The Custom Builder is an artist

There's a few things that I HATE about what I do, and in one way or another it has to do with value.

Let me explain. I have a friend with whom I share the wonderful hobby of motorcycling. We get together, discuss motorcycles and we ride together. He rides an '05 Yamaha R6, which he just bought a month ago (as an upgrade to his former bike). He bought the bike from a private seller for $4,000. Normally, an '05 R6 with average K's is around 6-7 thousand dollars.

He got a deal because the bike was "dropped" a few times. He then proceeded to brag about how "thrifty" and "clever" he was to have saved a couple to a few thousand dollars by buying a bike that had "just a few scratches...so what?". I was skeptical.

Sure enough, last week we went for a ride and his bike broke down. He had to get it towed to the shop, that ended our "ride". He called me yesterday, the engine is toast and the transmission has major problems as the gears have essentially been grinded to oblivion.

Apparently whoever last owned the bike, rode the bike to hell and back. The mechanic said it's obvious that the bike has been severely punished, raced on the track, stunted (that means a lot of wheelies as evidence of damage done to the forks, stoppies, etc.)...whoever owned the bike, thoroughly abused it and almost never did any kind of maintenance on the bike. My friend was dumbfounded.

How could this be? He bought a lemon.

I want to be nice because he's my friend and a part of me genuinely feels sorry for his misfortune, but the greater part of me has no sympathy for him whatsoever.

Why are we still so stupid? Why do we always think we can get something for nothing or substantially less for what it's actually worth? When will we ever learn that the laws of the marketplace simply work against the principle of getting something for "less"?

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!!

How does this relate to my business? I'll give you one guess.

I lose contracts all the time to unqualified, under cutting competitors.

Who are these people that are hiring my competitors based off price? The same ones that end up seeing on Holmes on Homes pissing and moaning about how they got "ripped off" by their contractor. The same ones that thought they were "getting a deal".

"Deals" don't exist in our industry.

The costs of materials is the costs of materials, a contractor can't control those costs. What we can do is offer you a selection to meet your budget. But if the cost of a sheet of drywall is $13.59 and a contractor says he'll get it for you for $9.99...RUN.

And if you're talking about the cost of the labour where one guy charges $40/hr and another charges $20/hr......you get what you pay for!

A alcoholic homeless guy might charge $10/hr.......do you want him working on your home?

I gotta say, I've been blessed with some very good clients in the past and they refer business to me all the time. But almost every time somebody calls me because they "found us through the internet"...my radar goes up.

I work with clients who appreciate the difference and value in quality construction.

If you're looking for a handyman, go look on Craigslist and you'll find the mother load of con-artist, unqualified, unlicensed hacks.

Don't ever mistake "the lowest price", with anything that relates to quality.


The Custom Builder is an artist.
The home is our canvass.

What is life, if not Art?

And yet so few would agree.

I was taught early on that nothing truly worth having would ever come easily. It's a shame that some will never learn.