Hello,
The house is "finished" (well, you’re never really completely finished), and now we’re moving on to the outdoor landscaping. The driveway is done, the plans for the terrace are finalized, now we just need the landscaper (general response: planning, execution, yes, we do all that, no problem)...
Candidate 1: Yes, I’ll come by Thursday, take a look, but I’m fully booked for the next 3 months. No problem, that’s fine. Comes by, submits a very flawed quote, and doesn’t respond to follow-up questions.
Candidate 2: Yes, I’ll come by Friday, take a look, and provide a quote by the week after next, but the work probably won’t happen this year. Like I said, that’s enough. Comes by, discusses some points. Quote – never arrives (2 weeks overdue).
Candidate 3: It won’t happen this year. No problem—I just want the planning finished this year; it’s enough for me if I can sit on the terrace next summer. Update from candidate 3: I can take a look… I’ll get back to you the week after next.
Is this normal? Or do you really need a garden architect to get a quote from a contractor?
Shaking my head,
I.
The house is "finished" (well, you’re never really completely finished), and now we’re moving on to the outdoor landscaping. The driveway is done, the plans for the terrace are finalized, now we just need the landscaper (general response: planning, execution, yes, we do all that, no problem)...
Candidate 1: Yes, I’ll come by Thursday, take a look, but I’m fully booked for the next 3 months. No problem, that’s fine. Comes by, submits a very flawed quote, and doesn’t respond to follow-up questions.
Candidate 2: Yes, I’ll come by Friday, take a look, and provide a quote by the week after next, but the work probably won’t happen this year. Like I said, that’s enough. Comes by, discusses some points. Quote – never arrives (2 weeks overdue).
Candidate 3: It won’t happen this year. No problem—I just want the planning finished this year; it’s enough for me if I can sit on the terrace next summer. Update from candidate 3: I can take a look… I’ll get back to you the week after next.
Is this normal? Or do you really need a garden architect to get a quote from a contractor?
Shaking my head,
I.
H
HilfeHilfe19 Jul 2015 19:10Well, they are fully booked, and small jobs probably aren’t worth it. These are the consequences of the construction boom. We are also constantly chasing after defects. Don’t you have someone on hand who could occasionally do this on Saturdays while you assist as the helper?
I
Irgendwoabaier19 Jul 2015 21:55Unfortunately not... because the topic of 'off the books' work is not an option. Basic manual tasks on my part wouldn’t be an issue, and if I could save a significant amount that way, I’d be happy to do it, but there’s no one in my circle of friends who could do this kind of work – otherwise, I would obviously have a regular quote for it…
HilfeHilfe schrieb:
Don’t you have someone handy who can do this on Saturdays and you can assist as a helper?That doesn’t automatically mean "off the books."
There are many self-employed people who work on Saturdays – and even a small business can issue invoices.
H
HilfeHilfe20 Jul 2015 07:59Irgendwoabaier schrieb:
unfortunately not... because the topic of 'off-the-books' work is not an option...
Assisting on my part wouldn’t be an issue, and if I could save a significant amount, I’d be happy to, but there’s no one in my circle of friends who could do that—otherwise, I would already have a proper quote... They are mostly small contractors; you should be prepared that it might be difficult to find anyone willing to take the job. You probably won’t save much money if no one is already showing interest in the project.
In general, it must be noted that skilled tradespeople are currently very busy.
We advertised work for our outdoor area in March.
The options were our civil engineering company (which also carries out landscaping and garden construction), a recommended company, and later another company we met at a local exhibition.
All three companies visited the site and reviewed the individual work items with us.
The first offer (from the civil engineering company) came in May. The second offer, from the company we met at the local exhibition, was, however, clearly incorrect in many parts (the first part of the offer). After requesting revisions, it was updated. But the second part of their offer was also unacceptable.
The recommended company was the first to conduct a site visit with us but still has not managed to submit an offer. A follow-up after three weeks also yielded no results.
BUT: Since Saturday, we are proud owners of a terrace. Our L-shaped retaining wall for site securing is in place, as is an entrance platform. Additional work has also already been carried out. The rest will be completed today and tomorrow.
Hooray – we have an outdoor area!
Oh, and the civil engineering company was awarded the contract.
We advertised work for our outdoor area in March.
The options were our civil engineering company (which also carries out landscaping and garden construction), a recommended company, and later another company we met at a local exhibition.
All three companies visited the site and reviewed the individual work items with us.
The first offer (from the civil engineering company) came in May. The second offer, from the company we met at the local exhibition, was, however, clearly incorrect in many parts (the first part of the offer). After requesting revisions, it was updated. But the second part of their offer was also unacceptable.
The recommended company was the first to conduct a site visit with us but still has not managed to submit an offer. A follow-up after three weeks also yielded no results.
BUT: Since Saturday, we are proud owners of a terrace. Our L-shaped retaining wall for site securing is in place, as is an entrance platform. Additional work has also already been carried out. The rest will be completed today and tomorrow.
Hooray – we have an outdoor area!
Oh, and the civil engineering company was awarded the contract.
