There’s a school of thought that says you must always obtain a quote before going ahead with any work on your property. While that’s sage advice for the big ticket items like installing new patio railings or tiling, it’s not always the case.
Taking the time and effort to obtain quotes could actually be costing you more than you think, and here’s why…
The little things
Whether it’s fixing a tap washer or re-nailing skirting boards, small jobs make up part of every tradesperson’s day.
As a business person they know the hourly rates charged by their competitors and will work to complete jobs in proximity to each other before moving on to the next location. This means you’ll probably get that job done quickly in a cost effective manner even if you don’t obtain a quote.
If, however, you call a tradesperson in to quote, you’re taking productive, billable time from their work schedule, which means that cost has to be reclaimed somewhere. The most likely way of reclaiming? By adding the time spent initially attending your premises to provide a quote into the price for the job.
The urgent things
Every now and then a property will require urgent maintenance, and if your property is tenanted there may be timeframes in which it legally has to be completed. In this instance obtaining quotes may be costing you not only money but time.
Professional tradespeople will attend the site swiftly, remedy the problem with as little disruption as possible and then provide a quote for any future, more expensive works that may need to be done. Quoting before fixing will not only effect how soon the problem is resolved but there is also the likelihood your tenant may resent the additional impost in an emergency situation that has also inconvenienced them.
The final word
If your job is extensive and optional, by all means obtain quotes. But calling for quotes on every little item or in an emergency is not only unnecessary but is probably costing you functionally and financially.