Home improvement services have remained important during the pandemic, and in some cases, more than ever before. The thing is that while cosmetic-only services can certainly wait a few more months with no problems, homeowners still rely on professional services for time-sensitive projects.
Not every homeowner is comfortable performing DIY repairs and this is where the pros come in. But with the pandemic still in effect, how can we get home improvement services done while social distancing?
Here are the most important tips on how to hire contractors during the pandemic, including tips for the most common services and situations you might encounter!
“Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud. – Maya Angelou
Consider DIY
It’s safe to assume some homeowners look for DIY options as a way to save money by performing the job themselves. The problem is that in some of the more serious cases, a homeowner with no experience or knowledge can end up making a mistake that compromises the entire project or situation, resulting in more expenses later to fix it.
But that’s the worst case scenario. We highly recommend that you leave serious repairs and time-sensitive services for the pros, but when it comes to quality of life improvements and cosmetic changes, you can dabble into DIY if you feel comfortable enough.
For example: power washing, gardening, resealing your deck, grout cleaning… These are all things you can DIY with some basic tools, motivation and confidence!
Make a priority list
Maybe you had a set plan for all the projects your home would undertake throughout 2020, maybe not – but the general idea is to make a priority list for what is most important.
Cosmetic-only projects can either wait a bit longer, but when it comes to cracks in the foundation, broken roof shingles, leaky pipes, an inefficient cooling system… all of these need to be addressed immediately before they get worse.
Consider how your home is right now and take note of what it needs the most, and then focus on those projects. To hire home improvement services, you must first know which ones are the most crucial for your home.
Only hire qualified contractors
Whatever project you decide to undertake, it’s crucial to make sure you hire qualified pros that are taking the risks of the pandemic seriously at all times. Keep in mind, for certain projects these pros will have no choice but to enter your home and interact with your property, so they must be aware of how COVID spreads and take precautions to avoid bringing it inside your home.
The best way to know for sure is the most obvious – simply ask them. Ask them what measures they’re taking on a daily basis to keep themselves safe and you quickly find out if they’re taking it seriously.
Most contractors already are, but it's best to be sure!
Prepare for the visit
The basic gist of it is to have some hand sanitizer, masks and latex gloves available at all times. Obviously the professional will most likely come equipped with a mask and hand sanitizer, but you can help by having these items available anyway, just in case the need arises.
Also, although it’s always courteous to shake hands when you first meet, it goes without saying that this is not recommended here – and professionals know it, so don’t worry. The idea is to avoid any unnecessary contact and stick to the job at hand.
For that very reason, if you have other family members, especially children or elders, keep them away from all the action. Even if they have masks, it’s not recommended to have them interacting with the professional in any way just as a safety precaution – it’s only more unnecessary exposure that you can easily avoid.
Once the contractor leaves, move to the next step before allowing the rest of your family to circulate freely around the house.
Clean up
Before allowing anyone to go back to their usual routine, be sure to disinfect any surfaces that have been touched (even with gloves on), wash and sanitize your hands, and perform a quick cleaning job on the floor around the areas where there was traffic.
It might seem like overkill, but it really isn’t – we’re assuming the pro did everything they could to prevent the virus from reaching your home, but no method is 100% guaranteed. As long as everyone is doing their part, we’ll all remain safe!
Remember: You can request a free quote for any home improvement service you need and already inquire about the contractor’s safety precautions.
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