The ‘shock and awe’ of the disaster reno might make great TV, but real homeowners want their renovation and repair jobs done by a reliable contractor on time and within budget. Yet, of the 1.9 million Canadian households that underwent home renovations in 2010, not only did 40% overspend, many were unhappy with the quality of the work. And that’s after those homeowners had already invested dozens of hours searching the Internet, sifting through flyers and talking to friends and relatives in order to find a contractor they hoped they could trust.

We suppose it’s not surprising. The Canadian Construction Association reports that Canada has a shortfall of between 25,000 and 60,000 skilled trades’ people. And the problem is only expected to worsen as the population ages and skilled trades professionals retire.

So what’s a homeowner to do when they need some help with a renovation and repair job?

Word of Mouth on Steroids

Enter uknowa.com, a free, online local matching engine that lets you advertise your renovation and repair job to vetted, interested and available contractors. Once they’ve seen your specs, contractors submit their bids completely online within 24 hours. Multiple bids let you be confident you’re paying the right price for your job. uknowa eliminates the time consuming exercise of searching for a contractor, the inconvenience of back-and-forth phone calls and high-pressure onsite sales tactics. It’s the answer to the question we all ask our friends when we need to hire someone to do a job: ‘Do uknowa‘ good contractor?’

The Opposite of Search Engines and Classified Ads

Unlike online search engines and classified ad sites like Craigslist and Kijiji that require homeowners to dig through numerous listings, uknowa customers put their home renovation and repair jobs up for auction then let contractors come to them.

uknowa also addresses the safety concerns inherent in dealing with someone who has been contracted online. Professionals can choose to have their licensing and insurance verified so you can be assured you’re getting someone who is qualified for the job. You’re also protected by uknowa‘s unique review system. While other review sites allow anonymous reviews, uknowa only allows reviews from verified customers. uknowa‘s policy of “no anonymous reviews” means all reviews are tied to a job done through the system or that has been personally verified by uknowa staff.

If you’ve got a renovation or repair job, now might be a good time to give uknowa.com a try. Customers who hire a contractor through the uknowa site between now and the end of the 2011 using the code CANADIANHOME will receive a Home Depot gift card valued at 5% of the price of their job, up to a maximum of $500.

uknowa.com is the online matching engine that easily connects homeowners with qualified and available local contractors. Like word-of-mouth on steroids, uknowa allows homeowners throughout Ontario to post their renovation and repair jobs for vetted, interested and available local contractors and receive multiple bids within 24 hours, allowing them to easily compare prices and be confident they are paying the right price for their job. uknowa.com is the answer to the question we all ask our friends when we need to hire someone to do a job: ‘Do uknowa’ good contractor?’

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Contact Laurin Jeffrey for more information – 416-388-1960

Laurin Jeffrey is a Toronto Realtor with Century 21 Regal Realty. He did not
write these articles, he just reproduces them here for people who are
interested in Toronto real estate. He does not work for any builders.
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