There’s an old adage in engineering and construction that continues to ring true today: Better, Faster, or Cheaper: You can only pick two!
When looking for residential construction, renovations & remodeling, or flooding and water remediation, many homeowners view these services as a commodity; Meaning the only differentiator is price. This approach couldn’t me more incorrect!
I was recently involved with a perfect example: One of our property management clients was selling their home in Riviera Bay, near Shore Acres. During negotiations and inspections, it was determined that the home needed a new roof in order to qualify for insurance and be sold.
Of course, we recommended our “regular” roofing contractor (Old Time Roofing), who we have worked with for over a decade on dozens of new roofs and roof repairs.
But the homeowner declined to use our vendor, after getting a quote from another roofer that was a few hundred dollars cheaper. What could go wrong?
As it turns out, the “cheaper” roofers didn’t dry in the roof properly and left it uncovered and exposed during a major thunderstorm, causing $25,000 in water damage to the interior drywall and flooring, and the home required mold and water remediation and clearance testing.
To add insult to injury, the buyers of the home them demanded an additional 3% concession from the seller, which equated to $24,000.
In the end, “saving” less than $1000 on the new roof ended up costing the homeowner well over $50,000 in direct costs and lost rental income!
Remember folks: If it’s fast and cheap, it propably won’t be good, and if its good and fast, it may not be the cheapest!
But cheaper isn’t always better.