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Question:
Why do Contractors ask what my budget is on a remodeling project? Is this any of their business?
Answer:
In my opinion, it is an important question to ask. Contractors go on a lot of
sales appointments, many of which are dead ends. To try to cut down on wasted time, many Contractors attempt to qualify the caller over the phone. In some cases, they are the first Contractor the homeowner has contacted. The
budget question gets down to the nitty-gritty of whether the homeowner has a realistic idea of how much today's Remodeling can cost. Sometimes, once the homeowner is told that their dream project is over their budget, they
decide to drop the idea, and the Remodeling Contractor just saved himself a nice 20 mile evening drive.
Also, in our case, we are a design/build Remodeling Contractor. This means we design projects to fit the client's
specific budget. If we do not know the budget, we cannot design a project to fit within the client's limitations. It wouldn't make sense to design a project that the client couldn't afford, and therefore would never build. Like
that Country song says: "I've got better things to do."
As I have said in past articles, most Remodeling Contractors today are not scam artists. We are simply trying to give our clients quality work at a fair
price. Be honest with your Contractor. Don't be offended by the questions you are asked over the phone. You are not exposing yourself by revealing your budget. As a matter fact, you are helping your Contractor serve your needs
more efficiently.
Answered by: Patrick Benkowski, CR
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