
5. Do Not Trust Anyone Immediately.
To follow up with the last item, you shouldn’t trust people you just met. That goes for both business and pleasure. In this case, trusting a contractor right away can cost you hundreds to thousands of dollars. Not only that, it will waste your time, energy, and only add to an already stressful situation. So what should you look out for when it comes to home renovation scams? The scam begins with the would-be contractor telling you what work they can do on your home.
You add in some of your own ideas, and the contractor nods enthusiastically. Yes, all of your ideas will be implemented! Those ideas are not in the contract that you sign, but no worries. You had such a clear verbal understanding with each other — you took the contractor’s word — that those details were completely missing. The problem is that if a lawyer has to get involved, they will not give two cents about anyone’s word. All that matters is what is in writing. The contractor will say that those details were not included in the contract and will cost you extra if you still want them. The lawyer will have no choice but to agree.