Haggling with tradies: How to get the best value for your money

Need to do some repairs on your roof? Want to update your bathroom or give your kitchen a makeover? Planning on renovating your entire home?

For sure, you want to get bang for your buck when you hire tradies to do these jobs — who doesn’t, anyway?

With the ease of finding reliable businesses on ServiceSeeking.com.au, all you have to worry about is getting a quote that suits your budget. A lot of tradies on the site offer reasonable rates, but you can still get bigger savings if you try haggling your way to a good deal.

In a recent survey by Service Seeking, around 67% of businesses say that their customers haggle with the cost of their services.

However, if you’re doubtful about trying your luck in getting a good bargain, take note of the following tips.

1. Negotiate to Get Extra Services

If you can’t get the price down, you can try negotiating on extra services instead. Price isn’t everything — you can get good value for your money not just by paying the lowest rates but by getting a high-quality service.

2. Build a Rapport with Your Tradie

Make sure that you’re on good terms with the businesses. This will make it easier for you to approach them and ask for discounts. Additionally, this will urge them to give you an awesome deal.

3. Be Polite and Don’t Be Too Aggressive

Ensure that you’re still being courteous when convincing businesses to lower their offer. Don’t come out too strong; otherwise, they might be put off, risking any future relationship with them. This might make it harder for you to get the best deal.

4. Do Your Research

Have a look at relevant price guides to get an idea about the industry rates. Apart from that, you can check competitors’ prices and let your prospective tradies know that you’re looking into other offers as well.

Interestingly, in another survey, about 68% of businesses on the site also say that their rates are influenced by their competitors’ pricing.

5. Remember That You Can Always Say No

If a tradie’s quote doesn’t suit your budget and they refuse to provide their service at a lower price, you can just simply walk away from their offer. Don’t make it seem like they are your only option. For sure, there are other businesses out there that are keen on taking your job at a more affordable cost.

At ServiceSeeking.com.au, you can get a sufficient number of quotes to compare. Simply post a job on the site and receive estimates from a variety of reliable businesses.