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Save Money On Your House

Save Money On Your House 3rd Edition

October 3, 2007 on 10:10 pm | In Houses To Go General | No Comments

Save Money On Your House 3rd Edition

Well, we left off in the 2nd edition with looking at large contractors and their big fancy ads and trucks. Now again, I don’t see why people don’t see through this. Many of them do low quality work on your house and charge high prices. The same thing can happen on the opposite side also. The small contractor provides poor quality work on your house, because their too cheap on the quote, but still need to pay their bills. This leads you into the, who do I hire to work on my house? The answer is the right one. Just kidding. I am not a 3-10 quote person for getting work done. I am a contractors favorite to deal with as I do my research on my own to see what things should cost for the work on my house and if I think they are fair I will hire them on the spot. You can do the same for the work on your house. Now, your saying to yourself thats what a quote does. No, a quote tells you what the contractors wants to charge you for their services on your house. You need to jump on the Internet in your free time and look around. Their are forums for just about everything and anything. There is a forum which only deals with hydro-seeding, for those who don’t know this is a process for installing a lawn on your house. which, by the way is one of the best ways to get a new lawn installed.You find a forum and see who is having work done on their house and what they paid. be careful as different parts of the country can have very different rates. Remodeling in the great-lakes area or Wisconsin costs 10-30% more due to the age of the houses and the extra work which must be done to remodel houses there. Talk with people on the forums or even self help sites. Find out what it would cost to do the project yourself. There use to be a rule of thumb, materials cost and then double it for labor, then take the two and add them. The total is what you expect to pay. Now, windows is a hard area as the bigger the company the more they normally charge when looking at windows.

Let’s take your house and say you want a new bay window. The window is 5 ft. x 4.5ft. high. This window depending on how big the window company is will cost them depending on all materials $950-$3,000 for their cost for the windows. The numbers are only for example as there are to many ways to determine the actual cost of a window, because of all its possible features. So, your house needs one bay window we will say. They come out and measure you up and give you the big sales pitch on why their window is the best. You tell them thanks I am getting some other quotes. They tell you $4,500 which by the way would be a good price for a fully installed bay window.

The $4,500 can be divided in half, the window cost them $2,250 their cost for the window. Remember, the bigger the company the bigger their discount for your windows for your house. It may just cost them $1,550 and then they don’t pass their wholesale discount on to you. That is their discount for the volume of windows they do. So, now they mark the window cost up to $2,250. They then take that number and take a percentage as labor. As a contractor you would take 50% markup and that was your labor costs. The booming remodeling, window replacement market blew the pricing off the charts. You can pay $5,500 on a bay window easily now days.

The break down would be their cost $1,550 window, labor/crew $300 if they are paying their people well. So, their cost $1,850 plus tax. Your house and your cost $4,500 plus tax. Remember, the $2,250 is after they mark up the window. Then multiply by 2 and you get your final number without tax. This was the easy way for contractors to come up with the final quote for your house. The 50% was the most popular for many years the 100% is now becoming the norm. So, one more look. You have a $12,000 window quote for your house, this in turn would be $8,000 materials and then $4,000 for the labor. Which is a very reasonable quote for your house windows. I have heard of people replacing 10-15 windows and costing $20,0000 plus! You can see why so many wanted to get into the window replacement market. Now, if you have a scammer company as I call them, they send out cheap illegal labor at $5.00 per hour to put your windows in. You see what I am talking about, guess who is laughing all the way to the bank. The problem is this is becoming more and more the norm. Large companies using cheap or cheap and illegal labor. Really all they are doing is exploiting these poor people for their personal gain.

The landscaping and yard work has just burst with companies using cheap and illegal help. Don’t bother to ask who is going to be working on your house. They are not going to tell you some cheap and Illegal labor so I can make more profit help. You can ask before you sign your house contract who does the work and how much experience do they have. This will only help you later after it’s to late when your already in court because the cheap help could not read the installation instructions. It is very hard to watch out for this tactic, you can protect yourself by not always going with the cheapest quote. This is one way. The ones who use the cheap and illegal help to do work on your house will normally be the cheapest because they are paying nothing for labor. This year has been a big year for this type of thing to happen. The housing market down these companies were doing anything and everything to get the chance to work on your house.

Many people did hire these companies as they are the cheapest. What they don’t realize this is why they get poor quality work. The pay structure does not reflect a quality rate for educated and quality workers. This is also why you see it in landscaping so much. You can’t screw up mulch or rocks to much. They can put it were you don’t want it. It’s not like building the foundation of your house, you don’t see the volume of cheap and illegal help in the strong trade areas. They might me a helper or a clean up person. Just be careful as this type of labor can cost you big when things turn out bad or missing! I really don’t see why people think its alright to break the laws to have work done on their house by illegal help. It is breaking the law to rob a bank also, they wouldn’t do that. These contractors obviously find it no problem breaking the law. If they use cheap illegal help, hence the illegal part, that means it is against the law. What is going to happen next? Which laws are people going to follow? Only the ones they like! I am a law bidding citizen who believes in our country and its laws.

When the laws are finally enforced you will see the quality level of work on your house go up. The rates will actually go down also. More people won’t be getting scammed, placing more money into our great economy allowing people more expendable cash flow to do the work. You can ask people what level of quality they got and were they happy with the contractor they used. The whole reference game is not always the best as they are not going to give you the name and number for a customer who filed a complaint against them. Asking around and doing some research on your own can save your house and you thousands of dollars every year.

I am sure someone will have the nerve to say they did like this edition as I stated I don’t believe in breaking the countries laws and using cheap and illegal help. Many people have fought and died to be part and a legal citizen of this country. This is a large problem and is why you pay so much to have your house worked on. If you think not look at how much in tax you pay every day. If illegal labor collects funds from Social security fund but never pay in, where is the money coming from? Thats right you the law bidding tax paying citizen of this country.

Well, your house is saving already by you reading this, because you will not get scammed if you are educated about the scammers. Education for all will save us all money in the end.

Remember always safety first.

Save Money On Your House 2nd Edition

October 3, 2007 on 3:40 am | In Houses To Go General | Alright we talked about how firefighters and police officers who run homeimprovement companies are a great source for doing work to your house yesterday.  We were saying that these types of people can be a great value to you.  They are rooted to your communtiy as where these traveling con-people have no ties to your community and and are gone by the next day after they have taken your down payment for work and materials to do the work on your house.

They have done TV shows on the scams that these traveling home improvement companies have run across the country.  They are know alot for the roofing and siding scams as these don’t require really large money down, but enough for a traveling group of con-people.  Don’t be followed if females are doing the contracts or sweet talking you into signing, as these cons are run by a man or a woman.   Con-people don’t descriminate by any race or gender, they will con you all the same.

These traveling home improvement companies are good at giving the appearance that they are a legitimate company and will have everything to make them look real to you.  They have slowed through the years now after being exposed on TV and papers as traveling home improvement con people.  They don’t drive around in trucks that say, “We Con You And How” plastered all over the side of their vehicles.  Please, also remember con-people can be local also and just very good at covering their tracks or walking a fine line between a con job or poor,  over priced jobs on your house.

There are many out there and they all look different.  There are again no race or gender fine lines when it comes to con-people.  They come in all shapes,sizes and every other catagory.  The do have one thing in common,  the better they are, the more honest they will appear when selling you on the services for your house.  They have fine tuned their sales tactics and have it down.    

Look for people that can show you that they have been in your community in business for awhile.  Then check to see if they have done work in the area recently and if you can see it or talk to the people they did the work for.  Get more than one to make sure it is not just, a really good con.  They can hire people to tell you anything they want.  This is why if the business has not been, what about the person you are dealing with.

The person you are dealing with could have ties and lived there, their entire life.  This can be found out just by talking to the person who is giving you an estimate.  Ask, them where they are from?  How long they have been in the area?  Now, I know these questions are not as good if you have not lived in the area that long.  The saying,  its a small world,  can apply even in large cities.  Most people know someone or have had someone who has done work on their house.

The large phone book ad which I covered in the first edition is not the answer either.  Really sometimes, I think they are worse for 2 reasons.  First,  I cannot say it enough, who do you think is paying for that big fancy,expensive ad?  Second,  large outfits run large crews.  They need crews to do the work right?  Well, how well do these large outfits know who is working for them.  Could be a con-person who just came into town and just so happens to know how-to work with wood.  Don’t think the large company when you ask them is going to say,  yeah, we hire and fire our crews everyday, because we catch them stealing from our customer and their house.  You can try to see indirectly how long someone has been working for them when they show up to do the work.  This  again can be figured out by more conversions about the area and people they have worked for.  Most people in the trades will be more than willing to say what they have worked on and where.  It is not different than an artist talking about where their paintings are at and how many they have done.

Many true craftsman take great pride in the work they do on someones house.  They will be more than happy to share with you.  Now, I am not saying sit and talk for hours on end, because this person is there to work on your house and you want them to get the work done.  You can learn many things just by talking to people.  You just need to be given the advice, like here, on how to go about it.  Please remember as I said before, these con-people and poor business people don’t run around with red flashing signs on their foreheads!  These people are very good at what they do,  that is scamming you and your house out of money.  Not, every con person is fly by night either.  Some are even known in areas as large contractors who do alot of work in the area.

You see the really big contractors with those large crews of unknown people working for them,  stay in business by those big fancy  ads which get them lots of leads for work.  The larger your area,  the more likely you will find a large contractor company like this.  I have one in my area, I can ask many people if they have heard of this company and they will say yes.  The funny thing is, when asked what do they think or have they heard, it is either bad or just Ok.  The next is they did the work but they were really high priced.

Well, theres the 2nd edition with more to come.

Remember safety first when working on your house.

You And Your House

September 30, 2007 on 12:13 pm | In Houses To Go General | I will keep writing about you and your house and someone is going to find out that this site really has alot info. that will save you lots of money on your house. I have offered to you here, help for free in any area of your house for you. This costs you nothing and saves you $1000s. I know I have seen what people have been charging for years. I can’t believe the prices people pay to have consulting or repairs/remodeling done to their house. I can help in all areas of your house. What do you want to know? Just ask about your house and you will receive. This site is about helping each other out. I own a company which I have yet to tell anyone, what the name of that company is. I do give examples to show what I know about and how I can help you and your house. I cannot say it enough, just ask a question. I know people are coming to the site. Please let me know if you have tried to leave a question or comment and I did not see it.There are so many people out there that need help. I know if I ran an ad that said “remodel your house for free” my phone would never stop ringing! This is kinda like that, I am offering consulting or how-to guides for your house with not a single cost to you. This site is already just filled with free how-to articles and they have high viewings on other sites so I know people find them a value. Some, I have even been paid to write. Take advantage of this.I have started this site because of the need to help people from getting ripped off by many bad contractors out there. You think of your house as your safe zone, so when someone cons or scams you on work done or repairs it has a long lasting affect on you and your house. Every person with a pick up truck or van and a hammer is not a home improvement contractor! Many are con people trying to make a easy buck at your expense. What I really hate is when I see good contractors not get a job and then see a large contractor get it, because they used price slashing tactics to squeeze out the small guy.People are playing a dangerous game of who can give me the cheapest price for my house repairs. There is also the opposite that happens, happens mostly with the really big name companies with all the ads and promotional items to win over business for their company. people fall for all this high sales pressure and fancy truck and uniform stuff and pay way more because of it. Who do you think pays for all those hig priced ads, trucks and more, thats right you and your house!I had a individual come to my house many years back to price out replacement windows. I knew I would be doing it myself if I could find the time to squeeze my own work in. I will not mention the name of the window company who is a large company with the fancy tv,radio and newspaper ads like crazy. Side note, who do you think really pays for those big fancy ads, you got it you! So, he comes in and sits down at my kitchen table with my wife and I. We asked when we booked the estimate about the $189.00 installed window. This is what happened next. “yes thats the ad we are running right now What size windows do you need again? I state slide by style you see on the house right now. He then say ohh, those are not covered in that promotion. I asked you that when I booked you! Well yes we have them, but they won’t work for what you want.

Well to say the least I was done right there. I knew I had invited a con man into my house. I still wanted to see what he would charge for my windows, slide by, lowE, gas filled, double pane, vinyl frame and wood look interior. Well the numbers started flying. He was adding and adding and adding. Well, he says, “we have a great deal for you as these are slide by and lowE that window in our replacement style window will cost you $1,000 dollars per window installed. I say what did you say. It is a 3′ x 5′ window so you know it is not a great big picture window. I then said, thanks but that to high. Well, how much did you think it will cost. I said around $450.00 which was still a high profit level for him, he did not know I knew this. I tried to stop the deal 5-6 times before he would finally leave. It did not even stop there, he just turned up the high pressure sales tactics from there.

You really most hear the rest of this, which I will provide to you in a series on you and your house improvements as this is number one in the series.

Remember Always Safety First.