Negotiating When Money Matters: Home Improvement

Negotiating When Money Matters covers a negotiating realm the other books get frightfully wrong: making a deal with someone who has only time and talents to sell. From hiring a handyman to million dollar builds, waiting for a too-high price to hit the light of day and then quarreling with it isn't an effective way to hire people selling hours of their time. Instead, you can influence what the price will be before it lands on paper, steering it to the minimum possible amount. It works with any time-selling business, every time. The reason to care about getting a good price it isn't to save money; customers who get a fair price are also more likely to get good work. In this book . . .

• The three things Businesses value more than money-and how to use them to get the work for the cost of materials
• The ten types of risk that increase the price-and how to counteract each one
• Why accepting his under-the-table kickback or freebie is good for him and sucks for you (which is why he does it!)
• The warning signs of a swindler, and how to make yourself cheat-proof
• What goes into a good contract, and tips on what to include in a contract to keep you out of court
• How to handle issues after purchase. What to say during the phone call to become a happy customer again
• How to get your money back when you find out you paid too much--even after the job is completely done and paid in full
• Home additions & upgrades: a list of low-cost, easy features that will increase the feel of luxury and your enjoyment forever