I recently spoke to a homeowner who is building a custom home in the spring and was asked to give a bid on plans that were lacking in many critical details. I was told in effect - "I've done my research, I know what everything should cost, I'm looking for the best price".
I was given another set of plans for a house that will cost significantly more than $1 million dollars and was told "I don't have time to meet you. I am looking for a contractor that will meet my budget price". Needless to say, the budget was half of what it will cost to build the home.
This is not how you go about picking the contractor who will build what is often the the most valuable asset of your life. If price is the first and most overriding concern, then you will get what you pay for. Some will cut corners, some will use inferior materials, some will lowball the price and come back for more later, some will not pay taxes or have insurance, some will walk out before it is done, some will not be there five or ten years from now.
Choosing the best buildiing contractor should be about trust and value - finding the contractor you can trust and work well with who you can be confident will build you a home a lasting value.
I always tell my potential future customers in the first meeting - "I may not be the contractor for you. I'm not right for everyone. If you are looking for the lowest price I am not that guy. I don't build lowest cost projects. I build homes and remodeling projects that will stand the test of time, they will be built right the first time, they will be a testament to your dreams and visions and they will demonstrate their value every day. You will love to live in these homes, you will be comfortable and you will be proud of the work that was done, just as we will be."
To get to the point of building that home of value, I must first earn their trust. We are going to spend a lot of time together, over the next six or eight months, and we need to to trust and respect each and you need to know I will always be looking out for your best interest. Notice I say six or eight months, not a year or more. One of my critical value points to customers is that we are great project managers and create a schedule and stick to it, and it is most often months shorter than other builders. This adds real value because it reduces that time that you are not in your home and that saves you money.
The second thing I offer future customers is a list of 30 or more most recent previous customers to call and email to find out about their experience with Two Storey Building. I want them to call as many as possible not just one or two. I want them to know there are many many people willing to tell then that the experience with Two Storey Building was great from start to finish, that they trusted us every step of the way, that we listened to their needs and concerns and that we helped them with our knowledge and experience to understand the complicated process of building a home or remodeling project. And we provided them with detailed information helped them decide how to best allocate their budget on their project.
When my previous customers tell my potential future customers "Don't even talk to anyone else. If you want the best, you need to hire Two Storey Building" what greater testimonial could we ask for?
I walk new potential customers through the process of planning for and executing a complex project such as theirs. I show them a contract and a detailed estimate, a project schedule, and critical project documents like the preconstruction meeting overview, the change order and the project meeting notes. These documents demonstrate our attention to detail, our desire to communicate above and beyond what is typical today and the value that we bring to the table as your builder.
I share with them our credentials, the fact that we take the time to belong to our professional organizations and are involved in training and keeping current with the latest building science and energy efficient building techniques. That we are fully licensed and insured and make sure our employees receive necessary training and certifications for Lead Safe remodeling, OSHA training, and stay current with the latest code changes. We pay our taxes and insurance and don't try to skirt the laws as some other do. We give back to the communities that we work in. These are all very important to me personally and ensure that we are way ahead of the curve and as a result can manage and build a project better, in a shorter timeframe with fewer reasons for callbacks. So these factors all are reasons we are trusted by our customers and provide a better value to our customers.
When you are building the project of your dream do you want the best price or the best contractor that you will trust every step of the way and will build a home of lasting value for you? If it is the later, I hope you will call Two Storey Building.
We know how to build beautiful homes of lasting value. We believe our work speaks for itself. I hope you do too.
