House builders discounts

[calgarys_finest]

I am house shopping and looking at new builders. One of the houses i went to the lady said that she would "add washer and dryer to the agreement even though its says it not included. I then was thinking what else can you "add" or ask for from builders or is there any bargaining room on the price of new houses.

[89coupe]

With the market as bad as it is, you can negotiate a lot more then just that...LOL.

Try negotiating 10% off the base price of the home.

[masoncgy]

That's the thing, the builder typically won't take much off the price of a house, it's the upgrades that they will discount because their mark up is so ridiculous on the 'good stuff.'

That's why she's going to throw in a washer & dryer, because it costs the company next to nothing to obtain those items, yet they are marked up significantly to make it seem like you're getting an amazing 'extra' at no charge.

What kind of washer & dryer is it? Basic GE front loads in white?

[89coupe]

You can negotiate the base price of the home as well. Especially since most builders have bumped up their prices in recent months even though the cost of labor and material hasn't changed a bit.

[masoncgy]

^ Maybe if it's a spec or show home... a builder isn't going to significantly discount the base price of a home they haven't built yet because they're only paying to hold the land, not a fully constructed, powered/watered/heated house. They set their prices based on current market conditions. They change often.

They will package upgrades to include in the price instead of lowering the base price of a new build.

That's why they all advertise granite & hardwood & tile as these 'incredible inclusions' or 'freebies' because the mark up on the stuff is heavy.

It's all a game and they all know how to play it well. ;)