Do You Do Free Estimates?
...perhaps the wrong question!
You have a project in mind. You're ready to renovate.
How
can you help yourself by helping your renovator?
To begin with, you can do some research before even
contacting your
renovator. Sure, a good renovator will
offer you some assistance with design ideas and product
samples. However, you can
motivate your renovator
to
work even harder for you through some simple
preparations. The classic phone
call, "Do you do free
estimates?", does little to inspire your renovator to jump
for you!
Begin by examining some design magazines or books, to
find a picture
that resembles what you want. Having a
picture to show someone, can mean the difference between
getting what you want
versus getting
what someone else
thought you wanted. You can also visit home shows, and
various
product show rooms,
to become familiar with what
you like and what is available.
Do this research before asking for competitive prices. When
you
can show your renovator that you have done
your
homework, you'll see how fast they will respond to your call!
The pricing process can
now be a more
exacting endevour.
Your renovator can now price exactly what products, finishes,
and
fixtures you want.
Yes, you want to know if you can afford the renovation before
delving
in too deep. And of course, for that
you need prices.
But most competent renovators, having work experience in
your area
of inquiry, are able to
quickly and accurately give
you some budgets on their first visit to see you. From
these
budget prices you
can then determine if it is what you want,
or what you can afford. But don't be
afraid to tell the
renovator if your
budget is being exceeded. Don't waste your
time, or theirs, if there is no possible way to
fit this renovation
into
your chosen budget.
Remember, the issue is simply this. You choose how much of
your
money you are willing to spend, and where
and when you
want to spend it. You should feel no embarrassment taking
charge of
your affairs in this manner! Besides, your renovator
can help you to mix and match to meet a set budget figure.
They can give you advice
on where you can cut back, and what
you should keep. By telling you what is most
cost effective and
essential
to tackle now, and what is practical or possible to do
later, you as the customer can make
informed decisions
for
yourself.
Once several renovators have aligned you with what fits into
your
budget, you are now ready to phone each one
back and
ask for accurate written quotations, fully detailing what work
will be done.
Each renovator can probably
put this quotation
together without the need for a second visit, based on the
information
they recorded from their
first visit. You have
established a focus for your renovation, and because of this
focus, the renovators can now
sharpen their pencils and get
down to detailed and competitive estimates.
Make sure that each quotation bears a fixed or stipulated price,
not
merely cost allowances that the renovator
feels could be
adequate to perform various facets of the work. Beware that
when the
cost of the actual work
performed exceeds the
allowance amount, then it falls on the customer's shoulders to
make
up the monetary
shortfall. Allowances can become an
easy way for a renovator to throw an estimate
together, and
should only be
permitted when it is virtually impossible for the
renovator to accurately determine the
extent of work necessary.
Allowances are also used in situations where the customer has
not yet finalized all the products and/or details of their preferred
renovation. However, this kind of open-ended ness is precisely
what we are
trying to
get away from here, whenever possible.
By holding your finalized choices firm, and then shopping the
market
place for only true and stipulated price
comparisons,
you are now able to command the most competitive price, even
after having
divulged your budget. Through insisting on an
un-compromised end result, you remain in control of the situation
and command fair play
from your competitive renovators. How
else can you, the customer, ever determine the
best value for
your money?
It is not enough to ask for the proverbial free estimate anymore.
In fact, the better thing to do is to establish your
budget first, then
work the products, finishes and fixtures into this budget, and finally
call for competitive quotations. By not leaving the playing field of
products, finishes, and fixtures wide open, no one can
attempt to
capitalize on
your potential ignorance. No one can offer you
something of supposed equal or
superior value in order to win your
favour through a deceptively low bid.
To the extent that we all get what we pay for, the
real trick is not to
pay
any more than we have to for the same thing. By leveling the
playing
field through following the steps outlined herein, you can
command
the quality you choose,
and get the best possible price
at the same
time. This sort of competitive shopping
will truly bear
out the
real
value differences.
Do not be premature by asking your renovator to simply give you a
quote. Comparing prices is not a useful endeavour
unless you hold
all other variables constant. Decide what that constant should be
for your particular situation and
your particular budget. Hold true
to your choices. The oldest trick in the
book is to price a customer
something
different from what was originally established, thereby
distorting
that customer's value perception.
By following this advice you will save yourself, and your renovator,
some valuable time during the pre-renovation
process, and you will
ensure a mutually beneficial working relationship between you and
your renovator.
Working smart, will save you both time and money!
Always here to help you;
Robert J. Fleming (President)
