JMW Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 Having read the post for "outrageous quote for painting", I thought you may be interested to hear our story. We were quoted for re-crepi - ing the outside of our house and replacing crumbling tufo stones on window ledges and door frames (9 windows and 3 doors). We were quoted 83.000,00 euros, that's 83 thousand. We laughed and said thankyou but we could buy a new house for that. I would like to hear who has had another outrageous quote ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Trollope Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 I don't know why I rise to this, but; What makes that outrageous (to us)? You have given just enough information to make your point, without allowing us to come to any conclusions - so perhaps we will come to the conclusion that you can't afford to pay, don't want to pay or underbudgeted?If you genuinely did receive a quote for a ridiculous amount, I'd suggest that perhaps the Artisan doesn't want the work. Why might that be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val_2 Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 Its quite normal for artisans to give silly prices if they really don't want to get involved in the job and not just brit builders either, the french are always doing it from people we have also given devis to. One of our previous clients was quoted 25,000€ for a septic tank installation because the guy didn't want the work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMW Posted April 9, 2007 Author Share Posted April 9, 2007 Hello Nick, I only wanted to see what other amounts people had been quoted, the post was not intended to irritate. I found the quote amusing because we have always done work ourselves and not paid vast amounts, but stonemasonry is beyond our capabilities at the moment. No we can't afford to pay that much nor want to pay that much. Sorry if I made you cross. [:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Head Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 Typically antagonistic Nick...I'm massively undercutting the stonemasons at the moment by replacing stone projects with Oak, in my opinion the end result is fab...timber is worked alot quicker than stone and costs less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Katie Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 JMW, I find your post interesting. I have a small 3 storey village house which needs total renovation. My husband worked out that the cost of renovation was around £35,000. Because we live and work in the UK we appointed a Brit to project manage for us. We were quite suspicious because, when inspecting our property he did not ask the 'correct' questions. Anyway he ended up quoting us 250,000 euro. Also, he wanted the job as he chased my husband for an answer after he had spoken to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Head Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 I'll do it for 249, 000 JK! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkhunter Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Hi JK, just to out do Chris I'll do it for 37k euro as long as you are there to steady the ladder when i'm plasterboarding your ceilings, and yes the kilt will be obligatory [6] Scots Wha Hae Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Katie Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Well SH, Chris has no chance against you in the kilt!! Done deal.Hi Robin, I understand that you should follow up a quote with a phone call. The point I was making was highlighting the fact that not all high quotes are from people who don't want the work, as suggested by another poster.I appreciate the fact that you 'know how it is done'. So do we, my husband has been a chartered quantity surveyor for many years and it was clear to us that this 'project manager' did not have a clue how 'it is done'. He was just a cowboy on the take if you ask me. And the crazy sorry, sad thing is, people fall for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianf Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 We had some outrageous quotes from a British builder and they did a few bits of work (badly) which was hugely overcharged. Net result was that we found another way of renovating our house. However, the original builder had the key to the house and while we were back here in the UK, decided to sabotage the house by drilling a hole in the water boiler. Hell of a mess that cost a bit to sort out. But we would have lost far more had we approved their ridiculous high quotes. We've just put it down to experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Katie Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Hi Ian, our guy was not even a builder. We asked him questions regarding construction which he avoided which told us he did not know much. He did in fact tell my husband he was a Building Surveyor when we first met but quickly avoided talking about the profession when my husband told him that he too was a surveyor. He used a French builder but was the middle man giving 'reassurance' for non French speaking 'British'. I believe he had quite a few jobs on the go so people were falling for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chezstevens Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 During our complete renovation costing some £150k we spent £300 on some british builders, ex-car salesmen as we discovered later, who claimed as ''folks we knew'' they could be trusted to do some work - one of our shutters (Lapeyre) fell off the first time there was a reasonable breeze (yes they were registered). It was embarrassing to debrief them on their incompetence - and they no longer live in our area. I am sure that there are competent british builders in our region that charge a fair price for the standard of work we have come to expect from french builders. We have used a fully registered british plumber to service our boiler - he does a very good job - unfortunately he is so popular that pinning him down is difficult!!regardsVern Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Katie Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 I really would think it would be a shame for people to tar all builders with the same brush because they have been let down by someone of the same nationality. I would certainly consider employing a british builder upon recommendation, should his quotes be competitive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chezstevens Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 [quote user="Just Katie "]I really would think it would be a shame for people to tar all builders with the same brush because they have been let down by someone of the same nationality. I would certainly consider employing a british builder upon recommendation, should his quotes be competitive.[/quote]Just Katie,If you read my full account there was no tarring of all british builders. However there are cowboys out there that new folk should be aware of.regardsVern Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Katie Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Vern, I was not implying that for a minute. Of course there are cowboys out there. In my post, I have also pointed out that this guy who tried to sting me was British. I am merely showing my concerns in that I have seen many negative posts with regards to British builders on this forum in the past. As I have said, it would be a shame to tar them all with the same brush when many of them would be regarded as perfectly good craftsmen by their clients. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chezstevens Posted April 10, 2007 Share Posted April 10, 2007 Just Katie,No probs. I feel that newbies should be given a balanced view. I am sure there will now be an avalanche of geniune clients that have used british ex-pat contractors and have been delighted.regardsVern Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlemouse Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 Perhaps the carpenters are the only ones on site at the weekend because they are to slow to finish their work in a normal working week (40 hrs) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 Hey Robin,I hope you have your head down behind your wooden parapet, I sense a few incoming barrages [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Head Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 Robin is alluding to folk who simply have to follow the rules and specs, sizes of pipes and how many power points to put in a room and all that sort of stuff, they don't have to work in the same way as we do. They chop holes where holes really shouldn't be chopped, run pipes that have to moved at a later date and generally give us folk who really care about the finished product....well....problems! And the architects, don't start me off on them. Yes many trades are overpaid and insensitive, it's the finishers of a project who have to correct the crap work the first and second fixers have done, often taking us down to minimum wage.That's why we work weekends littlemouse...you don't often appear me dear, apart from to be negative and have a dig...are you bored again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Katie Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 [quote user="powerdesal"]Hey Robin,I hope you have your head down behind your wooden parapet, I sense a few incoming barrages [:D][/quote]Good advice Steve. Robin knows Jack Shit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewart Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 Well its true the vast majority of site foremen are carpenters, they have a better overall working knowledge of the trades. Its also rare to find an ellectrician, plumber, plasterer, etc, that have as much passion about their work as a good carpenter.Getting back to the original post, I've had my own company for the last 25 years, would never dream of cutting corners or ripping anyone off, but i've been ripped off by clients, many times. So if i meet a prospective client i get a bad feeling about,,,,, then i put a stupidly high tender in, its a far more polite way of saying i don't want your business!!!Stewart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Katie Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 What a surprise, another vote for the carpenters by..........................oh yes, another carpenter. Well, if you are all going to stereotype so will I. All the carpenters I know are alcholics who arrive late for work and sit there smoking roll ups all day with their legs crossed all girlie-like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Katie Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 Sorry, it WAS a joke[:P]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Katie Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 Hi Robin, I am glad to say I am a girlie who is very happy being a girlie. I would not be seen dead labouring or working on a building site. That is a mans job and I would be as welcome as what a male midwife is to women. I cannot for the life of me understand why women want to do jobs which requires a certain amount of strength and when it comes to female 'firepersons', well that makes me really jump on my soapbox. Rubbish PC c rap. AND, knowing my luck, if I became a damsel in distress I would be lumbered with a 'lady' fireperson to rescue me. So the answer to your question Robin is no. I certainly could not cut the moutard working on site with you because firstly I have not got the physique and secondly, I have not got the mentality to wear riggers to work. (Unless they could be redesigned with kitten heels)[:D]But guess what, I am torn between clients and contractors all day in my job AND I have never been a carpenter.... only a girlie girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkhunter Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 What a surprise, another vote for the carpenters by..........................oh yes, another carpenter. Well, if you are all going to stereotype so will I. All the carpenters I know are alcholics who arrive late for work and sit there smoking roll ups all day with their legs crossed all girlie-like.Hey JK, thought we agreed you would not discuss my work ethics and i would do you on the cheap ( ??????? ) [;-)]PS they are not roll ups......more council fags [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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