Shopping

Buyers and sellers are always feeling their way through the market process whether they are trading homes, water softeners, or landscaping services. Sellers make their products or services known, and buyers respond by coming to tour a home, requesting a bid on a water softener, or having the landscaper over to explain what could be accomplished at a certain budget.

The more complicated the product, the greater the need to investigate all the options. A home search may take six months as the homeowners-to-be seek out different areas, consider different floor plans, and evaluate the level of condition they need to fit their lifestyle. It’s a hard-earned process as it requires a fair amount of time and attention.

Appliances and smaller mechanicals are a bit less involved. There are often a couple of models the installers offer, some based on efficiency, some based on the manufacturer’s reputation. But there is more than the component to consider. There are differences amongst the installers as well. Some will ‘forget’ to pull a permit. Some will encourage the homeowners to consider a list of additional adjustments (shut-off valves, new venting, replace an access panel, and so on). Some will do the bare minimum and think that anything more is a waste. Some will go above and beyond code on the install and anything else in the area. For some picky folks this is the way to go.

The point is that there isn’t one way to buy a house or get a job done. The landscaper can pull out all the existing shrubs and rock border around a house and start over from the dirt. Or the landscaper can bring in a new stone edging, fertilize the existing plants, top it all off with some new mulch, and have it looking trim. One might hire a crew from the neighborhood to support a local business, or one might prefer the design plans, plants, and shiny equipment from the large nursery in town.

Shopping is part of the discovery process. It reveals a lot about what goes into price.