Over the past few years, as the US housing market hit an all time low in decades, home builders across the country faced unique challenges.
On one hand there was the issue of stagnant inventory. New homes simply stopped selling. On the other hand, builders had to get creative and find ways to keep home building costs down in order to meet the challenge of falling home prices. As in any field, those who take short cuts to see short term profits lose out on long term benefits such as customer loyalty and credibility. Opting for inferior building materials and cheap looking products may give some home builders a temporary edge in terms of profitability.
However, the home builders who are here for the long haul refuse to compromise on credibility.
The key elements that contribute to a builder’s reputation in the long run include:
Quality and craftsmanship: Even in the age of cookie cutter homes, customers expect a certain degree of craftsmanship and notice immediately when it is missing. Cheap looking porch columns and dormer doors may be easier for a builder to throw in so he can see a bigger profit, but they’re among the first warning signs of a poor quality builder that customers look for when shopping for homes. Customers can tell when a builder has gone the extra length to source a good quality, durable porch column or deck railing. More often than not, they’re willing to pay the price for quality.
Timeliness: Timely delivery of building materials and architectural elements is critical to timely completion of a home building project. Home builders need to find reliable manufacturers and suppliers now more than ever when time is truly money. A lot depends on prompt customer service and timely delivery of these materials, so it is all the more important to source them from the right place.
Installation: Easy and straightforward installation of architectural products saves home builders time and labor cost. The more complicated something is to install, the longer it takes and the more it costs, thus impacting the builder’s bottom line. Home builders need to look for materials and elements that can be installed quickly and efficiently while ensuring uncompromising quality.
Durability of product: It goes without saying – the more durable a product, the less maintenance and repair it will need over time. Take for example crawl space doors or dormer doors. While metal and wooden doors are susceptible to rust and rot respectively, MDF and PVC doors are not. They last years requiring no maintenance, reduce energy wastage and are effective in keeping pests out when properly installed. Similarly, PVC porch columns, unlike wooden columns, need no maintenance and withstand the test of time and weather conditions. They also come in beautiful configurations and are easy to install.
A home builder who chooses high quality crawl space doors, porch columns, railings and other curb appeal elements is likely to make his customers happier. This is bound to reflect positively on his credibility ratings and future building projects.
Leave a Reply