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I rarely see cash and when I do it doesn't matter, I have bills to pay and need to cover them.
Unlike most contractors (especially the pirate handyman contractors) who give that "incentive" to pay cash, I never do. It's not the game I play, it’s cheesy and unprofessional. Personal checks are fine and are safer for the owner. I don't want my clients especially some of my older clients going to the bank to withdraw large sums of cash. It’s not safe for them and it’s easier for me to handle one check. Some may call BS on that, but then again you can’t afford a professional on my level.
I charge more than enough to overcome that cash temptation of circumventing the tax laws. Those that need to are at the bottom of the food chain and probably fighting over a twenty dollar bill at the end of the week.
I'm writing the following not for the outpatients here but for those passing through looking to get real honest information/opinion from a contractor.
As for the cheaper guy vs the professional expensive guy I see it a little differently.
Everyone has overhead, and each business (legit or not) will have different overhead costs. But there’s also the cost of doing high quality work. Not all contractors build to the same level of quality, and not all contractors care about giving their customers value for their money along with a long product service life.
Most contractors build for the masses. There’s nothing wrong with it and there’s a need for those contractors because the majority of the public want acceptable inexpensive work. That goes for all products. That’s why most products are manufactured in China and Mexico. Demands will always be filled and they will be filled by all kinds. It follows the old idiom “you get what you pay for” and for the most part that is true.
It’s the common law of business/economics balance that prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. It cannot be done. You may think you got a lot, but that’s marketing and your own biases at work.
Not knowing anything about a product and only considering price is not only foolish but ignorant. I purchase cheap junk all the time, but I know it’s junk and don’t try to convinced myself I got something great for cheap. Few people actually get it. But the devil is in the details and it’s up to the consumer to figure it out.
Want to believe two bathrooms of the same size are equal in quality but one cost 5K and the other cost 15K? please go ahead and believe it. The real question should be why is the cheaper bathroom 10K less? But residential remodeling projects are a very difficult monster to compare apples to apples because there are too many variables such as using cheap drywall screws to fasten everything or using an array of high quality fasteners specific for each task and all the other unseen materials that you will never see (or think are there but are not). This makes it very easy for the cheaper guy to actually make a higher profit margin than the expensive guy. I may be more expensive but my profit margin could be the same, now go figure that one out yourself.
Quality will always be the defining element once your project is completed
"I may be more expensive but my profit margin could be the same, now go figure that one out yourself."
Those that need to are at the bottom of the food chain and probably fighting over a twenty dollar bill at the end of the week.
Your thumbing your nose at people looking to get a deal is ironic. Wealthy people are among the biggest group looking for deals. They are smart with their money and that's how they keep so much of it. People looking for deals aren't necessarily poor. If they were, would they randomly spend $5k on a bathroom reno in the first place? The "middle class schlub" should always be looking for the best bang for their buck, or they shall remain where they are for good reason.
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Not all contractors build to the same level of quality, and not all contractors care about giving their customers value for their money along with a long product service life. [/font]
Most contractors build for the masses. There’s nothing wrong with it and there’s a need for those contractors because the majority of the public want acceptable inexpensive work. That goes for all products. That’s why most products are manufactured in China and Mexico. Demands will always be filled and they will be filled by all kinds. It follows the old idiom “you get what you pay for” and for the most part that is true.
Not all legit contractors charging a lot may even do good work. I know you know this. I don't see any reason to argue it at all. We paid over $200k for a 2nd floor addition. Everything about our contractor was good, but we have nagging issues like nails and corner beads popping through the walls in some places. We paid more than the avg asking price. So it means jack.
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It’s the common law of business/economics balance that prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. It cannot be done. You may think you got a lot, but that’s marketing and your own biases at work.
I don't believe people are looking to get a lot. They're looking to get as much as they can get away with for the price (again, the best bang for the buck). This is perfectly fine depending on the project type.
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Not knowing anything about a product and only considering price is not only foolish but ignorant. I purchase cheap junk all the time, but I know it’s junk and don’t try to convinced myself I got something great for cheap. Few people actually get it. But the devil is in the details and it’s up to the consumer to figure it out. Want to believe two bathrooms of the same size are equal in quality but one cost 5K and the other cost 15K? please go ahead and believe it. The real question should be why is the cheaper bathroom 10K less?
For our bathroom reno's downstairs, it was OUR materials (save for building materials like screws, wires, caps, glue, etc.) and legit contractors consistently still wanted over 3.5k more, for each bathroom. That's just simply overhead and labor costs.
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Quality will always be the defining element once your project is completed
I will say it again - for a large complicated project, no doubt I would want to hire a reputable licensed guy (we did), but for small jobs like a bathroom, it's ludicrous to think an $8k bathroom can't be had for a $4k bid price, both using what we pick out and purchase. There's 1 reason it can't be done and it's not quality or better materials. You can keep your special drywall screws and fasteners for the difference. More power to you if you can find those willing to pay you for those small jobs. We know why you wouldn't want to entertain those.
I wonder if Ovi goes to a restaurant and offers half price for a steak saying he shouldnt have to pay for all the owners silly overhead.
And yet a $60 Morton's steak was one of the lamest steaks I've ever had and an $18.99 steak from the old Adelaide's sports bar (kind of a dive and no longer around) was one of the best I ever had (and included side dishes, too). So there's your "steak" analogy directly applied to overpriced contractors. As a businessman, overhead is MY problem. As a customer, overhead is YOUR problem. Every intelligent person (rich, poor, doesn't matter) gets the best price and then factors in references, pics of previous work, owner responsiveness, intuition, etc. and will pay more if those things add value and piece of mind. No one is paying more for someone else's "overhead."
oVI8 "Your thumbing your nose at people looking to get a deal is ironic."
you took my comment out of context. It was directed towards the low ball contractors, not the consumer.
Intelligent people (wealthy or not) who want to save money purchase the highest quality product to ensure the longest service life, not purchase the cheapest thinking they got a "deal" The latter is foolish yet many people believe they can spend less and get more.
but then again you can’t afford a professional on my level.
Nothing but jabs. I think you or someone else said something along the same lines earlier too. And you guys can also do away with the "we don't want you as a client anyway" lines. Someone like me would spend both $5k and then $200k cash on a job. Your assumptions are not good for business.
Also, there's a difference between cheapest and good value. I've already made my point on that and still you're saying people want to "spend less and get more". More than what? Is everyone hiring the bottom basement absolute cheapest guy when it comes to unlicensed? No. This idea of spending money and getting your worth - it's not one size fits all. Any consumer knows this. Paying more is not always synonymous with quality. The fact that there is overhead and greater expenses for some in the service industry can tell you that right up front.
I'm going to get my car fixed at a reputable independent shop rather than the dealer today. It's a much better "deal" and you can bet I'd not be getting anything extra from the stealer for their markup. Speaking of service life... expensive cars don't last longest either. Far from it. So how would you determine what's the highest quality and at what amount to spend on it? It varies - which is exactly what getting good value is about.
Many shy away from the illegal contractor type due to the potential embarrassment of a neighbor calling in your un permitted work. I know I would take a backseat if I spewed my whole life story on these forums, not brag about my illegal remodel work.
Nothing but jabs. I think you or someone else said something along the same lines earlier too. And you guys can also do away with the "we don't want you as a client anyway" lines. Someone like me would spend both $5k and then $200k cash on a job. Your assumptions are not good for business.
Also, there's a difference between cheapest and good value. I've already made my point on that and still you're saying people want to "spend less and get more". More than what? Is everyone hiring the bottom basement absolute cheapest guy when it comes to unlicensed? No. This idea of spending money and getting your worth - it's not one size fits all. Any consumer knows this. Paying more is not always synonymous with quality. The fact that there is overhead and greater expenses for some in the service industry can tell you that right up front.
I'm going to get my car fixed at a reputable independent shop rather than the dealer today. It's a much better "deal" and you can bet I'd not be getting anything extra from the stealer for their markup. Speaking of service life... expensive cars don't last longest either. Far from it. So how would you determine what's the highest quality and at what amount to spend on it? It varies - which is exactly what getting good value is about.
I'm thinking his ego is as inflated as his prices.
Don't you realize bickering is what CD is all About?
I thought it was for advice, opinions and recommendations..
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