Stick with local businesses. These companies typically already have a good reputation in your area. You’ll likely run into someone who has used that local company or maybe you’ve even heard of them before you started searching. It’s also important to have someone nearby in case you have questions or concerns about your project. Hiring a local contractor also means there’s less of a chance they will pick up and leave, scamming you out of big sums of money.

Ask friends and family for recommendations. Ask people you know if they’ve ever done a similar project to yours or hired a contractor in the specialty you’re looking for. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to find reputable companies. Leverage people you know and ask questions about their experience. Did the contractor address your concerns in a timely manner? Were their employees generous and hard working? How much did the project cost? Was the work completed on time and on budget?

Conduct interviews and meet fact-to-face. If you want to be thorough, there’s nothing wrong with setting up a phone or in-person meeting. Making sure they can answer all your questions is important. And as superficial as it may seem, sometimes appearance can make or break a deal. A messy truck may be a sign of disorganization. A sloppy look could be a sign of sloppy work. However, don’t put all your eggs in that basket. It’s only one facet of your search.

Have a clear vision for your project. If you’re short on details, you’ll likely get a large variety of answers from the contractors you’re considering, which will make your decision even more difficult. If you know exactly what you want, you can line up each company’s answers and estimates to make a more informed assessment and you can break down the cost of every single line item side by side.

Get everything in writing. Estimated schedule, projected cost, labor rates, materials used, etc. should all be outlined in writing. That way you have proof of everything the contractor has promised to you. Additionally, if any changes are made throughout the duration of the project that conflict with the original quote, make sure they are outlined in writing and approved as well.

Confirm your point of contact and who is doing the work. Who do you call when you have a question or something goes wrong? Don’t get the run around from the contractor. There should be one person who can answer all your questions thoroughly. You also want to confirm that that contractor will indeed be doing the work themselves. If not, make sure they disclose all subcontractors to you.

Price should only be one factor of many. It’s not wise to focus solely on the cost of your project. Choosing the lowest bidder may mean the company doesn’t use quality materials or employ qualified workers. If you’re happy with the answers and contract the low bidder gives you, then hire them. But you may be better off going middle of the road or choosing the priciest contractor, as they are more likely to be superior to their competition.

Ask the contractor for references. If you can’t find someone who has experience with the contractor, ask them directly if you can talk to previous customers. Just like a human resources director investigates a potential employees’ experience, see if the contractor can provide you with positive stories from past customers.

Check for reviews online. This tip can be a bit tricky, as anyone and everyone can leave a review online these days and it may not always be an accurate reflection of the company. However, it doesn’t hurt to do a little bit of research before reaching out to a contractor.

Don’t be turned off by busy companies. The fact that a contractor has a busy schedule is probably a good sign. They’re in high demand so customers must be big fans of theirs. If you’re not in a hurry to complete your project, be patient and follow their busy schedule.

Do not pay up front. A good contractor likely won’t ask for payment before work begins. A deposit may be required for good faith, but you should receive a bill at the end of the project for the remaining balance. A big red flag is when a company asks for full payment in advance.

Don’t limit yourself. Whether you want to interview two plumbs or ten plumbers, that’s your preference. Keep searching until you’ve found a contractor that makes you comfortable. A good company will respect your due diligence and patiently wait for your business.

Ask for the company’s credentials. If you want to be extremely careful, you can always ask the contractor for credentials, such as their business license, insurance policy, warranty information, and permits. A good company shouldn’t hesitate to provide proof that they’re an established, legitimate business.

Check their safety record. One of the most important factors in hiring a contractor is making sure the contractor is safe. Employees should wear proper protective equipment, unsafe areas should be cordoned off, and there should be proper procedures and policies in place in case there is an accident. The last thing you want is an injury that can throw off the entire plan or cost you’ve formulated for the project. And every contractor should be able to send their employees home in the same condition they came to work.

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One way to use exterior lights is to think about the moonlight. You don’t want the house to be too bright. So imagine natural, soft lighting that mimics the moon. You want to stick with warm, white light. The purpose of exterior lighting isn’t to put on a show for the neighbors.

Using up lights to highlight unique architectural features and even trees can enhance the home. We expect lights to shine downward, so the aesthetics of an up light can be stunning.

You can also do this with beautiful gardens and other shrubbery. Don’t put the lights too close together, though. You don’t want to drown them in light.

Make sure the focus of the light is at the entrance(s) to the house. They should be warm, welcoming, and well-lit to guide guests into the home.

Other focus points can be fountains, arbors, backyard swings, or garden walls. These aesthetically-pleasing elements of your home deserve to be featured at night.

Stairs and paths should be well-lit. The last thing you want is a guest or potential home-buyer tripping and falling on their way into your home. This also goes for decks and patios in the backyard.

Use different types of lights. Don’t think you have to stick with one type of exterior light, like the popular flood light. You can choose different fixtures on the outside, just like you can on the inside of your home.

Many people set up timers for outdoor lighting, scheduling them to come on at dusk and turn off at dawn. This way, you won’t have to worry about manually turning everything off and on. Or you could invest in lights that are synced with motion detectors. Guests will be well-lit when visiting the house and intruders may be deterred if a light comes on automatically.

Upkeep is important with exterior lighting. Leaves and other debris should be cleared away to prevent overheating. Burned-out bulbs need to be replaced immediately, not only to make sure your exterior lighting keeps its curb appeal, but one burned-out bulb can place unnecessary pressure on other bulbs. Consider using LEDs. They’re much more efficient and last longer than regular bulbs.

Exterior lighting isn’t as easy of a task as you may think. You have to make sure it’s safe to dig in some areas, you’ll need to check that you have the proper receptacles and transformers, and that the wiring is installed correctly. Calling an electrician or a professional exterior lighting designer is best.

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Advance planning. You don’t have to get fancy and make up formal blueprints for your workshop. But try to roughly sketch what you have in mind, take some measurements, and try to imagine where you want everything. Sure, there will be changes to your original plans, but you want to make sure there’s enough room to work in and the layout of each component makes sense. Consider the types of projects you’ll use the workshop for and make sure you have adequate space to complete them, especially if you plan on keeping vehicles in the garage.

Storage. A workshop isn’t complete without lots and lots of tools and supplies, which means you’ll need lots and lots of storage. An efficient workspace requires organization and you don’t want to waste time searching for a screwdriver, nuts, bolts, or anything else. Head over to your local home improvement store and check out bins, shelves, and wall-mounted hooks. Not only will they keep you organized, but you also want to protect your equipment. Some tools are expensive so you’ll want to store them in a safe place. Having plenty of storage will also keep you, and any other workshop guests, safe. Tools and supplies won’t be littered on the floor as tripping hazards and you won’t have to worry about someone stepping on a nail.

Lighting. Garages tend to be very dark. Working in a poorly lit area is difficult and dangerous. You may have some recessed lights that were installed when the house was built, but they aren’t sufficient for the type of work you’ll probably be doing. Natural light is always best, so if you have a window in your garage, use that to your advantage. But it won’t always be enough. Consider installing track lights, LEDs, or ceiling-mounted fluorescents. It’s better to have too much light than too little.

Electricity. Not only do you need plenty of light, but you need to make sure you have a sufficient amount of electrical service to power your tools. You should have receptacles with high amperage installed at about six-foot intervals around the room. It would take some work, but you could also have flush-mounted floor plugs. It’s very dangerous to overload a circuit and some heavy-duty tools require a lot of service. Also consider other things in the workshop that need power – lights, heaters, air conditioning units, radios, etc. Try not to rely on extension cords, they’re a tripping hazard and can be a pain to drag around. It’s best to bring in a certified electrician to evaluate what you need.

Durable surface. This applies to both the workbench and the floor. You’ll be doing most of your work on the bench so it should be heavy and rock-solid. Why build a workbench if you can’t hammer away on it? The floor will also take a beating – dropped tools, oil stains, years and years of foot traffic. They can become slippery and can be really hard on the body if you spend enough time there. Consider an epoxy floor, which has extra grip. You could also purchase rubber floor mats to ease the burden on your feet.

Easy to clean. DIY projects can be messy and after putting in all that hard work, you probably don’t want to spend a lot of time cleaning up. Epoxy floors are easy to clean. The surface of your workbench should be able to handle simple cleaning agents. You could also set up partitions if you’re working near an area not part of your shop. Dust collection systems and central vacuums are also handy.

Plumbing. If you have the room, a utility sink can be very convenient. You won’t have to leave the shop to wash your hands and cleaning paintbrushes will be much easier. Dirtying up your kitchen or bathroom sink probably isn’t a good idea.

Heating/cooling. Garages are stuffy, especially if there aren’t any windows, and they’re rarely insulated. You may want to buy an AC unit or a space heater, especially if you live in extreme climates. Wearing a heavy coat in the winter will only hinder your work process and the heat of the summer can be dangerous.

Entertainment. Some people build a workshop to get away from the noise of the world and prefer to work in peace. But others work better when there’s music or the baseball game is on. You could go to the extreme and install a full-blown audio system or hang big-screen TVs. But you can find simple, durable radios that would suffice.

Can you think of anything else that would be great for a dream workshop? Comment below.

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Safety Tips

– Ordinary dimmer switches are not intended to be used with most fluorescent lights. If you are using CFLs, make sure they’re labeled “dimmable.”

– Read the manufacturer’s instructions before beginning your project.

– Make sure the wattage of the light(s) you want to dim doesn’t exceed the wattage of the dimmer.

– Before starting any electrical project, always make sure to turn off electricity to the switch at the main fuse box or circuit breaker box.

– Test the switch/wires to confirm that there is no electrical current before you proceed.

– If you’re hesitant or have any doubts about the installation, please call a licensed electrician.

STEP 1

Make sure power to the switch is turned off at the circuit breaker or fuse box. Flip the switch to make sure the power is truly off before you move on to the next step.

STEP 2

Remove the wall plate and mounting screws so the switch can be pulled from the wall and the wires are exposed. Again, don’t touch the wires unless you’re sure the power is off.

STEP 3

Disconnect all wires from the old switch. Make note of the wires that are connected to the switch as these are the wires you’ll connect to the new dimmer. There should be a bare copper wire in the box and a green wire on the dimmer – these are the grounding wires.

STEP 4

Strip wire insulation about ¾ of an inch using a wire stripper. You can check the manufacturer’s instructions to make sure you don’t strip off too much.

STEP 5

Connect existing wires to the dimmer’s wires. Make sure to connect the green grounding wire to the copper grounding wire in the electrical box. Using pliers, twist wire ends to tighten and secure together with a wire nut.

STEP 6

Tuck all wires back into the electrical box and attach dimmer with mounting screws.

STEP 7

Mount wall plate to the switch and secure with wall plate screws.

STEP 8

Turn the power back on at the main fuse box or circuit breaker box and test the switch.

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