When homeowners set out to hire remodeling contractors, they don’t usually think, ‘I should start looking for contractors near me.’ What they usually do instead is take to the internet, asking Google or Facebook for recommendations.
While this isn’t a bad way to start, it could also end with them hiring a remodeling contractor five hours away from their location just because they’re the cheapest. And although price is something that should factor into your final decision—especially if you’re under a budget—it shouldn’t be the deciding factor.
One of the factors people don’t use a lot is location, but mostly because they don’t realize how beneficial it can be to hire a contractor that is just one, two blocks away from home. For instance:
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You Save More Money
This is perhaps the biggest benefit of hiring nearby remodeling contractors; physical distance.
A contractor within your area will obviously have an office and/or showroom you can easily visit for face-to-face discussions or to view some of their previous work. You therefore save more time—and, consequently—more money on the commute. And in the off-chance that something goes amiss, you want your licensed industry professional to be no more than a quick drive away. In fact, if they’re literally just a block away, you can easily walk to their office instead of taking your care.
On the flipside, visiting a remodeling contractor three, four hours away is not as easily done—and the distance will definitely be felt on your gas gauge.
10 Ways You Can Save Money On Your Remodel Project
You Save More Time
For the homeowners who wonder, ‘why should I hire contractors near me?,’ here’s another huge benefit: time. Hiring contractors within your area is both practical and time-efficient.
Because you live so near to your remodeling contractor, they can easily shave a good hour or so off of travel and transportation. This consequently lessens the time it takes for them to reach your home and begin the actual remodel. Likewise, they can afford to end their day a little later since it’s a relatively quick trip back to their office.
There is Localized Familiarity
A contractor that is based in and primarily serves your area will undoubtedly be more familiar with the city’s guidelines regarding residential and commercial remodeling. And since their knowledge is specifically localized, they can easily guide you through the red tape and paperwork needed for your remodel. For instance, what permits you need to secure or what specific zone/boundary laws you need to observe. This saves you the effort of having to go through the research yourself to find out the regulations specific to your city or county.
They Offer More Solid References
Hiring a local remodeling contractor means you have a better chance of finding their references, getting in-person (and therefore unedited) testimonials, and seeing some of their previous work firsthand.
Contractors in your area will most likely cater to your community. It therefore won’t be much of a stretch for you to find three or four homeowners who hired them previously. Then, it’s a simple matter of paying them a visit (especially if you already know them), seeing the work the contractor has done, and then getting their personal opinions as a client.
The Community Factor
Hiring a local contractor is a great way to support your community. For one, it ensures that your money stays within your community—a good thing to have when, say, your area is hit by a natural disaster and needs to jumpstart the recovery process, or there’s planned construction/renovation of a community lot. By generating cash flow through the local economy, you’re basically investing in your own stability as long you stay in that area.
What’s more, you’re more likely to form a sense of solidarity with local contractors purely due to physical closeness and shared community.
Hopefully, this has at least opened you up to the possibility of hiring local, nearby contractors. Of course, testimonials and reviews will speak louder than distance in some cases, but let physical location be a deciding factor as well. And if you’re wondering, ‘how do I find remodeling contractors near me?,’ then we recommend turning on your location and letting search engines do the rest.
Local listings and online yellow pages are a good source of information, too.
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