Who wouldn’t want to own a house? In the Philippines, an estimated of 12,442,446 out of 20,171,899 households owns a house based on National Statistics Office’s 2010 Census of Population and Housing. We can imagine just how many house builders in the Philippines were hired to get the job done. Buying a house is one of the most worthy investments every human being must have.
The fear of your money going down the drain may hold a grain of truth once you fall to an incompetent house contractor. On the other hand, house builders in the Philippines are rather optimistic that the construction and real estate industry will flourish because of the continuous population growth in the country. We could say that for every newly formed family another residential property is built either owned or rented.
Searching a reputable house contractor is a daunting task for first-time buyers. Here are some tips on how you can choose a house contractor or builder:
1. Consult your family, friends or colleagues. They could recommend a good house contractor they work with on the past. Alternatively, they may easily warn you to avoid a certain contractor that failed to meet their expectations.
2. Visit your local hardware or construction supply shop. House builders contact these establishments whenever they need construction materials for their projects. They could give insights of who is good in the business. They could pinpoint the contractors with a good track record regarding their payment dues.
3. Check if the contractor has a license and insured. Hire only a licensed professional. Be firm in asking about the proof of insurance as well. An insured contractor only proves that they have a sense of accountability when one of their workers is injured for example.
4. Check out the online reviews. The internet is a dumpsite of rants and negative comments whether we like it or not. A thorough research can lead you to several sites containing reviews about house contractors in the Philippines if you narrow your search keywords.
5. Meet each of your prospects in person and request a detailed bid/quote. Find out if you have a certain connection. Establishing a good rapport with your contractor is terribly important in completion of your dream house. The quote must be presented in detail and not in estimates.
6. Ask for references. Require a list of their recent clients or works. Be wary if they are hesitant to provide this to you. It only means they have something to hide otherwise they will take pride on their babies.
7. Schedule a field day. Visit the site on your contractor’s reference list. This is to evaluate the quality of their projects. Ask for permission to the owner first though. Better yet, conduct a surprise inspection on the site they are currently working at. Observe how the contractor interacts with his people.
8. Put it in writing. Bring transparency in the table. Whenever a verbal agreement comes up while discussing the contract, write it down. If you can afford a lawyer, he must be present in the meeting, just in case you’re not familiar with legal matters.
Choosing a best house contractor to build your dream house doesn’t stop there. Once the project started be an active participant than a mere spectator. Don’t’ leave everything in the contractor’s hands. His standards may not be your standards so you must establish a common ground for everything. In the next topic, will discuss the things you must do after you hired a contractor.
The fear of your money going down the drain may hold a grain of truth once you fall to an incompetent house contractor. On the other hand, house builders in the Philippines are rather optimistic that the construction and real estate industry will flourish because of the continuous population growth in the country. We could say that for every newly formed family another residential property is built either owned or rented.
Searching a reputable house contractor is a daunting task for first-time buyers. Here are some tips on how you can choose a house contractor or builder:
1. Consult your family, friends or colleagues. They could recommend a good house contractor they work with on the past. Alternatively, they may easily warn you to avoid a certain contractor that failed to meet their expectations.
2. Visit your local hardware or construction supply shop. House builders contact these establishments whenever they need construction materials for their projects. They could give insights of who is good in the business. They could pinpoint the contractors with a good track record regarding their payment dues.
3. Check if the contractor has a license and insured. Hire only a licensed professional. Be firm in asking about the proof of insurance as well. An insured contractor only proves that they have a sense of accountability when one of their workers is injured for example.
4. Check out the online reviews. The internet is a dumpsite of rants and negative comments whether we like it or not. A thorough research can lead you to several sites containing reviews about house contractors in the Philippines if you narrow your search keywords.
5. Meet each of your prospects in person and request a detailed bid/quote. Find out if you have a certain connection. Establishing a good rapport with your contractor is terribly important in completion of your dream house. The quote must be presented in detail and not in estimates.
6. Ask for references. Require a list of their recent clients or works. Be wary if they are hesitant to provide this to you. It only means they have something to hide otherwise they will take pride on their babies.
7. Schedule a field day. Visit the site on your contractor’s reference list. This is to evaluate the quality of their projects. Ask for permission to the owner first though. Better yet, conduct a surprise inspection on the site they are currently working at. Observe how the contractor interacts with his people.
8. Put it in writing. Bring transparency in the table. Whenever a verbal agreement comes up while discussing the contract, write it down. If you can afford a lawyer, he must be present in the meeting, just in case you’re not familiar with legal matters.
Choosing a best house contractor to build your dream house doesn’t stop there. Once the project started be an active participant than a mere spectator. Don’t’ leave everything in the contractor’s hands. His standards may not be your standards so you must establish a common ground for everything. In the next topic, will discuss the things you must do after you hired a contractor.