The Model Home Discount in Home Improvements
Lot's of people like to do their research on the internet. That's a given. Most of my customers find me while looking me up on Google. My site is on page one of most of the relevant search terms I like to have.
Dallas Windows, Vinyl Windows Dallas, Replacement Windows Dallas and various other phrases including Wood or Aluminum. Long story short, I have pretty low overhead. No shop. Just a service that I provide. Installation of residential replacement windows and pre-hung doors with an occasional patio door here and there.
I worked for a big multi-million dollar window and door company that sold replacement windows for a thousand dollars a piece in the 90's. In many ways they were worth it. Today it's not the best choice but for millions of homeowners it was.
The reason I am revisiting my window installation past at this juncture is that I just read a post from a notable site with reviews and such on it that I sorta disagree with.
This is an opportunity to see a real simple contrast in overviews from two different seasoned window guys.
I have a friend in Richmond Virginia. A new friend but not a competitor. Very down to earth. You can tell in his writings. He put up a post on the Model Home Sales Pitch you sometimes hear about. As he so aptly points out. It was hilarious in Tin Men with Danny DeVito.
The premise is that a contractor or company comes to you with a deal for being a model home.
His post is here and you can give it a look :
http://thewindowdog.com/model-home-windows-program-window-scams/
Now here's why I think it's sorta cynical. If a contractor has nothing going for himself, his products and craftsmanship besides a "model home discount" of course you should never do business with them. Thats just good common sense.
That said, I'll sometimes bid a job a bit lower to get my foot into a good neighborhood. I know my work is beautiful and neighbors who see it will be tempted to want some. I don't see that as unreasonable or as he seems to implicate "a scam". Bottom line is that you should get a few estimates and always look for someone you can trust with your money, your home and your project, because they will end up being responsible for all three.
Often that's not a cheap guy. I don't even try to be the cheap guy. That leads to the budget being too tight and product or quality of labor diminish. The trade off isn't worth it.
No one needs the cheapest car at the Carmax. Most of us need something dependable in the middle of the cost spectrum. None of us expect a good car for a thousand bucks. None of us like spending Thirty to Fifty Grand on one either. There are reasonable choices in the middle of the two extremes.
Back to the model home discount. If that's the only thing they have to offer you to win your business you should probably keep looking. If someone offers you something like that it's probably not a scam, but it is certainly a gimmick.
