Let's talk about Country Living

**NHscrapman** · 08-21-2014, 02:19 PM

Originally Posted by Scrappah

< sigh > It's kind of a shame have to put up with so much grief from the insurance companies. It never used to be like that back in the day. The idea that they send someone around to inspect / audit your property is disturbing. I guess they're more than happy to take your money in but they're trying to reduce their payouts on claims.

It sucks because the consumer ends up footing the bill for their selfishness and "cost shifting".

I've had a number of customers come to me in a panic saying that if the don't re-shingle the roof or mitigate some other problem that they were going to lose their insurance. These are big ticket items that the insurance companies are demanding. It makes it pretty hard on a working man that's living paycheck to paycheck.

I guess they don't care just as long as it prevents a [U]possible[U] payout in the future.

It's come to a point where i won't take on insurance jobs anymore.

It's just plain wrong to make profit from work that a customer was forced into doing.

100%
But the town I'm in is around 80% retired age people, most still working while living in very old houses. So when you open one up it goes on and on and on.... what do you tell these poor folks. <sigh>

**Scrappah** · 08-21-2014, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by NHscrapman

100%
But the town I'm in is around 80% retired age people, most still working while living in very old houses. So when you open one up it goes on and on and on.... what do you tell these poor folks. <sigh>

Sometimes you can do some pro-bono work for those most in need but for the most part you have to take care of yourself first. If you're not profitable you can't help yourself. If you can't help yourself you can't help another.

We all took a hit with the recession. Many of the wealthy were driven into the middle class. Many of the middle class were driven into the working class. Many of the working class were driven into the dirt.

I lost ALL of my working class & middle class customers when the recession hit over the winter of 2007 - 2008. My client base is almost exclusively the wealthy and even they aren't spending like they used to.

Pre-recession the construction game was about growth and expansion.

Post-recession it's about doing enough repair work to hold on to what you've got.

Gawd ... these old places are money pits. It takes about three times more labor to do the same job on an older home as one that is newer. That's at least three times the expense.

I try to be sensitive about how i explain it to someone that i know really can't afford it. I provide cost estimates so they can decide for themselves if it's something they can afford. Quite often times they get angry with me regardless.