If you have been following my saga, you know I had to have my entire roof replaced because of a hailstorm followed by torrential downpours in Georgia. While the insurance company approved the repairs, the mortgage company held onto the money for 6 months just because they could. This meant more damage and more work to be done.
We had the roof fixed a couple of weeks ago, and now the indoor damage on our home is being repaired. Sections of wall need to be replaced. A couple of ceiling spots need to be cut out and replaced as well. In addition, because floors were damaged, we decided to add our own money to the insurance payment and replace all of the carpet on the first floor of the house.
It would be impossible to stay in the house with all of the ceilings being painted, and all of the floors and most walls being repainted, so we had to pack up the family and leave and pretty much hand the home over to the contractor. Sure we could micromanage and hover, but that would make the process unpleasant for everyone involved. So we just went ahead and moved out and are meeting them at the house only when we have to.
But, you can’t trust just any contractor with your home. Having home repairs done is far different than having your home built. You not only need to make sure you find someone who is competent to do the work. You also have to trust someone who will hire people to work around your belongings. Remember, during home repairs and makeovers, your belongings are still in the home. For this reason you need to choose your contractor carefully.
At first, we chose someone just because they were doing other houses in the neighborhood. Fortunately that did not work out because I can’t imagine having left this person in my home unsupervised. Instead, we asked around and discovered someone who had been under our noses the entire time. We ended up working with someone from our church who had been building houses up until the economy stalled. We didn’t realize he was now doing renovations.
We are in the last stage of getting our home fixed up after the storms and subsequent damage and we feel like we have been treated well and are unstressed about allowing this person and his crew access to our home unsupervised.
Still, if you find yourself in this situation, it is wise to not only find someone you can trust, but to also put all of your valuable belongings in one or two rooms that are not being touched for safe keeping. The contractor should be able to focus more on his job than your stuff.
When the Insurance Check is Sent to the Mortgage Company
When the Insurance Check is Sent to the Mortgage Company Part 2
Wood Floors, Carpet, and Area Rugs