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Hello friends!

Last week, we discussed a tried-and-true method for avoiding headaches after you move in. The big idea is to add blocking in the walls before drywall is applied so that you can hang items easily without having to find a stud.

Red Flags When Hiring a Contractor 🚩🚩

Hiring is one of the most stressful parts of the home construction process, and that's especially true when money is tight and the market is competitive. You're not just hiring a builder, you're establishing a long term relationship that will have to survive disagreements, misunderstandings, and more.

A quote from a contractor friend stuck with me. He said, "You only have to buy quality once." His point is that cheap products are cheap for a reason. You have a choice: buy quality once, or cheap multiple times. Over time, quality often wins.

Hiring people is more complicated, but the same idea applies in many cases. The cheapest contractor may be cheap for a reason. Recently, I came across a post in the Construction forum on Reddit, which often has real-world perspectives from builders.

The quote below is from user wiscogamer (lightly edited for readability). Every situation is different and this is just one data point from someone who chose to share.

I hope this is helpful. Last year, I shared quotes from the same forum that answers the question: Who pays for a redo?​

That's what I have for now. I'll be in touch soon with a sweet offer on Build Livable courses. Stay tuned!

Lee LeFever, Build Livable​

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