1. If a potential hire has a great personality and talks your talk, that doesn't mean he or she knows the stuff which they claim to know. Ask to see other projects they've done and talk to previous clients. A verbal promise is not a contract.
2. If they have to run out and get tools for every step of the process, they may be rookies.
3. A picket fence builder needs an electric saw and a sawhorse--not a knee and a little tiny hand saw.
4. Flagstones for walking paths need to be set firmly, not thrown into place so that they wiggle. And they need to match human stride, not elephant stride.
5. Grass should be planted before the weeks of tramping on it to make curbs, not before.
6. Don't pay anything upfront; wait and see if the project is evolving as promised, then pay in stages.
7. Consult Angie's List or Next Door or a good friend before hiring.
I could write a book--say, "Hiring For Dummies"--but I've decided not to waste any more time pondering my mistakes!
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