Most architects and construction professionals recommend getting three bids for a project, along with three references Also, be sure to check licenses and insurance paperwork.

Dan Sherman, a landscape architect based in Valhalla, says he likes one of the bids to be from “someone I don’t know, someone the client recommends. That helps me test my contractors’ bids. It keeps my contractors honest, so they don’t automatically assume they’ll get jobs from me.”
Make sure the materials being quoted for the project are the same, to ensure accurate comparisons.
Spend time with each person making the bid to see how you get along. Ask a lot of questions.
“Many homeowners discount the importance of being sure they can have a working relationship with a contractor,” Jon Feldman says. “A contractor that will listen is as important as one who does good work. If a business is unresponsive to questions and concerns during the bidding process, chances are good the communication will only get worse once the job is under way.”
If one of the bids is substantially less than the two others, don’t always judge everything just by the price. Perhaps the bid is low because the contractor won’t be on site all of the time or has other hidden cost-cutting measures.
“Beware of the lowest bid,” Lyn Peterson says. “A low price may result in low-quality work, either because the caliber of the person is low, or because the person did not understand the actual scope of the work and bid too low.”
“It’s a false economy to save a few thousand dollars and then get inferior work,” Feldman says.
Some revisions are inevitable once you get shovels into the ground, but it’s important to get the plans as final as possible before work begins.
“One of the biggest sources of stress and cost overruns for a home-improvement project is dealing with the extras,” Feldman says. “As many times as not, these are caused by changes in the original plans by the homeowner.”

On the Web: Find licensed contractors: Westchester: www.westchestergov.com/consumergas/licenseSearch.asp; Rockland: www.co.rockland.ny.us/cpl/records/business.htm; Putnam: www.putnamcountyny.com/consumers

Thinking of selling?

If you have notions of selling your property within the next year, start planning now for a few low-cost, high-impact repairs and improvements that will add curb appeal and visual interest. Not selling? This is a good checklist for the summer.
Repair walkways, steps and stone work. Make sure the front and back doors are defined by clear pathways from the street or driveway. Repair any broken joints or cracks in walls or foundations.
Dress up the face of your property. Paint the front door and pick an attractive new color for the exterior trim. Repair or add shutters, window boxes or decorative fencing. Jane McAfee, of Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty in Yonkers, recommends “removing old overgrown, woody bushes and old landscaping and replacing them with smaller evergreens and groundcovers.”
Keep it neutral and impersonal. No matter how much she wants it, this is not the summer to paint your daughter’s bedroom pink. Buyers in the market like to walk into a clean, clutter-free space and imagine that this could be their new home.
Clean up. “Picking up the accumulated garbage and piles of leftover materials from under the deck, behind the garage and in the back corners will make the property feel lighter and more cared for,” says Jon Feldman, a landscaping contractor in Nyack.
Expand your usable outdoor living space. A new deck or patio is a cheaper way to add appeal than putting in a bathroom or creating a great room. Plus, you’ll have it to enjoy until you sell.
Update indoor and outdoor light fixtures. “This can be done very cheaply and can make a huge difference in the overall appearance of a house,” McAfee says.
Swap out hardware. Nancy August, an interior designer in Piermont, says she recently changed all of the hardware in a client’s Upper Nyack house: doorknobs, drawer pulls, light switches and hinges.
Pull up the rugs. If you have decent wood floors, get rid of old wall-to-wall carpeting and refinish them.
Spruce up the kitchen and bath. “Reface old cabinets and countertops and retile the bathroom or refresh the grout,” McAfee suggests.
Update window treatments. Getting rid of old blinds, shades or drapes and replacing them with more airy curtains or see-through miniblinds can also be done very cheaply, McAfee says. The house will instantly feel brighter and cleaner.
Go for flower power. If you’re thinking of selling in the fall, plant several flats of annuals now so you’ll have color in every garden bed. If you’re aiming for a showing next spring, start looking at garden catalogs now to plan what you want to plant this fall for spring blooms.

DIY or call a pro?

Before rushing off to the big-box store, do-it-yourselfers should think about hiring a contractor or engineer for a consultation and property walk-through.
“Consultants can also give the homeowner a good idea of what to expect in terms of cost – for doing it themselves as well as hiring a professional,” says Jon Feldman, who has a landscaping and construction business in Nyack. “They can also provide design and long-term plans so the homeowner can plan their strategies over weekends for the next five years.”
Even if don’t hire the contractor, you’ll get lots of good ideas on what and how to do things yourself and what you should save for an experienced pro. DIY is great in tough economic times, but act wisely. If you’re a klutz, you have no business handling a power saw.
“Picking up a hammer or paintbrush is well within the skill set of most home improvers, but bigger tools might best be left to the pros to avoid unpredictable results,” says Lyn Peterson, the owner of Motif Designs.
Replacing a few shingles lost in a windstorm is one thing. But replacing an entire leaky roof? Start calling roofers now and get estimates. Some may even be glad to have you as a helper.
Paying a pro may save money in the long run because of expensive mistakes you make along the way as you learn the job. The final product will probably look better and last longer, too.
Peterson recommends installing wallpaper, regrouting the bathroom and putting in new tile as good DIY projects. “Tiling is good because you go bit by bit, so it’s easy to fix your mistakes. You just peel it back and start over.”
Call a pro for anything involving code or anything with legal ramifications, she says. She also recommends professional contractors when working with electricity, wiring or plumbing lines that run out to the street.
“You want to assess how much damage you can do if you do it yourself and you mess up,” Peterson says. “You don’t want to do something that’s going to burn your house down.”