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Bargain Hunters

Good. Fast. Cheap. You can’t have all three. But some homeowners think they can. Especially in today’s tough economy. A few remodelers I’ve spoken to in the past few weeks have mentioned that some clients want remodeling services at a bargain rate. They negotiate or draw about the sales process hoping for discounts or a price drop.

Angie’s List, the membership company that rates service providers, recently conducted a poll of 150 highly-rated service providers and three out of four said they’re lowering their prices, some as much as 30% to 40%. An article in the December issue of Money magazine called Renovations Sale, says now is a good time to remodel because costs are dropping on building materials and contractors’ fees, and there are more contractors available to do the work—especially in areas hit hard by the housing slump. The article lists the “Five Projects that Just Got Cheaper”: replacing the roof; repaving your driveway; upgrading vinyl siding; adding a deck and replacing or adding insulation. Comments? Questions? Contact me at npatel@hanleywood.com. —Nina Patel