re considering hiring before even seeing anyone in person. Weed out anyone who doesn’t feel like they’re the right candidate based on your gut feel and only meet with people seem who seem to be the proper fit. Once you've whittled down your shortlist to 2 or 3 people invite them to over to your home to go over your requirements for a second time to make sure they don't miss anything, as well as to learn their process (including how they charge).
Try to get an initial impression over the phone before talking to people you’re considering in person
4. Be aware of any inconsistences to prevent any future disasters – Once you meet with a candidate in person, see if any red flags come up like arriving late for the meeting (which reveals how time management and meeting deadlines may not be among their strengths)? Did they forget to send you a thank you note after (this shows that they have a poor eye for details and don’t have good customer service habits)? Did they fail to deliver that proposal in the time when they said they would (it means that they’ve got too much on their plate and are easily able to break their promises)? Did they give off slightly negative vibes (if you did, then there might be something there that you shouldn’t ignore)? Make sure that the online reviews, the things that they say on their website, and the person who represents the company who you just met are all in positive and seamless alignment. Only when everything checks out and is consistent with your expectations and requirements should you make a firm decision on who to hire.
Watch out for those tiny detais. Renovations are full of tiny detials that have to be done right.
5. Make sure to do your homework and check references – Call 1 or 2 of their past clients to find out if their experience aligns with all the online reviews, the things they say on their website, and your own experience meeting the renovation expert. Were they satisfied with their own renovation? Would they do it again with the company that you’re considering? Do they highly recommend them to anyone? These are just some of the questions you can ask. And if you get satisfactory answers to these questions then you know that you’re on the right track and have chosen someone reputable and reliable to work with. I know several people who met so-called renovation experts on a tradeshow floor and neglected to do background and reference checks, resulting in their renovation project becoming a disaster in the end after the company they hired disappeared in the middle of the reno leaving it unfinished. All of which could have been avoided with a simple phone call or two and some basic online investigation.
Don’t skip doing a background check. This can spell the difference between whether the team that you chose will deliver on what they promised or not.
6. Find someone who can do both the design & project management - If you’re planning a bathroom and/or kitchen reno as well as redecorating your space, find a company that will help you do both. It'll end up being more cost effective and seamlessly integrated visually. At Flowform Design for example, we provide a comprehensive design-build service for people who need interior design and project management. If you prefer to deal with just one person from concept creation to hiring and supervising all the tradespersons on site (since you’re too busy or can’t be bothered to deal with this), then definitely find one company to help you do all of this so that you can just focus on the things that you are good at and not have to worry about any aspect of the project yourself. The best situation to find yourself is when all you have to do is make ‘yes’ or ‘no’ decisions and have total peace of mind along the way knowing that you’ve hired a consummate professional who will do a good job from start to finish.
Save money by finding a company that can do multiple roles (i.e. design-build) under one roof