Apples to Apples

Just this morning, I met with a client at his new home to discuss pricing for a rather large asphalt driveway. We had a company to visit the site yesterday and another to meet on site this morning. Both were very professional and their reputation as being quality subcontractors preceded them. My client was willing to work with either one, depending on their price and specifications for our project.

Company A priced the work at $10,800.00 while Company B priced out at $9,100.00. My client's first reaction was "Wow, that's a $1,700.00 difference. That will go along way in doing some other things we'd like to do". Well, as they say in the NFL after a second look at a close play, "upon further review" we found that there wasn't actually a $1,700.00 (or 18%) difference in the prices. Company A had estimated more asphalt, more stone, and more grading than Company B, thus bringing his price inline with his competitor. His price appeared to be higher, but when all things were considered and we compared "Apples to Apples", his price was very fair.

Once in a while, when we price a custom home for a prospective client, we are told we are a little higher than the competing contractor. Occasionally we are never given a second look. The client looks at the prices and says, "well, he's to high, so I guess we'll go with the cheapest". The largest purchase and investment they will ever make and just like that, they make a decision. It truly amazes me that some folks compare prices between grocery stores sales papers more closely than they compare prices for their new home. They'll drive across town to save a nickel a gallon on gas, but will not ask the important questions that need to be asked of their general contractor.

Folks, I urge you, if you are thinking about building a new home (whether you partner with us or not), please review the specifications closely. Ask questions...a lot of questions. Review allowances closely. Compare windows, doors, insulation R values, shingle types, brand names, SEER ratings, etc. Don't assume each builder is including the same materials and allowances.

We hope you will take the time to do your homework and due diligence. If there is anything we can do to help, please do not hesitate to call. You are under no obligation with us. We will do all we can to honestly help you evaluate prices and specifications from multiple builders. If you're like us, you appreciate value. Value is not necessarily the cheapest, but value is defined as "a fair return or equivalent in goods, services, or money for something exchanged". Be sure you are getting what you paid for, or more importantly, what you expect and deserve.

I Love the Smell of Polyurethane in the Morning!

This morning I ventured out to a custom home of ours to begin the final cleaning. It was early, the job site was quite and still. As I opened the front door to be the first one to enter the house after the hardwood floors were finished, I realized something. I love the smell of Polyurethane in the morning! It's the sign of a nearly complete house. At that point all is complete except the final cleaning and final paint touch-ups. The hardwoods are sparkling, shining, slick, and spotless. Just the way you want your clients to receive the house when they take occupancy.

Green Building

After recently completing a Green Building course offered by the National Association of Home Builders, we were pleased to learn a couple of things.

Green Building, or building a Certified Green Home, does not have to be complicated. We have found that many of the things that we already do on our custom homes would receive points towards a green certification. Therefore we only need to add a few minor things to our custom specifications in order to become certified green.

Building Green Certified Homes does not have to be costly. Many of the items that we already include in our specification (or could add) do not add a great deal to the cost of the project and those that do, the cost could easily be recouped in a very reasonable time frame.

Green Building is in demand. We have found that once educated, many of our clients are open to Green Building options. Especially when they find they can be very cost effective. Example: We recently had a client to add a foam "flash" insulation barrier. Once the up front cost were weighed against the long term gain, the investment made sense.

What questions do you have regarding Green Certified Homes? Is this something you would be interested in doing? If so, please contact us with any questions you may have. We'd be happy to discuss our thoughts and ideas with you.