No matter how good you are at tackling DIY projects around the house, nearly everyone has limits when it comes to home repair and upgrades. So at some point you may find that you need to hire a contractor in order to get some major renovations completed. Although finding such a professional can be as easy as hauling out the yellow pages or perusing local directories online, these research methods won’t tell you anything about whether or not a contractor is qualified and able to handle your particular project, or if they will do a good job. So here are just a few tips to help you avoid hiring a contractor that is nothing but trouble.

Image via: Design Traveller

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Your first step is to get referrals

This requires some legwork on your part as you’ll have to approach family members, friends, and trusted colleagues to discuss their contracting experiences. But considering that it could deliver on a fantastic service provider it’s well worth the effort you’ll put in up front. So start asking everyone you know about their prior experiences with contractors. Although many people will have horror stories to tell about contractors upping the cost midway through a job, tacking on extra fees, or outright disappearing and leaving a job only partially finished, you’ll probably find a few who can’t stop raving about the incredible prices and service they received from a contractor.

The trick here is to take a positive referral with a grain of salt and temper your expectations. Keep in mind that the job a contractor performed for a friend could be night and day when compared to what you want done. Most contractors are fairly versatile and cover a wide range of renovating services (or hire a crew of specialists to make sure the job gets done right), but still they may not be familiar with the particular renovations you’re seeking. Even if they can offer you the same great prices and speedy, caring service that your friends received, they may not be able to give you exactly what you want.

Image via: This Old House

Try to get several bids

You can likely secure a load of referrals from many trusted sources of such information in your life, but ultimately you’re the one who has to be comfortable with a contractor (not to mention confident in his abilities to deliver). Along those lines you should ascertain a couple of things at the outset. First, can your contractor work within your budget? Will he offer you alternatives to help you save money whenever possible (even if it means he loses a little bit in the process)? If he exceeds his schedule, are there consequences (like further savings to you)? Does he have his own liability insurance to cover himself and his crew in your home (and can he provide proof of this so you don’t have to worry about small claims court down the road when a laborer breaks his thumb with a poorly-aimed hammer).

And of course, you must ask if he is licensed and make sure to sign a contract stating that he will be liable should you have to redo any of his work at a later date due to code-related issues. In fact, a contract in general is a good idea to ensure that you have some legal recourse should he bail on your project. Finally, make sure that the payment structure is beneficial, including milestones, and that you don’t pay in full until the project is complete.

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Has the economic downturn gotten you down? Looking for something that you can use towards helping yourself to make financial ends meet? Live in tourist town or city? You might want to look at turning your house into a bed and breakfast. Here are five tips to be able to get started:

Image via: The fin de siecle

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1.) Research the business

Research business structures (LLC, C-Corp, S-Corp, etc), local hotel laws, marketing, and how to convert your home into a bed and breakfast (as well as the cost). This ensures that you will know how to protect yourself legally, can earn a profit or at least earn some money, and the process and money it will take to be able to do the transformation. It’s better to know what it’s going to take to be able to go through this process. That way you can at least be prepared for surprises.

2.) Determining what you want the rooms to look like

Choosing a design is essential to your brand. Make it something unique like an Asian theme or something homely like the homes in the Southern US. This will help your clients to better be able to remember your B & B and help you create better marketing efforts. Additionally, creating a design will help you to design the other rooms and the rest of the house to keep in touch with the theme.

Image via: Heidiclaire

3.) Converting the rooms

This may take several thousand dollars to be able to convert each room according to your design and according to the laws that are in place locally. Work on each room before moving onto the next, as that might make it simpler to handle without overwhelming you or your help. The renovations can be things like in room bathrooms or appropriately decorating each room according to the design you have laid out.

4.) Get the business ready and legally certified

This includes getting your business through the incorporation process, business forms, business cards, zoning, anything to run your business efficiently (like accounting software), what you are going to charge per room per night, etc. This ensures that you are taking the steps to not only protect your assets but also being prepared in terms of making your B & B successful in the long run.

Image via: Hgtv

5.) When ready, get out there and market

The transformative process of your home into a B & B means that you have to get out there and market. After all, you put the time and money into it so you can earn money in return. Use that to your advantage and use it to keep yourself driven even if things seem a bit hard at first. Be prepared for seasonal lulls and use that to keep yourself driven!

Mike Carroll is a programmer who enjoys writing about being able to enjoy life better and getting more out of the things that we are doing. His hobbies range from Cantonese and Korean to running and writing. Additionally, he’s getting ready to apply for graduate school in South Korea, where he plans to study International Relations. He has traveled to Central America and Korea.

For more home ideas on Stagetecture, click here.