5 Questions You Must Ask Before Hiring a Contractor

1. Ask for Client References:

• If they were happy with the quality of the work.
• Was their home completed on time and within budget.
• Did the contractor spend enough time on the job for their satisfaction.
• Was contractor easy to reach for questions or concerns.
• Would they recommend the contractor to family and friends.

2. Ask for Business References:

• Ask contractor’s banker, title company, material suppliers, sub-contractors: Does the contractor pay on time?
• Ask the suppliers and sub-contractors, ask if they’ve ever had to file a lien for non-payment, and if they still conduct business with the contractor.

3. Ask to see the Contractor’s License

4. Ask for the Contract

• details of the work
• estimated start and finish dates, cost and payment schedule

5. Ask for Protection Clause

• might ask for your interest payments to be paid by the contractor for every month they go over schedule.
• allow for delays due to the "acts of God"

5 Mistakes not to make with small house plans

 I found this article about mistakes people made choosing or drawing house plans. Something to keep in mind before finalizing my plan:

1. Not enough planning and preparation. - not all the features are needed for your family. We should prioritize needs and determine what is really necessary and what doesn't really fit our lifestyle.
2. Not considering how rooms can perform double duty. - e.g. Use the ‘Dining Room’ as an office and put our huge 7 foot dining room table in the ‘Vaulted Breakfast’ area. Our teenage daughter was in ‘Bedroom 3′ and my office and workout room were in the front ‘Bedroom 2′ for the morning sun.
3. Not considering how the layout will ‘live.’ - e.g. see right into the hall bath
4. Selecting a small house plan that’s expensive to build.
5. Forgetting that you might want to sell one day.
   

Original Post:
5 Mistakes NOT to make with Small House Plans

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