It is commonly said that a building is only as good as its foundation. This is a true and tested concept that cannot be challenged in any premises whatsoever. It is also a fact that the majesty and imposing appearance of any building can just be washed away if it is not well maintained. Maintenance therefore takes over almost immediately after a building has been erected. Among the key decisions that need to be taken with care and caution is how the maintenance and management of the building is to be handled. Many building owners prefer hiring professional agents who are to handle all the repair and maintenance functions on their behalf.
Finding an exemplary company that will handle all your needs with a degree of professionalism is not an easy thing. Many of the companies that offer their services for hire may be lacking basic competencies while others may still be new to the industry. Hiring such companies could be a risky venture because they may cause damage that may not be reversible; hence making you incur additional unplanned expenses.
While by a physical look you may not be able to tell a genuine repair and maintenance contractor, there are some attributes that can help you tell a credible contractor from one who is not. Below are some of these insights and attributes:
Excellent Craftsmanship
Any repair agency should exude an unbeatable proficiency in their craftsmanship. To tell the excellence in a given contractor, you can ask them for referrals into some of the clients they have worked for and the exact things that they fixed. This will help you to analyze and see their level of competence to decide whether or not you would hire them for your job. An ideal builder and repair expert should be able to meet your expectations and even exceed them. It is undoubted that there are proficient and knowledgeable craftsmen out there, but it is also possible that you may land into the hands of a fraud if you do not conduct due diligence.
Versatility
This is a must have attribute for repair agencies and contractors. It is generally agreed that when it comes to building repair and maintenance, there could be more than one task involved. Painting, plumbing and fixing of broken equipment could just be some of the tasks that need to be carried out. When hiring a contractor for maintenance jobs therefore, you have to select one who can undertake multiple jobs at a time. Projects such as the repair of wrecked windows, gutter clearing, roof repairs and unblocking of drains without the need to engage other agencies. This will save you on the overall expenses.
Customization of Services
There are lots of repair agencies that offer off-the shelf services. These services are excellent and value adding to you as the consumer. The main problem is that they may not exactly match your needs. Repair needs can be many and unique necessitating that the contractor be flexible enough to customize his services to meet your preferences. To lessen the burden of explanation and confusion, you can have a brief discussion with the repair and maintenance contractor before commencing their services. Let them do a detailed survey and analyze the scale and diverse nature of the repairs before giving their quote. This will make it easy when it comes to the execution part of it.
Experience
This is one of the aspects that you need to thoroughly look at when doing your homework before hiring any maintenance agency. The last thing you would want when working with a contractor is for them to make risky mistakes that leave your building worse than they found it. It is better that you act on the safe side, rather than be sorry when the mess happens. Ask for their track record and the clients that they have worked for, before going ahead to sign on the dotted line.
The Cost
This is the ultimate decision making factor. Despite the excellence of the services that a contractor offers, if they do not meet your budget, then it is very unlikely that you will settle for anything tangible. Try to negotiate for a price that matches the size of the budget you have set aside for the job. If it is not possible, try getting another repair and maintenance agency that matches your needs.
These are some of the attributes that can go a long way into ensuring that you get the right bargain for your building repair and maintenance needs.
Charles Lewis is a roofing contractor and an interior design specialist. He has worked with different clients in the course of his career and has been continually educating the general public through articles he writes for sites such as guardianstrata.com.au.
