Contractors have a way of giving great deals to customers while they cheat themselves.
Among the many hassles of uprooting one's residence is the need to establish new business relationships with all the people you rely on to keep up the household. When my wife and I moved last fall, we regretted leaving behind the fine plumbing, electrical and auto repair firms that had earned our confidence over the 16 years we lived in our old community. First, we had to pass through a period of trial and error with businesses we'd never patronize again. In our new community, we're back to that uncomfortable stage.
So it was with a sense of dread that I went searching for an electrical contractor last spring to install three ceiling fans and an upgraded light fixture we had purchased for the new condo we've called home since last October. Sorry, all you folks who pay thousands of dollars a month for Yellow Pages advertising, but I don't play YP roulette. That's the last place I would go shopping for home services. Instead, I asked a plumbing contractor friend for a recommendation.