Get tips on hiring contractor

(March 31, 2013 Poughkeepsie Journal Article) Find the article HERE.

By: Jackie DiMarzo

Many homeowners have considered remodeling their kitchen, bathroom or other area in their home but have abandoned the idea because the idea of hiring a contractor is too daunting to them. We’ve all heard horror stories of projects gone wrong, and we don’t want it to happen to us.

Brian Altmann, president of DBS Remodel in Poughkeepsie, is offering free two-hour seminars, “Spring Training for Homeowners: What you must know about hiring a contractor,” at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on April 13 at the Poughkeepsie Hampton Inn & Suites on Route 9.

The workshop takes homeowners step-by-step through the process of finding, interviewing and hiring someone to get exactly what they’re looking for without the ambiguity and surprises that often come along with a large-scale home improvement project.

Altmann, who offers these seminars about four to six times a year, said many people don’t remodel simply because they don’t know where to begin.

“We give these talks and try to put homeowners in a good position to be able to remodel their home and to minimize their risk,” he said.

He decided to begin doing these seminars because he is passionate about educating his clients.

“In some respects, our industry doesn’t do a great job putting good information in front of clients, to be able to allow them to make good decisions,” he said “It’s necessary — somebody’s got to be doing it. When I started out, as a one-person operation, after graduating from college, I was working in the field. You don’t have enough time to be able to educate. You want to, but you can’t. You’re running around, trying to do so many things. So, the remodeler who is a one- or two-person operation typically hasn’t figured out how to be able to put homeowners in that position. It’s very tough. I just saw the need.”

Dean Herriges, national president of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, said: “Consumer education and awareness about remodeling is key to a successful project. An educated homeowner is less likely to make mistakes, particularly in selecting the right remodeler. Before a project begins, homeowners need to identify their needs and select a contractor that is qualified to construct their project. When consumers start with finding the right contractor, they end up with the right project that is on time, on budget and meets expectations.”

Jackie DiMarzo is a freelance writer. Reach her atlife@poughkeepsiejournal.com.

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