Hiring a contractor we know socially

[Jean Sanchez]

Hi Everyone,

I am a new investor who has only lived in this area about 9 months. We have recently closed on 2 properties that need some remodeling before they are rented. I am in the process of getting contractor quotes and I am wondering if it is a good idea to request a quote from the father of my daughter’s best friend here. I have looked him up and he does provide the services we need and has mostly good references on Yelp, home advisor, and of course, his own website. I have met him in the context of overnight drop offs and pick ups and he is very nice. My daughter is 12 and going into the 7th grade. She is super social, but new to this town and school, and this is by far her best friend here. Would you allow your business to get intertwined in this type of situation or just avoid it all together? I am not afraid of the hard conversations during a job or telling a contractor that I went with another company and why, but I don’t want my concern for my daughter’s social life to steer me to make a decision that is not in the best interest of my business. I also don’t want to exclude potentially the best contractor in the area and one who might go over the top to ensure that we get the best of everything since he has a unique relationship with our family (there are not a large number of recommended contractors in our area). Thanks for your opinion.

Cheers!