When does it makes sense to buy quality rather than cheap?
Being frugal doesn’t just mean saving money—it means spending your money wisely. That also means some things may be cheap now, but actually cost you more in the long run, while other times it makes sense to spend more now for a better, longer-lasting experience. Doing this takes more thought than you might think. It’s easy to get caught up in just buying the cheapest serviceable version of whatever you need such as a new conservatory, as long as you keep “saving money” in the front of your mind. Unfortunately, buying cheap can lead to more costs further down the line—whether it’s in things like maintenance and upkeep. If you really want to save money then you need to invest in quality.
The home improvement industry is riddled with many horror stories, caused primarily by the people involved in it, rather than the material quality or any questionable performance of the product. Following many years of austerity there is now a growing demand for home improvement products such as windows, doors and conservatories. The internet is swamped with a host of cheap deals for conservatories or other home improvement products. Whether it be fully fitted or supply only, the old adage “you get what you pay for” will apply. Quality should be just as important as the price. There are a lot of companies offering home improvement products ranging from the multi-national companies through to the family owned business and one man bands. The national companies tend to be very large organisations with large overheads and with shareholders to answer to. Yes they can provide services in most areas of the UK but this comes at a price. Your middle sized company, often family owned, do not have to answer to their shareholders and have family values at their core. They will possess specific expertise in their specialist fields and will have a good local presence. Your one man band operation tends to provide services cheaply and locally but many do not have premises and many of them probably will not be trading several years into your warranty period when you need them the most. Cheap is not always best when you have to find hundreds or even thousands of pounds to rectify a problem when you can no longer trace the company who originally built your conservatory. By buying cheap you will probably experience several or all of the issues below:
- Poor customer service
- Lack of expertise
- Little or no experience in general business and service environment.
- Lack of training
- Lack of proper business/accounting procedure
- Shabby installation processes
- Corner cutting
To avoid these pitfalls, simply follow these steps to help protect your rights, your property, your well earned money and more importantly reduce your stress levels:
Quick Buyers Guide
Make sure your installer is a member of a trade body such as Fensa, Certass, GGF or Trustmark
- Get lots of quotes – compare prices from at least four different companies
- Get references from previous customers
- Get it in writing – everything you can
- Look for insurance backed deposit guarantees
- Look for workmanship warranties
- Check their customer service record
- Check for planning permission & building regulations
- Tell your neighbours before you start work – (that there may be some disturbance)
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