Off Season Buying of Home Improvements:
Winter time often creates a buyers market in
selected home improvements. Here is how to get
quality service and products at a somewhat
reduced price.
A slower pace of new home construction creates
stronger competitiveness among contractors and
this coupled with a need for inside work can
trigger lower prices. Some manufacturers list
their products with more competitive prices
during the winter and often run yearend closeout
sales. Winter time is a very good time indeed to
get your interior work done.
Here is a shopper's trade-by-trade review:
Air conditioning and heating: Normal winter time
reductions from contractors who specialize in
air conditioning. Intense competition among
heating contractors when there is warmer
weather. Much updating of equipment to the new
high efficiency units. Conventional heating
replacements run 15 to 20% off.
Appliances:
New models bring yearend clearance sales to
close out old lines. Discounts run from 10% on
up.
Tree specialists and landscapers: Interior
plants are a steal. It costs money to keep
plants warm and they must be cared for.
Twoforone sales are common. Landscapers must
keep key people busy and will often give good
prices on outside work. Grading and swales
(earthen ditches) to control surface waters and
prevent wet basements, flower bed cuts,
mulching, and general yard cleanup are bargains.
Light hauling by under utilized trucks and
manpower is cheap. More time is available to do
a better job on yard landscaping plans. Tree
care and stump removal is cheaper too.
Asphalt pavers:
Few driveways can be done between December and
midMarch so under utilized grading and hauling
equipment means good buys on topsoil and larger
landscaping work.
Carpenters:
Recroom finishing, fancy interior trim work,
book shelves, and window replacement show soft
prices. Kitchen cabinet and countertop
replacements, closet organizers, bathroom and
whole house exhaust fans are more readily
accomplished during the off season. You can get
quality work starting around 15 dollars per
hour.
Electricians:
Little flexibility or softness in prices from
contractors. Side jobs by licensed journeymen
and by the hour work by the unemployed are
bargains.
Exterminators:
Many pests enter a dormancy state between
November and February and hence there is a
considerable business lull. Termite protection
is a bargain during these months.
Floor coverings:
Getting rid of old stocks to make room for
heavily promoted new lines means great bargains
on materials left in inventory. Material prices
are sometimes cut in half. Now is the time to
install tile, redo the kitchen floor, upgrade
the foyer or refinish your hardwood flooring.
Insulation contractors: Even though contractors
shift from new construction work to remodeling,
the competition is stiff and prices can be
around 15% less.
Masonry:
Quality bricklayers are plentiful. Inside work
runs to 20% off. New fireplaces and lining old
ones are good buys. Antifreeze and protective
coverings allow some outside work. Patios and
retaining walls are often discounted. Expect a
severe scarcity of quality bricklayers should
new construction rise in the Spring.
Painting, wallpapering and drywall:
Interior work is much in demand by a plentiful
work force. Higher quality work and lower prices
are easily negotiated. This is a great time to
patch plaster, drywall over a cracked plaster
ceiling or paint your bathroom ceiling with
durable epoxy paint. Wallpapering and most
interior work is cheaper.
Plumbing:
Not much flexibility in contractor prices here
but individuals will often work cheaper by the
hour.
Roofing:
Unless the weather is significantly below
freezing, most roofing is able to be done in the
winter time. An asphalt shingle roof won't seal
down until hot weather but the usual guarantee
can cover the intervening time until it does.
Prices can run around 15% off. Stiff competition
will often see lower material prices as well.
Gutter installation and cleaning, minor flashing
repairs, and small patch repairs are much more
readily accomplished during this off season.
Prevent seasonal ice damming problems by having
a roofer install soffit and ridge vents.
Prices tend to be softer in the winter and it is
often a buyers market but you must shop around.
Some contractors trim their work forces and
operate at near peak capacity while others are
competitively seeking work. You can be more
selective since you are in a superior
negotiating position. Your work is liable to be
superior as well since many contractors have
culled out their poorer performers.
Beware an extremely favorable price. Make
certain all contractors are qualified and that
they are bidding against the same job
specifications.