Jennifer Sheahan: How to choose a contractor and go through the tender process

Your contractor oversees your renovation. You need to trust they will deliver to a high standard, within your budget and on time

Jennifer Sheahan with her rescue dog Perry outside her house in Rathmines after renovation.  Picture: Moya Nolan 

My number-one piece of advice when planning a renovation is to choose a good contractor. Simple, right? Well, no — it has been near-impossible for the past two years, but things are easing off and availability is starting to open up again.

The majority of renovators are doing it for the first time and don’t have deep knowledge of or expertise in the construction industry. This makes choosing a good contractor difficult, because you may not know what to look for, or even where to look.