Because of struggles associated with today’s economy, we are seeing a significant rise in the number of people negotiating. Whether buying a car, purchasing items from a garage sale, or even completing do-it-yourself projects, when done right negotiating can prove to be a great tool for saving money. Interestingly, we see negotiations happening in one of two ways. First, people are going back to the old bartering system whereby two people exchange work based on a craft. Second, homeowners will actually negotiate lesser prices for products, as well as services.
For some reason, many people involved with do-it-yourself projects never use negotiation, which is a real shame. While some feel shy about asking someone for a discounted price, others are not sure how to negotiate in a way that would be successful. The truth is that the art of negotiation when it comes to home improvement or repair projects is to be honest. Laying out the truth about your situation and the project needing to be done is often the only thing needed.
A perfect example was a woman who owned a home and after living in it for two years, she desperately needed to glaze the windows before the fast-approaching winter. However, to complete the project, she needed to purchase an extremely tall ladder but without a truck or knowing anyone with a truck, she had no idea how she would get the ladder form the store to her home without paying a hefty delivery fee.
Putting on a brave face, this woman simply went to the local hardware store, asked to speak to the owner and after explaining her situation without hesitation the owner volunteered to deliver the ladder himself, which he did. Now, the woman will only shop at that hardware store and in return for the owner’s good favor, she has made sure to tell everyone she knows about this store. However, the story goes even further specific to negotiation.
With more than 16 windows to glaze, she was now faced with a concern of time. She had mentioned the dilemma to a neighbor who told her that she knew a group of guys that would probably do the job. This woman was a graphic designer so in exchange for the company owner and a few of his employees glazing her windows, she was able to complete the design work on his website. When finished, she had perfectly glazed windows and the business owner a website drawing in a greater number of visitors.
Even if a contractor needed to be hired to help with a do-it-yourself project, negotiation would be an option. Because you would be trying to negotiate a deal with a true professional, the approach would need to be a little different. In this case, always be professional and courteous. If after pitching your idea the answer is no, respect it. However, if the contractor opens a small door of opportunity, be grateful for any discount offered instead of pushing for more and more.
You could also negotiate with a contractor to save money by offering to do some of the work. While there would be some projects that only a contractor would want to do, others might be negotiable. For instance, if you needed to hire someone to build a new backyard deck, rather than paying a high price to have the old wood torn down and hauled off, ask the contractor for a better price in exchange for you having the space for the new deck completely cleaned, and ready. Without doubt, negotiating for do-it-yourself projects should never be overlooked as a viable money-saving tool.
