A simple job can turn into a nightmare with the wrong interior design company. The opposite applies as well, which means a good company can create order out of your chaos. The crooks go where the money are. And in the past years, renovating is a huge thing in the home interior section. With many companies to choose from, it is important that you protect yourself from a scam, high prices and rip-offs. Let’s have a look at renovation companies you should avoid.
1. Companies with little experience
When looking for an ID company, you need an established one with experience in the field. It is true that new companies are also good and might have just started and are trying to make it in the market. But unless they have a good recommendation from a friend, colleague or a relative of yours, go for the experience. Even if the company is experienced in the field, always check their recommendations.
Some companies even have a comment section for clients, no matter if the client is an individual or a firm. Checking the comments can go a long way to determine the quality of the company and their work.
2. Companies without an internet website
Nowadays, even self employed individuals have their own website. The internet has changed everything, and companies adapt. When searching for an ID company, always ask if they have their own website. Even if it is a facebook fan page, it means that they have put the effort in marketing themselves in one way or another.
Some people will tell you that the best marketing asset is a personal recommendation, but every company needs a website where it promotes its services and products. A website shows that the company is serious, and it is a matter of image building.
3. Companies that rely on verbal agreement
Now these are maybe the worst of all. If you get scammed by such type of a company, you’ll need a second one just to clean up the mess the first one made. What does happen? Your designer asks you to take his word for the
agreement, and some of the things you arrange, do not enter the contract. So, while you rely on the verbal agreement of the ID, he/she might have forgotten the detail, or is simply trying to slapdash the project.
You will find yourself in a situation where the extras you’ve agreed upon, are not built. You have little legal options, since you have signed the agreement. So the best way to protect yourself is to check the
contract several times, before you sign it.
4. Companies that do not ask for a permit
To put it simply, whenever you are building something, you need a building permit. For small projects the designer without a license might try to skirt this rule by promising you that nobody will notice. In reality, if they ask you get the building permit, the company is freeing itself from inspections.
This way, you are lying to the authorities who is doing the job, and you are the one who answers to the inspector. So to protect yourself, always ask for the renovation company to get a building permit.
5. Companies looking for large deposit
To put it simply, if the company is asking for you to make large deposit upfront like 40%, it usually means that they are a small company, or they are preparing you for a scam. Always ask for an invoice, even if you are ready to pay a small amount upfront.
Companies that ask for large deposit even before any work is done are a bad sign, even though they give you the lowest quotation among all the companies you shortlisted. To protect yourself from scammers like these, make sure you only pay a low deposit like 15% upfront and insist on progressive payment.
Article contributed by Interior Design Singapore
Go to : 9 Common Renovation Mistakes Homeowners Should Avoid
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