A: Unfortunately, Home Advisor does not list service professionals outside the United States at this time. However, I would think that finding good contractors would be much the same everywhere. Hopefully you will find the planning and designing articles on our site helpful, even if we can't recommend anyone to do the work!

I do not know your licensing laws in England but as a rule, there are two ways to handle remodeling projects. You can start with an architect or building designer to draw your plans, including detailed specifications about the materials to be used, and then give the plans to about three building contractors to bid. Or you can start by going to contractors who offer Design/Build services and see what they can do for you.

The more detailed your interview process, the more information to help you decide who to hire. Collecting competitive bids is the best way to be sure of a fair price. Large differences between prices is reason for more investigation; there may be some discrepancies between the quality of materials, workmanship or the entire scope of work. Get everything in writing and understand what you are signing.

Hopefully, you can find some referral services or perhaps some professional building organizations in your area that could refer you to some of their members to contact. Whenever considering services that do not come pre-screened like Home Advisor service professionals, be sure to take the time to check them out thoroughly, verifying licensing, credit history and references, including talking to several previous customers.

If you need additional assistance, visit Home Advisor.

by Kathy Maynard, reprinted courtesy of HomeAdvisor.com