Well, Matthew met with one of the contractors. He took a peek at the plan we have going with Design Homes and he thinks he can do it faster for less money. Hmm. That’s a very tantalizing carrot, really.It would put a couple of guys in the area to work. Then again, if they do the digging and foundation and garage, they will be getting work, anyway. Just not as much.
When you’re dealing with all of this, you have to trust your gut for a lot. Some things you can look up. Design Homes has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. As far as I can tell, the contractor doesn’t even ring a bell with them. Which means he hasn’t done shoddy work, but he hasn’t been given a ton of praise either.
We know Design Homes is quality. We have seen the materials, basically there’s nothing for us to pick out to add to the financials, whereas I am pretty sure if we did it with a contractor, we’d have to go say pick out lighting and cabinetry ourselves and it might very well end up costing more than quoted for similar quality stuff (buying in bulk and all), and then of course there’s the ‘time to the elements’ thing, DH does all their stuff indoors and then trucks in wrapped pieces, so the total time exposed to the elements is inconsequential. Those types of homes also have a reputation for being VERY energy efficient, and in fact the standards of insulation are much higher where they are built than here.
Where am I going with this? Which do we choose, the carrot or the hay? The hay is, although a little later than the carrot, we know of good quality and not a ‘wild card’ so to speak. The sooner we get going the better. Our banker needs to know something to close on the property. Of course this all occurred to me in the middle of the night and I couldn’t get back to sleep, so here I am asking for some input. Hmm….
For the record I did not say less money, I said about the same. His words I believe were “close to the same” for what it’s worth!
Prior to choosing our builder, we went to several open houses offered by different builders. We toured their homes and spoke with them. We asked around and got the opinions of several people in the area. When we thought we liked P&W the best, we went to more of their open houses, and checked them out a little more. He took us to his daugher’s house, which he had built, to give us another walk-through. We especially liked their use of space.
If you work with a contractor, I think the biggest thing is making sure you know what you can really get for the allowances they put in. See how much they are allowing for light fixtures, then go price what you like and see what it would be. Do the same with appliances and whatever else they have. It’s fun and then it gives you a better idea of what’s realistic. And so much of that can be done online, too, at Lowes or Home Depot or whatever. When it comes to cabinets and floors, it’s harder to price on your own, but ask about it or to see samples of what would be in the price range. I know you’re short on time, but I would see about meeting with the contractor again and asking some of those things specifically before making your decision.
WHen it comes to the made-inside homes, I’m sure it’s nice not to have it exposed to the elements, but houses have been made for years out in the elements and it’s not generally a problem.
Either way, I love house talk, to keep it coming. With my company this week, I have very little time to email and such, but I’ll have more time soon.
Hugs to all!
I’m having an anxiety attack so you don’t have to.