Holy shit – forget finding “good” contractors – finding any contractor to work with us as new investors has been extremely difficult. A few weeks ago we called more than 3 dozen contractors – some larger folks and some small crews, but all that advertise (and some who were referred) as good remodel/rehab crews. Only 2 of 36+ plus got back to us and both have since faded away. Yikes!
So I turned to Instagram and LinkedIn looking for general contractors and home builders in our area that were proud to regularly post their work. Luckily I found a few, and although it took a few weeks to really connect with them, we’ve had great interactions so far. I get it – those kinds of interactions aren’t the same as doing a rehab project together, but it’s a start! I’ll post an update when we’ve completed something together.
Here’s what I loved about the GCs we’ve found so far – this might be helpful on your journey too.
- First, they’re very clear about what they’re good at and what they sub out because someone else is better. I LOVE that! Too many contractors will “buy” your job and tell you they’re great at everything. You’re not and neither are they – just accept that.
- They talk about their “why” – why they made certain decisions on a project, why they feel a certain way about choices, etc. It’s really easy to talk about what and it requires a lot more thoughtfulness to talk about why something is important.
- They’re proactive – they know we’re early and we know they’ve got capacity. They pick up the phone and call us looking for updates, asking questions, and offering to help.
Anyway – pinch me – I’m loving what we’ve found so far. It only took 3 months (and we’ll continue making new relationships). Good luck out there!
