Thursday, January 17, 2013
Remodeling Sense is not Car Sense.
Fact: You get what you pay for when remodeling.
Car Sense is a no-haggle way to buy the car you want. You research the make & model, and you can trust great service and the right price. Many inexperienced homeowners treat remodeling they same way; they decide it’s time for a new kitchen, and all they need to do is shop around for the lowest price.
Remodeling is not a product and it definitely isn’t a commodity – it is a service, plain and simple. This is sometimes easily forgotten, especially in an era when Carpentry is not given it’s proper due as a professional trade; it was in fact once considered the artist’s trade.
No two remodelers are the same… no two remodels are the same either. Deciding you are building a kitchen addition isn’t the same as deciding on the new Samsung TVs. It’s more like computers- brands, not models. What you save buying an off brand can easily cost you when the product quickly fails and you are left at square one.
MBC Building & Remodeling, LLC spends a lot of time discussing best practices for choosing a remodeler in and around Lancaster County, PA.
We hear so many Horror stories, even locally, from homeowners who thought all builders were the same, and that amazing low price was just their luck…
How many horror stories do you need to hear to realize that ‘too good to be true’ lowball offer is just that. And having a true professional contractor to come after and fix the subpar work the cheap guy completed (or didn’t…) is going to cost more to fix than to do it right the first time.
What To Do
What do you want – the Lincoln, the Ford… or the Lemon? Considerations for choosing your remodeling contractor based on Quality and Value – NOT price alone.
1. Better materials – this is often a main thing not considered by the average remodeling client, especially the first-timers out there. Also consider pricing is low due to big Home Improvement warehouses carry lower quality product lines.
2. Better craftsmanship – higher % increase of home value after project.
3. Better warranty – Most contractors offer no warranty. Some offer a year.
(P.S. MBC offers 5-years.)
4. Peace of mind – You need to trust this person and their crew inside your home, around your family, your pets, and with the fact you are paying them at work intervals and/or start of phases and not all up front. PA State Law allows no more than 1/3 down payment, excluding special order items.
Ask Your Yourself:
• Is a professional someone who makes money… or pays taxes?
• Gives their employees 100% health insurance coverage?
Labels:
choosing,
contractor,
general,
horror stories,
lancaster,
pa
Location:
Lancaster, PA, USA
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