Quality of workmanship today

[hattaresguy]

Houses are built to a price, more so in the rest of the country where they sell new homes for under $200k. I can't build a new house at that price point and not lose a lot of money. I can build a POS.

Most homeowners even custom builds are not willing to pay extra for a quality product. Its all about the price.

In all the houses I have built I have only had one, one buyer who opted to upgrade the windows from my standard United builders grade to Anderson 400 series. I have offered countless times no one wants to pay for it, and I'm not putting in that level of window in a basic spec house. Same with doors, I use hollow core, but I'll put in anything the buyer wants. Heck solid cherry for all I care, no one wants to pay for it.


Buying a house is like buying a car, don't expect to pay Chevy money and get a Porsche. Which is exactly what I see in FL for example with $150k new homes, your buying a Chevy.


The structures are all pretty much the same and I use a good roofer and good roofing materials. My roofs should last around 20 years +/-. Where you adjust costs is in the finishing materials.

 

[Jarlaxle]

In this area, it's more like paying for an Acura and getting a Yugo.

 

[02SE]

As has always been the case, there are hacks, and those that truly have skill, and take pride in the work they do.

 

[Jarlaxle]

All of those in this area have retired.

 

[hatt]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
All of those in this area have retired.
I'm sure there's a few running around. Just have to find them. They certainly aren't on any common new constuction jobsites. Down here a person who bids high because they have pride and quality would be escorted off the property.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Heck...around here, finding one that speaks English and has a green card is tough.

 

[Dave Hess]

Where in Florida can you buy a new house for $150,000 ?????

 

[hatt]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Where in Florida can you buy a new house for $150,000 ?????
I can get you a new house and a few upgrades for $150K.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: 02SE
As has always been the case, there are hacks, and those that truly have skill, and take pride in the work they do.



This is true. Putting a price on quality is a tough thing to do, and a lot of people don't want to pay for quality and are only price driven. I've lost a lot of jobs to low ball bidders, I always get a good laugh when a customer calls back and asks if I can fix work that someone else screwed up.

I bid a paperhanging job a while back. I informed the potential client her walls needed a lot of work and a good primer and liner to give her a good job. She told me my price was off the wall and other paperhangers told her they'd prep coat the walls and hang the goods for less than half the price. I told her to go for it! Fast forward two months, I get a call from her asking if I could come out and fix someone's screw up. It was close and I just had to see the carnage. LOL The goods are falling off the wall with the paint stuck to the back of the paper. Just as I knew they would doing the job the way the competition proposed. Guess what, now she has to pay to remove that [censored], toss it in the trash, buy need material, and redo the job at a cost much higher than I originally proposed. Hopefully she learned something. But there are some hacks out there with a pretty good line of B_S.

 

[rjundi]

I found an incredible builder for my kitchen reno. He wanted to make sure the new matched the 1910 craftsmanship of home. It is a modern kitchen in a 1910 home that mishes well and won't date itself.

It worked but we paid dearly. Lets say I paid for a BMW 5 series instead of Chevy Malibu in cost.