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Getting
the most for your money doesn't always mean finding the lowest price.
With most purchases, the lowest or "bargain" price isn't the
best choice, and that's true when it comes to construction.
But you can do some things to make sure your money is working
as hard as possible:
Shop
- Don't be in a hurry. Get quotes from different companies. Doing so educates you on different materials,
new features and gives you a feel for what prices should
be. What should a new pebble surface, poyl decking or
a barbeque island cost? Shopping is the best way to know what's
a good price and what's not.
Invest
in renovations that add value to your home - Talk to a
real estate agent, appraiser or mortgage lender and they'll
confirm this reality. Simply replacing your plaster and Kooldeck with new plaster and
Kooldeck doesn't add value to your
home. Upgrades do. Upgrades such as a quartz or pebble interior
surface, upgraded decking (poyl or natural stone or tile,
pavers),
adding decking area, new equipment, water features, barbeque
or fireplace. So, what's a better deal:
Spending
$5,000 on new plaster and Kooldeck (increased home value
= $0, total cost = $5,000)
Or spending
$8,500 on a new quartz interior surface and a poyl deck (increased
home value = $5,000, total cost = $3,500)
And as
you know, upgrades also help your house sell faster.
Sub
contract the work yourself - You can sometimes save some
money by acting as your own contractor; sourcing and coordinating
the various contractors yourself. Of course, this only works
if your project requires multiple contractors (resurfacing,
decking, barbeque, etc.). We say "sometimes" because
often a contractor won't give you his wholesale price just
because you go direct. But if you have the time and patience
(sometimes coordinating multiple contractors can slow the
project down) this is a reasonable strategy for stretching
your dollars. With one warning: when something isn't quite
right or needs fixing, you can get finger-pointing. What happens
when your tile contractor claims the decking crew caused your
tile problem?
Our best
advice? All four suggestions are good, reasonable ways to
make your money go further. The simplest way to save money
is to educate yourself, make
your choice and then wait for the off season (July through
December) to have the work
done. That's the best road to the best price, best work and
fewest hassles.
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