Why price per square foot is important


Price per square foot is important for the same reason why car salesmen haggle over the monthly payment of a car rather than the total amount; when you sell in increments it is much easier to get the consumer to settle on a higher price. In the case of flooring a dollar or even fifty cents per square foot does not seem like that big of a deal because we typically see these amounts as negligible. However, having this mentality when it comes to flooring will quickly put you in quite the financial predicament.

Price per square foot is important because when you are talking about price per square foot chances are that you are most likely referring to a flooring project. Flooring is one of those permanent features of your home that you are going to have to deal with for years to come and the price for covering an entire home with various types of flooring can be staggering if you are not prepared.


So as you start to make those important decisions that depend on the price per square foot, remember some of the following tips that will help make this important decision easier on your mind and your pocketbook. Price per square foot is important; here are some things that you can do about it:

Find room to haggle - Everything is negotiable especially if there is a competitor who can offer you a better deal on the same product. When it comes to a high ticket item such as the ones that are measured by the square foot, you should use every tool of negotiation that you possess to get the price of each square foot as low as it can possibly be. Even a few cents could save you hundreds of dollars when everything is added up. Decide ahead of time what you are willing to pay and do not get caught up in the all to common mistake that people make of thinking that only a few cents more is not going to make a difference. Trust, me it will make more of a difference than you realize.

Bring your calculator - Guessing on your costs for the items that are measured by the square foot is never a sound practice. You need to know exactly what the final cost of your project is going to be before you commit to any one product. Make sure that you are given all of the fees (including the total with tax) up-front so that your purchasing decision can be based on real numbers rather than on price per square foot.

Wait for the right price - If haggling isn't your thing or if there are no competitors who will price match the product that you are interested in, sometimes you are better off just waiting for the right price to come along. Remodeling or building a home often takes more time that was previously planned for because people do not take into account the fact that the materials that they need might not always be available at a price that they are willing to pay. Patience is often rewarded with better deals and the peace of mind that you were not careless in your decision making.

Price per square foot is also important because of the unit of measurement being used. Be sure that you remember to look out for products that may be sold by the inch or yard as these different measurements can completely throw off your pricing methods if you are not careful. Neglecting to notice that something is lower in price simply because it is less product is an embarrassing and costly mistake that you do not want to be guilty of making.

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