[KG007]

Yes

I think the increase in DIY has certainly made it harder on the professionals. We sell flooring and cabinetry, install everything we sell. The TV shows and magazines usually GROSSLY under-represent the real price and difficulty of doing a job. They also don't mention the tools you usually need that most people don't have.

DIY types usually come in concerned ONLY about getting the absolute cheapest crap, I mean product. For laminate the price point is $.59 to $.99/SF for these people. (Cheaper than my cost for all but a tiny handful of first-quality products.) So they buy cheap crap, don't know how to install it properly, and get poor results. So what happens?

a) They bad mouth a product category as a whole, and b) have spent whatever money they had and can't afford to tear it out and have us do it right, and c) are too proud to admit they screwed up so won't show up and say "you were right." Some people will eventually replace it - in 5 to 15 years. But usually it's the next homeowner, who is often strapped for cash when getting into a new house. And often starts the cycle all over.

 

[KG007]

Agreed

Sometimes when a homeowner tries to do a job themselves and screws it up, they really appreciate a contractor who can come in and fix it for them.

What you have to be careful of is not hurting their pride by making stupid comments, one way to handle it is say, not too bad for a 1st timer, but it is harder than you thought it would be, or say something like, yea when I 1st started doing contracting and watched a guy do it, I thought it was easy to, but I learned the hard way as well.

I have tried some jobs myself as a GC that I should have hired a sub and learned what I was good at and what I am better off hiring subs to do, on concrete, I learned I can write a check a lot better than I can do concete.

You're absolutely right. However, a lot of people have to get burned first, and some don't learn then. We are polite to people and if it is someone on a tight budget we give them all the advice and help we can. Maybe they are doing the best they can and I feel for that person.

The ones who tell me how smart they are because they can buy this great laminate at Big Lots for $.59 and get over on all the professionals because they'll do it themselves and imply the professionals are stealing from them don't get the advice. They wouldn't take it anyway. And THOSE people will never show their face at the same place they have shopped and bragged about how they were doing a job so much cheaper and better.