1. Know what you want

This is critical. Too many people sign up with a contractor to have a certain job done, but in the middle of the job, they realize that they want something else. Maybe they wanted to expand a living room, for example, but later decide they’d rather devote some of the new space to an expanded kitchen. That’s a big deal, and can wreak havoc in a contractor’s plans, perhaps causing him to have to undo some of what he’s done, or to spend more time than he’d budgeted on your home. It can also end up costing you a lot more than it would have if you’d been more sure of what you wanted at the outset.

2. Expect messes, then work to minimize them

Contractors often scratch their heads when they run across clients who are surprised that working on a house can be messy. (“How come there’s so much dust?”) If you’re going to have work done on your house, take some time to find out from your contractor what you can expect, mess-wise, and how you should prepare the work areas. You’ll save yourself from some unpleasant surprises and you can minimize the pain, too. For example, if a wall is going to be torn down, you can prepare for that by removing as many objects in the room as possible and covering as many things in that room and nearby rooms as you can. (Clouds of dust don’t know to stop at thresholds.)

3. Don’t assume the world revolves around you

It’s easy to forget that the world doesn’t revolve around us, but trust me, when it comes to home repairs and renovations, you’re probably not the only client in your contractor’s life. Some contractors may be able to work only for one client at a time, but many will be juggling a few while they work for you. Part of the reason for this is that they may have promised to start work somewhere at a certain time, while work at another site has dragged on a bit longer than originally expected.

Think about this: If your contractor is a cooperative one, she might oblige you when you enlarge the scope of the job over time. (“Actually, we now think we’d like a new sink as well as a new toilet.” “Before you paint, could you change all those light fixtures?”) But if she’s doing this for you, she’s probably doing the same for other clients — and that can consume extra time.

4. Be prepared for delays

Have you been watching a lot of HGTV? If you’re a devotee of the many home-improvement television programs out there, don’t let them lead you to believe that major projects can be completed in half an hour — or even a day. And remember that on these programs, the craftspeople often have plenty of assistants working with and for them, behind the scenes. Simply installing a door or sink can take much of a day if there are a few unexpected developments, which isn’t unusual.

5. Your help can hurt

Sometimes clients like to hang around contractors while work is being done, helping out. This can be a Good Thing or a Bad Thing. Find out from the contractor exactly what kind of help is and isn’t welcome. If a floor is being torn up, you might offer your brute strength in tearing up some tiles. But think twice before attempting to install Sheetrock or change an outlet. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, and if you do certain things on your own initiative, you may end up causing damage or generating more work for the contractor who may have to undo what you did.

6. Find a good contractor

Now that you’re ready to hire a contractor and spiff up your house, here are a few tips on finding a good one:

• Do try to find a contractor you really like, one you feel you can trust and whom you’ll be comfortable communicating with. You should be able to ask questions and get answers you understand.