“So, do you have a budget?”
Even though I’m on the outer edge of the Millennial generation, I was raised not to use bad words. The soap-bar-in-mouth technique worked on me quite well. To think that strawberry-scented soap actually tasted, well, sort of like strawberries is etched into my memory! I admit that those tactics used by my mom didn’t have as long of an effect on me as she probably would have hoped… sorry mom!
But there are still times that I talk with potential clients and use the “B” word during our first meeting and I get the look. “Is this guy serious?” “Whoa whoa, wait a second…hold it. You’re a contractor and I don’t know you from Adam and you’re up in here using that kind of language?!”
Crazy thing is, that “B” word would be spelled B-U-D-G-E-T
Now, don’t get me wrong, I get it. I totally do get it! We live in a world where trust is practically non-existent. And if you’re out “shopping around”, why not hold your cards as close to your vest as possible? My response?…OK! You do you, and you have to look out for your home, family, future. Discussing a budget before you even receive any quotes may be considered “financial bargaining suicide” by some, but it may also make a whole heck of a lot of sense too.
For some clients it provides a time efficiency factor. Discussing a budget ahead of time helps get both parties to a “Coming to Jesus” moment. There is a lot less posturing, guessing, and time spent talking about impractical options when they are already out of the scope of work. I can confidently say that there are some very educated clients with very dialed in expectations of how much they are willing to spend. And then there are others that I’ve asked, “Do you have a budget in mind?”, and they respond with “We have no clue as to how much a project like this is going to run.” Both are perfectly fine scenarios and I have completed estimates for both types of people many, many times before….
But the question that I, along with full backing of our resources at Chumley Co., am asking is this: What do you really want? Or perhaps more clearly, what window are we able to provide that level of service within?
Truly any scope of project has very specific details that are custom to your needs. Without specifics in terms of budget it can be overwhelming trying to narrow down selections, and get a true idea of what your needs require.
Let’s look at it a different way…
If you head into a restaurant they have posted pricing: A salad is $5, a burger is $10, bottomless drink $3.50. There are options to add extra sides which would boost your burger up to $15 (can’t skip the bacon and jalapeños right?!). Point is, they have standardized pricing, not truly custom. Set variables like where they are cooking your meal (in their kitchen with all the utensils and ingredients at their fingertips), where they source their produce, how much their utensils cost, their labor and overhead are very static. Not so much in our line of work.
Go ahead, Pinterest that backsplash you really like (you know the one you saw on HGTV that, FYI, only included material costs in Waco, TX and you’ll see dozens if not hundreds of varying types, designs, and costs associated with the tile). A 6×6 tile is more time consuming to install generally than a 12×12. Factor in accent bands, a window in the shower that needs even more custom details, a hard to reach lot with limited parking, work hours from 9-3pm, and a frameless glass door that you “don’t really know what options are out there, but I saw a picture I liked in a magazine”……
We could easily spend weeks tracking down the exact tile, the exact trim, grout, work out when and where we have to park the work vans, stage materials, kids nap schedules, and that spendy ($3k) ⅜” tempered glass shower door that you thought would be $900 because HGTV LIES!!! (Too much? Sorry! It is true 🙂 ). And we haven’t even discussed budget yet!
With ever increasing time delays with permits, design, material order lead times, vacations, kids, and so forth I suggest you use the “B” word, and use it early and often when planning your next project with your contractor. Best of luck on your next home improvement project!
Cheers!
