This week my brother and I began a small remodel / repair job on a $1.1M home. So far we've had our framing carpenters, plumber, tile setter, garage door guys, gutter people, drywall contractor, and trim carpenter working. Today we'll have our painters begin. What I've had confirmed is that just because a home costs over a million dollars doesn't mean it's a well built home. I'm absolutely amazed at how shoddy this home was built.
I don't think the original framing contractor owned a level, or a square. The floors upstairs are off 3/8" in less than 2 feet. That's huge! We're re-configuring closets and in trying to put in new shelving we've found none of the corners are square. They're off 5-10 degrees. How do you f**k up a simple closet that bad? The water heaters are upstairs, a big "no-no" in my book, and don't even have working pans under them. And the pressure relief valves were stuck closed. They could have blown up!
BUT....and this was apparently what the original builder was counting on....the trim and cabinets and paint job look nice. What the customer can see looks good. But just under the surface it's junk.
I think this is the reason my brother and I have such a difficult time getting work. We go overboard doing things right. It's the only way we know. Of course this means our prices are higher than almost all of our competition, and today people want a deal. "Cheap" wins almost every time. Others get work, I don't. A few discerning people want things done right and hire us, and we don't disappoint. But more and more I'm just going behind the bad builders and fixing things up. They get the 6-course meal, while I get the crumbs. It's frustrating.
S
Of course you could lower your standards, but what would that leave you at the end of the day? Certainly not the satisfaction of executing skilled craftsmanship and a job wll done. But I can certainly understand your frustration. The housing market is finally picking up here in Oregon and I hope it is in Texas as well.
ReplyDeleteYou have high standards and care about your customers - they don't simple as that. They may get more $ and customers but in the end it's not ever about the $. It is about being proud of the work you do. Our lifestyle rarely suffers because of any $ issues - we always make it happen (with God's assist)and sure it would be nice to not worry so much about $. I am so proud that you and Todd do have such high standards.
ReplyDeleteat least YOU can still look at yourself in the mirror in the morning...
ReplyDeleteSooner or later, those shoddily built houses will need repairs - and that's when your reputation will get you the work. During the housing boom, a number of home builders could fool a lot of people a lot of times - but, as we all know, nobody can do it ALL THE TIME.
ReplyDeletePerhaps over time, these folk's homes you are repairing is going to be word-of-mouth advertising that will eventually get around to the right people. I admire your tenacity to stick to your standards regardless that you know in your own mind that you could be getting as much or more work as the rest of them - by constructing homes that aren't worth the lumber they were built with. There are a LOT of homes in these parts like that and I have seen many being built with that glued together wood stuff being used in the framing. I look at that stuff holding the walls and roof up and wonder what it's going to be like in 10, 15 or 20 years.
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