Builders Opinions Wanted...

MEDIAINSTALLS

I am in need of some opinions. We have a builders program, it is getting a decent response I know the responses can be greater. I notice a lot of builders do not see profit in this area of business. Why is that? The mark up can be just as good if not better then some premium upgrades on other amenities offered.

We offer a large variety of custom products for audio, video, lighting, shades, cctv, cable/satellite, home theaters, outdoor audio/video, phone, etc.

Do builders prefer to have pre-packages put together for them and just sell to their home buyer as they come in.

or

Do builders prefer to allow their home buyer to come in, see they offer a variety of upgrades and design their own packages?

As builders do you even look for companies that can offer this or are builders just content where they are?

Thanks for your thoughts and opinions.

VitoFromNJ

Perhaps its the time for a home automation/audio vidio/ category here

genecarp

its hard to justify the expense for a home in the 8 to 900,000 dollar range. maybe we should reconsider, homes are not moving well right now.

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MEDIAINSTALLS

It may be an expensive, and if done and priced correctly not that much of an expensive, but most new clients after doing work on their home or buying a new home purchase some form of technology shortly after.

I would think both builder and HO would be open to this because how much more could it be to roll over into a mortgage instead of paying for it on a credit card.

parkerfairfield

Do you have any photos of before & after? Perhaps you could put together a quick Project Overview.

If I were nearby and knew the numbers and prospective customer stats (to see if we had an overlapping customer base) I'd be interested.

I'd wanna see:
pics
30,000 foot overview of what is sold
the work needed on my side
the profit margin for me complicating my sale - as I'd be selling YOUR services along with mine.


A way to get me REALLY interested would be to bring me a (few) deal(s) where you need sheetrock work, or electrical ... and you open your level 3 bid to me (itemized bid list with your cost, your sale price, your overhead, and your profit) so that I can really get a feel for the potential of doing business with you.

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Abroad Again! Thankfully so! Check out my random photos
I'm looking for people interested in working together on importing items from Asia. Contact me if you're at all interested.

excellencee

I'm not a builder and I don't do automation/high end audio video installs, so it's just an opinion. What does a guy have in a new home? The wife picks the granite counter tops. The wife picks the window coverings. The wife picks the flooring. You get my point... What does the guy get to show off to his friends while the wife is showing off the master bath? I would think a 96" big screen with full surround sound would be a good start. And besides, whats $25,000 on a $750,000 home (about 3 1/3%). The satillite radio in my wifes car was a 4% cost upgrade and I sure don't plan on having that car as long as my house.

MEDIAINSTALLS

Parkerfairfield

I can grant your request on all you requested. We never step into something without doing our research and having everything in order. I can also include research done on this subject to show you some statistics from builders and clients tends.

my email is jbrign@aol.com anyone else who would like this information feel free to email me and I will pass it on to you

RPortinga

last place I worked I ran two residential developments... the houses were in the low 300's, and townhomes in the mid-upper 200's.

We had some nice displays for audio and other low-voltage options... but as the housing market turned, this stuff was not very important to our buyers that were mostly relying on city grants and other programs just to make the down payments.

So, the answer to your question is "it depends".

In this case, we kept a simple laundry list of options available, some basic packages such as wiring for a flat panel TV to go in that niche over the fireplace, basic security system, basic home networking, etc. Beyond that, if a buyer showed interest, our low-volt contractor would have a sales person meet with myself and the buyer to see what they were looking for, what their budget was and put together some options for them to review.

Another project our company did that I wasn't directly involved in was condos that started in the 500s... those had some basic packages again, but were more in depth, and buyers always met with a low-volt consultant cause we had a few things that were standard that they were responsible for. Gave them a good opportunity to help us try and up-sell as well.

So... not sure if this is helpful, but there ya go.

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Rob Portinga - Bauer Bros. Construction, Inc.
Design/Build - General Contractor - Construction Management

MEDIAINSTALLS

Just wanted to update all those that have emailed me in response to my posting.

I will be emailing this presentation to everyone on Monday (trying to enjoy my holiday weekend and not ignoring everyone). It is roughly a 30 page attachment.

Again anyone that would like to see this send an email to jbrign@aol.com

Thank you all for your responses as well on this post.

BULLHART

For me it kind of depends. For specs, I run coax (all home run) and leave tails at a mounting panel. This way whatever the purchaser chooses (Sat, cable etc) the tech can just come in and hook up. I pretty much always wire for a plasma above the Fireplace anymore, and run double coax to LR and Master. As far as advanced AV and such it just doesn't make sense for the spec. For my customs, it would depend on the customer. Usually I have enough on my plate, i really just don't want to deal with it. its a relief to just have the AV contractor deal with the customer, and co-ordinate through me. maybe its just me. I just pass on the markup...he can just hook up my own house for me...lol