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What you will learn from this episode: 

• Renovation during the Holidays

• When your contractor goes on vacation

• Best practices for tipping and kind gestures

The Holidays are here and you’re wondering what to do for your contractors. How can you make them feel seen and appreciated? Should you be doing something extra?

Small gestures can really go a long way and are really appreciated. If you have a large project going on and it runs into the Holiday, I would definitely consider adding your contractors to your list of people to buy gifts for. With large projects, these people are spending a lot of time in your home, and around you. It’s nice to show them that they are seen and all of their hard work is appreciated.

You don’t have to do something extravagant and expensive, even baking some goodies is nice, or a bottle of wine, or gift card. This is going to show that they are acknowledged and they are there, on your team, working on your behalf.

If you’re planning on having family over for the holidays during a project, make sure your contractor knows. Prepare ahead of time for adjustments that need to be made, so that he can fit those into his schedule. And this might seem obvious, but there are things that you need to considered and discussed, such as finishing the bathroom first, so you have that ready before family comes, or if you’d like floor coverings picked up, that takes time to pick them all up, and then put them all back down again. The more you communicate, and let them know what you have coming up, the better it will be. What you’ve learned to live around, and gotten used to, others might not be so successful at it.

I have people ask about short projects too, and want to know if they should be doing something for the contractors. And usually the answer is – nothing! Say a sincere thank you, and that’s it! If you would like to give them something, you could always give them a small gift card, or little treat.

I also want to talk to you about your contractors taking vacation during your project. And, yes! They actually can! If you are doing a large project, this can work because there will be weeks that say the electrician and plumber will be there. Your contractor won’t need to be there, but your project is still moving ahead. And he should have it planned out ahead of time, and let you know what to expect!

Another question I get is about tipping. People want to know if they should tip the delivery guys that bring them furniture, tile, movers, etc. My perspective on this is they are being paid to do what you see them doing. If they do something above and beyond what is clearly their role, then a tip is appropriate, if not, I don’t think a tip is necessary. I like to reserve tips for favors, and extra effort that they do. So again, tips don’t need to be a lot, it can be buying them lunch as a thank you. But a tip is not required in every situation. This really is up to you, there are no rules, or right or wrongs. A lot of times when I’ve tipped, they are stunned, and probably extra special and appreciated.

I would just like you to think about these items as you’re planning your project and see if there are any holidays that will be going on and start discussing plans with your contractor. He has probably dealt with these situations before and may have some solutions for the best ways of handling your project during times like this.

Thanks for listening! Feel free to reach out to me if you’d like to discuss your project further!

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• Be sure to check out Episode #3: 5 Biggest Mistakes I’ve Seen In Renovations

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