Realtor.com® warns of a few phrases homeowners should never say to the contractor, including:
1. “I’m not in a hurry.”
Don’t put too much pressure on the contractor. This phrase implies the contractor and crew can take as much time as they’d like with the home project, Victoria Shtainer, a residential expert at Compass New York, told realtor.com®. Time is often money and convenience.
2. “We had no idea this would be so expensive.”
“There is no worse feeling than bidding on a project, feeling good about your bid, and learning that the budget for the project is set unreasonably low,” says Nathan Outlaw, CEO of Onvico Inc., a general contracting company. “A good lesson for contractors and owners is to always get the money talks started during an early conversation.”
3. “I’ll buy my own materials.”
Contractors are often eligible for better pricing on materials. Still, “it isn't necessarily a bad idea to check what materials a contractor is using for things like the subfloor or cabinets,” Outlaw says. “But trust them to use a good, well-established supplier to have the materials brought to the job site.”
4. “I’ll pay up front.”
Don’t take away your bargaining card from the start. A contract between you and the contractor will ensure the contractor will get paid, but make it contingent on the job being done to your satisfaction. You want to be able to hold the contractor accountable for the work they do.
5. “I’m old-school. We can use a handshake.”
“When a client says this, I know it’s time to run for the hills,” says Outlaw. “There should never be any fear about getting the scope of work and payment terms in writing.” A contract protects you and the contractor from the project being done on budget and in a timely manner. Get everything in writing first.
Read more phrases you should never say to a contractor
at realtor.com®.
Source: “8 Things You Should Never Say to a Contractor,” realtor.com® (Aug. 29, 2017)
