Most people hire contractors based on their first meeting. The contractor appears to be professional and competent and that’s when people make up their minds but later they start regretting it because they overlooked several red flags in the beginning. This mistake often leads to several other problems, disputes and misunderstandings. The last thing you’d want would be to hire a handyman that drives you to frustration and madness.
Luckily, if you are a little extra cautious in the beginning, you can easily see some shady signs that you are hiring the wrong handyman to do your biddings.
Starting with;
1-Asking for unreasonable amount of money upfront
When hiring a handyman in NYC, make sure that you are paying him a reasonable and justified amount of money upfront. No matter how hard he tries to explain and justify why he needs an unreasonable amount upfront, you should never fall for it. It’s a simple rule that whenever you are hiring a contractor, pay him 15% upfront so that he can start the project. If the handyman is asking you for anymore than 15%, it’s clearly a red flag and you should become extra careful here. It also tells how reliable and professional your contractor is because he is supposed to have a good credit to spend some money upfront on the project. On the other hand, if he’s asking for a low bid upfront, this also raises some questions. A low bid indicates that you’ll be getting poor quality service.
2-Won’t sign a contract
One of the biggest mistakes you’ll ever make is hiring someone who isn’t ready to sign a contract. This isn’t just unprofessional and unethical but it clearly is a sign of a shady handyman. Your handyman shouldn’t have any problems signing a contract if he is reliable. Without a contract, you can’t guarantee if you’ll get the quality of service that you are paying for. For example, if you’ve paid your handyman for hardwood flooring and he ends up laying linoleum, you won’t be able to do anything about it if you didn’t sign a contract at first.
3-Poor communication skills
Failing to return your calls, not coming on time, delaying the project, these signs should never be overlooked. A handyman with poor communication skills and an unprofessional attitude is the last thing you want. You probably already have a lot on your plate and you can’t just hire someone who drives you to maximum frustration. Moreover, you should be hiring someone who can always tell you in detail about what’s going on. For example, if you are hiring a handyman to do your biddings, you should always know how far the work has been done and how long it will take to complete the project. These are basic things that should be communicated to you timely.
4-Stealing from you
It’s common for handyman service providers to steal from their clients and when we say “stealing” we aren’t just referring to stealing your money but your items that they over ordered on purpose. It’s difficult to keep a check on what’s being ordered and what’s being used on the project but being careful is the only option you have here. You never know if your handyman is ordering extra material to fix your bathroom and then later using that material on fixing his own bathroom. If you suspect such theft, just check your contract, go through the materials list and their prices. It will be easier for you to identify if there’s something shady going around.
5-Not following the guidelines in the contract
Your contract is what binds you and the handyman you are hiring and it should be followed word to word. If the handyman isn’t following the guidelines and instructions in the contract, you should fire him immediately. From the materials that are supposed to be used to the estimated time for project completion, each and everything must be followed.
These are some signs that you are about to hire a shady handyman for your project. If you detect any of these signs, just move on and look for some other service provider right away.