Construction company wanted part 3: I easily can do that
We had déjà vu all over again when we thought we had found the right builder. Unfortunately, the estate agent had to go to an appointment and didn’t have the opportunity to draw up a contract that day. Never mind, it gave us a few hours to think about it and sleep on it for a night. Unfortunately, we were to pay for that, because the next day everything was completely different.
We came into the office, the contract was drawn up, we went through it step by step and already had the pen in our hands for the signature. The estate agent had probably also used it during the night, because suddenly the price was ten figures higher. That’s what I call a growth rate. He didn’t care about his “yesterday’s gossip” either, because we then showed him yesterday’s handwritten price calculation.
Well, that’s always the case with a foreign language – you speak it, but not perfectly. When it comes to discussions or negotiations, you simply can’t argue in the same way as in your native language. At this point, there was another counterproductive fact: the launch of the Builders Showcase in Cape Coral. This is an initiative of the Cape Coral Construction Industry Association (CCCIA), where premium builders present their best model homes to residents and visitors alike. The best are awarded prizes in various categories.
Builders Showcase in Cape Coral
And it was precisely this event that brought our new builders an incredible eleven new orders within one weekend. From one day to the next, we had the feeling that people suddenly no longer wanted to build with us. Because standard houses – we remember – are much easier to produce and calculate. What can I say, we were once again at a loss. After all, we still had – even with the surprise surcharge – a good price compared to other offers, no offer from Builder 1 and hardly any alternative.
We almost decided to accept the offer with a handshake plus a one-day upgrade, when suddenly the architect of our floor plan called to ask what was going on with the construction plans to be produced. In response to our answer about the offer from Builder 1, he was surprised and said goodbye. Shortly afterwards, Builder 1 called and offered us an appointment: We went through our now extended Specification List and asked him if he could build Builder 2’s package to yesterday’s budget and he replied: “I easily can do that”. So we started from scratch and he was awarded the contract. And what about us? Once again, we had a builder. Now we can finally get started.
