Hidden Efforts
One of the lesser known aspects of this profession is how much time and energy a builder will invest behind the scenes to give a family answers to what are seemingly simple questions.
When you ask a builder a question he can make one of two choices;
1 - Throw out a number.
Although this may satisfy your desire to know, the odds are it is not a very accurate cost as there are tens of thousands of variables in pricing out a home. If a builder throws out a low number he risks angering you or wasting your time if the price rises dramatically as you proceed forward with the project. If he throws out a high number, he risks alienating you and scaring you off when the reality is that with some more information the home may not have cost that much. The builder is in a no win position.
2 - Take down the relevant information and conduct research on the options.
This can be a very time consuming process as a builder must research a host of variables to come up with pricing on a new custom home. Some of these ever changing variables include; material and labor costs (can change weekly), every building site has unique costs associated with the preparation and every city had different fees and requirements.
It may only take you 30 seconds to ask a builder a question but it could take him 5 hours (or longer) to get enough information to give you an educated answer. Once he assembles this information he needs to convert it into a presentation format which can be interpreted by a homeowner. This can add even more hours to the process.
Share Your Thoughts
Although it may take a builder 10 hours or more to prepare an answer to your question on building your home, it has shocked me how quickly families will come to a conclusion without fully absorbing all of the options.
For a majority of all families, a new home is the largest single purchase they will ever make. To see someone make a decision of this magnitude in a few short minutes has always been perplexing to me.
I appreciate how circumstances change or you feel like the information being presented is not in line with your expectations. However, instead of just shutting the builder down, give them an opportunity to hear your feedback and see if there are other options available.
Homes have tens of thousands of variables in them and it is not possible or desirable to present every possible different configuration during a presentation to a homeowner. Your feedback will give the builder direction on how to sift through the information to provide you alternatives.
One Call Means A Million
It may be after receiving the requested information; you feel a need to change direction. That is understandable and does happen. I would make one request (regardless of who you are working with), please take a few seconds and Return The Favor. Give a courtesy call or return the call to the builder and let him or her know where you stand. Return the favor of all of their hard work by giving them a call and letting them know where you stand in the process.
I would almost take a bullet for someone who returned professional courtesy to me EVEN if the answer was no. That call shows they appreciated the time and effort I put in on their behalf.
Thank You
In closing please be aware of the amount of work a builder will put in on your behalf often with no compensation is considerable. Please give return the favor for his/her efforts by giving them feedback so they can better serve the community regardless of how you decide to proceed.
If you have a question on how we can help you build a custom home, please feel free to email your questions to our offices. Garabedian Properties is a full service building firm serving the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. We offer new luxury homes, premium remodels, green building/remodeling, home care services, storm/roof repairs and commercial building contracting.
Please feel free to leave your comments, drop us an email at mike@garabedianproperties.com or call our office at 817-748-2669 817-748-2669. I also encourage you to visit http://www.garabedianproperties.com to see movies on our homes, hundreds of pictures and information on how we can be of service to your family or clients. Or become a fan on Facebook.
If your family is not quite ready for us at this time, we will be at your service when you are in need or wish to request our assistance. If you know someone we can help, we welcome and honor your referrals.
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