Tuesday 7 May 2013

Searching for and Hiring a Roofing Contractor!

It is my first home. It’s been at least ten years since we moved in, but I still felt relatively inexperienced with home ownership. So far the sailing has been easy. There has been a clogged toilet here, a broken window there, but nothing major popped up until we had a major storm that damaged the roof. Some fairly large branches tumbled down and landed right on the roof ripping probably fifteen or twenty already rotten shingles off in the process. The next day I began noticing water damage in my living room ceiling. It quickly became an emergency. Luckily I made a series of good choices starting that very day.

  • A good roof translates to a healthy house and structure. Leaks can lead to many problems. If left too long some of these problems can be very expensive to fix.
  • When you start searching for roofing repair services ask your friends, neighbors and coworkers first. Often you can get great referrals this way. You could also try asking your homeowners insurance company.
  • Type the names you’ve received into an internet search engine and see what comes up. Some might have a company website, some may not. Don’t let a fancy website fool you into thinking their company is superior quite yet.
  • Have two or three roofing contractors come by and give some roof repair estimates. Don’t agree to a verbal contract. Get everything in writing.
Get it done the right way the first time

I remembered watching my neighbor’s get their roof repaired two summers ago, once in June and again in July. When I asked him about his experience he said “Just make sure you do a little background check on whoever you hire. The first guys were from out of state, but they were fast workers and seemed reliable.” Turns out they were fast because they wanted to make a quick buck and get out of the state before my neighbor knew there were any problems. Find a company that has a good local reputation in your town. When it comes to a roof don’t just hire the most affordable Joe off the street. The cost of roof repair can be excruciating if you have to pay twice in one season.

Hire a local professional

I eventually got in contact with a real estate advisor who helped introduce me to a local roofing contractor. He had been in the area for nearly 30 years and had expertise in many areas of construction. The roofing quote he provided me was detail oriented down to every nail and shingle. I was impressed. I wanted to make sure everything was in writing if we were going to agree on anything. We sat down together at my dining room table and ironed out a solid contract that covered the amount of time, labor and materials it would take as well as the costs associated. Even though it was somewhat expensive I felt confident that I had made the right hire. I knew if I waited any longer the damage to my home would only worsen.

I used www.real-estate-yogi.com to find my home repair services. They have access to nationwide real estate and home improvement services. Call them toll free at 1-800-987-1397 for a free consultation. 

Thursday 11 April 2013

Finding the right help for Roof Maintenance

I remember watching the men up on my roof hammering away on the shingles as a kid. The week before I'd hear mom and dad in the kitchen arguing over how to fix a leaky roof. "How much longer are we going to live like this? The roof has been fixed in twenty years!" They'd flip through the phone book and make calls to various roofing contractors, but it seemed like it took months to find available help. One summer my dad had to get up there and fix part of the roof himself with me holding the ladder as he worked. It all makes me feel very grateful to be currently living in a world with the convenience of the internet.

Homeowners and Home Improvement

Now that I'm a homeowner I've come to appreciate how easy surfing the net for home improvement help can be. If you've spent any amount of time using various search engines online you will know that there's an answer for anything you type into that menu. As a homeowner, a sturdy roof is perhaps the most important element to a house as one that leaks can ruin the rest of your home making it unlivable. Here are some ideas on how to effectively find roofing quotes online.
  • Before you turn on the computer ask your neighbors or friends if they've had any experience with local roof repair contractors. Gather some names you can then type into the internet search engine. If you have a hardware store you visit regularly you might find some names there too.
  • Visit the websites of the companies you have found. Often they may not have a website, and will just have contact information. In either case you will want to also look up reviews. This is as simple as typing into the search engine, "Anderson Roofing reviews" as an example.
  • By getting some reviews you might gain a sense of their overall reputation amongst the community. There are highly skilled roofers out there, and then there are hacks. You want to make sure you hire one with a good history of experience and quality work because many people have had to repair their roof twice in one summer because of shoddy work.
  • Make sure to get several quotes from different contractors. That way you can find something that fits into your budget.

The Internet is Your Friend to find your next Contractor

When you use online services you normally will be able to find quotes for home improvements relating to your roof such as repairing, cleaning, insulation, and replacing the roof entirely if that's what's needed. Make sure when you get to the contract talk with your chosen roofer that you get everything in writing. You will want someone who is insured working up on your roof. Make sure they have all their estimated material costs written down as well as how long they intend their work to take. This will legally cover you in the event of a problem.

I recently went through the shingle roof repair quoting process for my own home. I wanted to upgrade the value of my house and thought perhaps that adding a new shiny roof would be a great addition. Through the help of a website called www.real-estate-yogi.com I was able to find a local contractor I felt confident could do the job. I only had to decide what type of roof material I wanted to use whether that be asphalt, wood shake, metal or maybe natural slate.

If you need to revamp a roof or are wondering how to repair roof shingles I highly recommend visiting www.real-estate-yogi.com today and let them help you find a local roof contractor. They are experts in real estate and home improvement projects and have access to contractors throughout the country. Call them at 1-800-987-1397 for free consultation.