My husband and I have to have some electrical work done on our home. Not a huge job, but sizeable. Big enough that we’ve put it off for five years and realize our circuit breakers ain’t gettin’ any younger.
May I say here that having work done on my home is one of my least favorite things to do as a homeowner? Mainly because most companies just don’t provide the level of organization and service that I expect. And then I end up being the “foreman” on the job and have to chase the contractor to make sure every small thing gets done properly and on time. Like I don’t have enough to do already, right?
I have found some great companies over time (and I Yelp the heck out of them when I do!) , but I’m constantly surprised by how frustrating it can be to go through the home improvement or repair process.
Well, not all home repair companies are organized, but I sure am, so, in my normal Penelope style, I created what I’m calling a “Bid Sheet” for my job. This is a short document that lists all the items we want to have done as a part of this job, along with our contact info and a couple other salient points.
Click for the PDF version of this document
This bid sheet enables me to go over the list with the electrician while he’s here doing a walk through of the job and then jogs his memory when he’s back at his office actually writing up the proposal. It also helps me get detailed estimates from each potential company, and that means we can compare apples to apples when making our final choice as to whom we should award the job.
I was delighted when I greeted one of the electricians and handed him the bid sheet and he looked at it, then looked at me and said really sincerely, “Thank you so much for this. No one ever does this and it’s incredibly helpful.”
Well, he’s obviously never met a Penelope before.
Just for giggles, I’m attaching a sample of the bid sheet I used, in case you might find it helpful, either now, or in the future.
You can also click here for more detailed info on the nitty gritty of putting together the bid sheet and here for many, many other helpful articles on doing work on your home.
Click here for the PDF document :: HowtoCreateaBidSheet
- How to keep your kids’ toys from overtaking your home I’m so glad to be able to offer you this...
- Peeping Penelope: Home Office Before and After by Centsational Girl You’re all reading Centsational Girl, right? If not, do. It’s...
- Two tips for stopping those “doh!” email moments I hate doing simple things wrong. Even occasionally. And, given...
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Don’t you love when people APPRECIATE your attempts to make their (and your) lives easier? I love this idea , and I’m sure it’s also helpful in the event that something’s done incorrectly or goes wrong!
What a great idea! I had the same thing happen when we where house hunting a few years ago. The realtor came over to start hte process and I pulled out my “book” with printouts of houses we had looked at with notes about what we liked didn’t like, a list of questions about what we needed to do for the current house to list it. She was totally impressed. It helped both of us out throughout the whole process.
You never cease to amaze me! I am struggling to organize my desk drawer and you are so amazing.
What a fabulous idea!!
This is such a brilliant idea! We’re getting ready to find our first contractor for our gutters and you better believe I’m going to have a Bid Sheet with me now.
Not only is this a great idea (I’m in the process of getting bids for some work myself, so this is uber timely!), but can I just say thank you for naming the pdf file so sensibly! I cannot tell you how many times I’ve searched in vain on my computer knowing I downloaded some catalog or other only to later find that the pdf was named cat8372902q39_download. Sheesh! I’ve gotten in the habit of immediately renaming everything I download and was getting ready to rename yours, what else but, HowtoCreateaBidSheet
Awww, Cassi, thanks. I, too, am constantly irritated by weirdly named PDFs that I can’t find after I download them. Thanks for noticing my attempt NOT to annoy you.
i rarely leave feedback unless your posting is a good piece
I really liked this post as it is providing all information and facts about the topic. Looking forward to such more posts in future. Fantastic post!