Getting Your Home Ready To List:
A Q&A With A General Contractor
Original Content by Carl Johnson
Ever look around your home and think of all the small (and maybe some bigger) projects that you have been wanting to finish for a while? Does it all seem like you’ll never get to it? Especially if you are wanting to list your property for sale soon? From helping with prioritizing items that need to be done before listing a home to actually getting the job done, a general contractor works alongside your real estate agent to make sure your property is 100% ready to go and get the highest value possible for your home in the most stress free way we can.
At Carl Johnson Real Estate we recommend working with a general contractor whether you are listing a home, buying a home, or if your overall goal is to get some projects checked off your home to do list.
Our friend and trusty contractor, Charles Deziel of Go Work Home Services, sat down with us to answer some questions about what a general contractor does and the many benefits to working with a general contractor for your property during the listing/buying process.
Read below for our Q&A with Charles and get some answers to your GC questions!
Ever look around your home and think of all the small (and maybe some bigger) projects that you have been wanting to finish for a while? Does it all seem like you’ll never get to it? Especially if you are wanting to list your property for sale soon? From helping with prioritizing items that need to be done before listing a home to actually getting the job done, a general contractor works alongside your real estate agent to make sure your property is 100% ready to go and get the highest value possible for your home in the most stress free way we can.
At Carl Johnson Real Estate we recommend working with a general contractor whether you are listing a home, buying a home, or if your overall goal is to get some projects checked off your home to do list.
Our friend and trusty contractor, Charles Deziel of Go Work Home Services, sat down with us to answer some questions about what a general contractor does and the many benefits to working with a general contractor for your property during the listing/buying process.
Read below for our Q&A with Charles and get some answers to your GC questions!
Q: Can you explain what a General Contractor is? (Most people think of new construction only!) Is there educational and or licensing required to be a General Contractor?
A: A General Contractor tends to have a vast knowledge of the construction world, including electrical, hvac, plumbing, structural repairs, etc. Our hands touch everything. We are the perfect right hand for real estate agents, they just make one call to help get a problem or question answered. It's been 14 years since I took the exam, I know a lot has changed regarding the requirements for licensing. Back in my day you had to have character letters and resume/ past job references, which they do follow up on.
Q: Do you do work including electrical and plumbing? Or would I need separate professional help for these types of issues?
A: Yes, I do it all. I have professionals for every aspect of a home. My job is to make this buying or selling experience as simple as possible.
Q: I am getting ready to list my home, can you come over with my listing agent and walk through with me to suggest fixes/updates needed? Can you help me recognize things that are needed to be up to code? Or do I need to contact you with issues to fix in mind?
A: Yes I can and I highly encourage this. I can help make suggestions or offer different solutions. I live in the code book and can help repair these issues. I can also fix issues when people get them.
Q: Do you work on both small and large house projects? Both exterior and interior?
A: I do the small and the big projects, interior or exterior, it does not matter. We want to help everyone and anyone.
Q: Are there common things you look for in homes while preparing a home to go on the market? i.e.: railings, retaining walls, crawl spaces? Or is each home unique?
A: Each home is unique. In this way, older homes tend to have foundation issues, while newer homes tend to have more cosmetic issues.
Q: Can any home type (new construction, townhome, single family, historic etc.) benefit from a General Contractor walkthrough before listing their home?
A: Yes and I strongly recommend it because we can inspect a home like a home inspector but we also know how to repair the issues found.
Q: Can you provide a price quote and repair items after a Due Diligence request has been sent to the seller and then repair the items quickly before closing?
A: I understand the real estate world and everything has to be done quickly, that is the main focus. We can jump on repairs quickly.
Q: What was your most memorable or funny situation that you came across in your career when working on homes?
A: My most memorable experience is building my house. Funny situations are when people (DIYers) use interior products on exterior of the home. There are a lot of those like installing interior doors on the outside of a home, cutting off engineered trusses in the attic to make more room for storage bins, hanging ceiling fans on the ceiling using hardware that is not designed for fans which eventually fall.
Name: Charles Deziel
Company Name: Go Work Home Services
Contact Info: [email protected]
A: A General Contractor tends to have a vast knowledge of the construction world, including electrical, hvac, plumbing, structural repairs, etc. Our hands touch everything. We are the perfect right hand for real estate agents, they just make one call to help get a problem or question answered. It's been 14 years since I took the exam, I know a lot has changed regarding the requirements for licensing. Back in my day you had to have character letters and resume/ past job references, which they do follow up on.
Q: Do you do work including electrical and plumbing? Or would I need separate professional help for these types of issues?
A: Yes, I do it all. I have professionals for every aspect of a home. My job is to make this buying or selling experience as simple as possible.
Q: I am getting ready to list my home, can you come over with my listing agent and walk through with me to suggest fixes/updates needed? Can you help me recognize things that are needed to be up to code? Or do I need to contact you with issues to fix in mind?
A: Yes I can and I highly encourage this. I can help make suggestions or offer different solutions. I live in the code book and can help repair these issues. I can also fix issues when people get them.
Q: Do you work on both small and large house projects? Both exterior and interior?
A: I do the small and the big projects, interior or exterior, it does not matter. We want to help everyone and anyone.
Q: Are there common things you look for in homes while preparing a home to go on the market? i.e.: railings, retaining walls, crawl spaces? Or is each home unique?
A: Each home is unique. In this way, older homes tend to have foundation issues, while newer homes tend to have more cosmetic issues.
Q: Can any home type (new construction, townhome, single family, historic etc.) benefit from a General Contractor walkthrough before listing their home?
A: Yes and I strongly recommend it because we can inspect a home like a home inspector but we also know how to repair the issues found.
Q: Can you provide a price quote and repair items after a Due Diligence request has been sent to the seller and then repair the items quickly before closing?
A: I understand the real estate world and everything has to be done quickly, that is the main focus. We can jump on repairs quickly.
Q: What was your most memorable or funny situation that you came across in your career when working on homes?
A: My most memorable experience is building my house. Funny situations are when people (DIYers) use interior products on exterior of the home. There are a lot of those like installing interior doors on the outside of a home, cutting off engineered trusses in the attic to make more room for storage bins, hanging ceiling fans on the ceiling using hardware that is not designed for fans which eventually fall.
Name: Charles Deziel
Company Name: Go Work Home Services
Contact Info: [email protected]
Overall a General Contractor can be an asset to you at any phase of owning a home. From a walk through of a potential purchase to point out any foreseeable issues to prepping a home for list, a General Contractor is a trusted step in the process. At Carl Johnson Real Estate we recommend working with a company such as Go Work Home Services and Charles to ensure you are getting the most out of your time and money. The home buying and selling process can be intimidating to most people but it does not have to be. We work with you as a team, explaining it all one step at a time with our goal always getting the win for you!
CLICK HERE to read our client testimonials and see for yourself why we at Carl Johnson Real Estate are the best team for you! Let us help you reach your home and property goals
