Who does not wish to carry out work at a low cost? Any economy is good to take, as they say. That’s why many people try to do the work by themselves. Others aim to obtain the maximum financial aid in order to reduce expenses. However, it is possible to save money if you are very clever when requesting an estimate. How can you do this? Here are some tips.
Know your project inside out
To pay a fair price for the work, you need to know every detail of your project. Take the time to understand the techniques involved, the materials needed, and the labor requirements…
Do not hesitate to talk about your budget so that the professional can adapt it to his offers. Moreover, if you are interested in an estimate, but one point seems unnecessary or too expensive, ask for an alternative, less expensive technique from the start.
Do you want to redo a facade, carry out interior renovation work or extend your house? This task is a bit tricky, but everyone can do it with a good method. Calculate yourself the quantities of materials needed and compare the prices. If the price per square meter seems outrageous, always ask for clarification.
For the treatment of your frame, the craftsman offers you high-end products? Tell him to use a mid-range product so that you save on costs.
Make several estimates
Never be satisfied with the estimate of a single provider; ask for information from the competition. Make good use of the Internet to compare prices in a few minutes. Comparing quotes will give you an idea of the work’s price and enable you to detect the various offers available. In fact, it is always recommended to ask for three different quotes before committing yourself to a particular artisan. This will allow you to find a service with the best quality-price ratio.
Be careful!
You have submitted requests for quotes to all the artisans in your vicinity, and you have found the cheapest quote on the market? Be careful. These offers, tempting at first sight, often hide bad surprises. Negligent building contractors offer a very low estimate only to ask you, as the work progresses, to add items in order to inflate the final bill. In the end, the customer is forced to pay up to 25% more than originally agreed. Be meticulous because the devil is in the details.
The price of the work varies according to the time of year. The demand is on the rise during a specific period, which explains the increase in prices. This is the case for the construction of a swimming pool. Also, pay attention to the choice of the season in the launching of the work. Most people use the builder during the summer season, so contact him in the middle of winter to get a price reduction.
Negotiate, but how?
It is possible to negotiate with a builder, but you should know that he will not give away the price of his service for your eyes. You can expect a discount of up to 15%. If the discount reaches 40%, open your eyes. You should know that a contractor who compromises on price is sacrificing a few things: finishes, flexibility throughout the job, deadlines, modifications.
To be able to negotiate supplies, support your arguments with catalog prices. Likewise, for labor and services, reinforce your claims with other estimates. At least, ask for explanations on the high cost of the insulation compared to the competitors.
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