Thursday, May 20, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Misconceptions and truths...
In the pool industry as well as probably all other industries there are common misconceptions. Like with anything else in life you get what you pay for. A lot of people want a pool quote over the phone, or via email, and it just doesn't work that way. With a pool builder, your going to want to go with someone who can convey your ideas into a finished product. Your going to be dealing with the person for a 2 month period of time, and should have a good relationship with the person. Trust and understanding are the 2 biggest factors that will lead to a project going good and smooth. Pricing should be important, but not the end all. You'll need to do an apples to apples comparison, because there are a lot of things that the average consumer have no idea of the price. I've seen many pools, built by other companies, where I'm like, "we lost a job to these guys". They'll sale pools with no waterline tile, no deck, no floor system, single equipment set ups on pool/spa combinations, ugly water features, and a whole slew of other stuff. A lot of stuff that seems small to consumers, but builders know its a way to keep cost down. I for one, wouldn't like anything "cheap" on my property. If you buy it cheap, it usually will sell cheap. And I think a lot of people are starting to realize this, as they try to sell their homes with "cheap" pools in the backyard. New homebuyers, "ideally" don't want them.
A lot of people think they can save money going the owner builder route. Well, you probably can save yourself some money, but the project "usually", won't go the way you plan. There are a lot of things that go into the process of building a swimming pool, and a lot of things that can go wrong. Dealing with just subcontractors is not recommended for building a swimming pool. Subs, usually only know about their specific trade, and usually only care about their scope of work upon completion. Say if there's a problem with the plumbing, your gunite guy isn't going to know what to do about that. Or your rebar guy about the plaster of the pool. They just simply don't see the whole scope of work. They care about their trade, and their trade only. This is what "general contractors" get paid to do. We are paid to bring subs together to complete a whole job. Not just parts of it. We've seen many owner builders turn into nightmares, because you simply have to have the experience to tackle the process. And to be good at anything, usually takes time.
Usually go with a builder who was referred from a friend. It's how I like to do business with people. I like to build a relationship with a person, and it's usually easier to trust someone, that a friend has already dealt with. Anyone can make a good first impression. When your dealing with a high priced project, such as a swimming pool, you'll want to know that the contractor is trustworthy, and has a good reputation of doing business. You won't want to spend 50,000 dollars with someone you don't trust.
A lot of people think they can save money going the owner builder route. Well, you probably can save yourself some money, but the project "usually", won't go the way you plan. There are a lot of things that go into the process of building a swimming pool, and a lot of things that can go wrong. Dealing with just subcontractors is not recommended for building a swimming pool. Subs, usually only know about their specific trade, and usually only care about their scope of work upon completion. Say if there's a problem with the plumbing, your gunite guy isn't going to know what to do about that. Or your rebar guy about the plaster of the pool. They just simply don't see the whole scope of work. They care about their trade, and their trade only. This is what "general contractors" get paid to do. We are paid to bring subs together to complete a whole job. Not just parts of it. We've seen many owner builders turn into nightmares, because you simply have to have the experience to tackle the process. And to be good at anything, usually takes time.
Usually go with a builder who was referred from a friend. It's how I like to do business with people. I like to build a relationship with a person, and it's usually easier to trust someone, that a friend has already dealt with. Anyone can make a good first impression. When your dealing with a high priced project, such as a swimming pool, you'll want to know that the contractor is trustworthy, and has a good reputation of doing business. You won't want to spend 50,000 dollars with someone you don't trust.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
First Blog:
I guess now that I have a Blog, I should start Blogging.
First off, I'm a swimming pool builder here in the beautiful Valley of the Sun. I've been in my profession for about 15 years or so. My wife's dad, Dave Voss, is a pool builder and I learned the trade from him just after high school. My wife and I both attended Arizona St. University, and I've been in the pool industry ever since (around 19 years old). I've done just about everything you could do in my trade, from digging trenches, plumbing, working the Bobcat excavators, plastering pools, to designing whole backyards. I love what I do and plan on this being my profession for quite sometime. My father -in -law now works for me, and is my head salesman, draftsman, and guy I go to for much needed advice. I also have his brother, Lee Voss, working for us. Together they have a combined roughly 70 years of experience. Lee is our main electrician and plumber, and pretty much knows more about swimming pools than any other person in the valley. He's also my right hand man when it comes to questions that might arise regarding a project. The three of us comprise a nucleus of my vision and energy, Dave's people skills, and Lee's vast knowledge of the industry, that I would put as second to none to any builders in the valley.
My mission here with this blog to give consumers a clear idea of our industry, and my company specifically. I would like to educate you guys to the best of my knowledge on what to expect when getting a swimming pool, how to get the most for your money, how to be a smart consumer, which products to use, and what to expect to pay for items. I feel that I should have as much knowledge, or atleast the access to as much knowledge as anyone in the valley.
David
First off, I'm a swimming pool builder here in the beautiful Valley of the Sun. I've been in my profession for about 15 years or so. My wife's dad, Dave Voss, is a pool builder and I learned the trade from him just after high school. My wife and I both attended Arizona St. University, and I've been in the pool industry ever since (around 19 years old). I've done just about everything you could do in my trade, from digging trenches, plumbing, working the Bobcat excavators, plastering pools, to designing whole backyards. I love what I do and plan on this being my profession for quite sometime. My father -in -law now works for me, and is my head salesman, draftsman, and guy I go to for much needed advice. I also have his brother, Lee Voss, working for us. Together they have a combined roughly 70 years of experience. Lee is our main electrician and plumber, and pretty much knows more about swimming pools than any other person in the valley. He's also my right hand man when it comes to questions that might arise regarding a project. The three of us comprise a nucleus of my vision and energy, Dave's people skills, and Lee's vast knowledge of the industry, that I would put as second to none to any builders in the valley.
My mission here with this blog to give consumers a clear idea of our industry, and my company specifically. I would like to educate you guys to the best of my knowledge on what to expect when getting a swimming pool, how to get the most for your money, how to be a smart consumer, which products to use, and what to expect to pay for items. I feel that I should have as much knowledge, or atleast the access to as much knowledge as anyone in the valley.
David
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Desert Lifestyles Featured as Top AZ Pool Builder...
Top of the Town Directory publishes Visions of Design, which is an awe inspiring pictorial showcase of the best designers in the state of Arizona. Desert Lifestyles is listed as the only pool general contractor.
If you would like to view Desert Lifestyle's portfolio please contact us via our website or give us a call.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Referral
David built my pool 3years ago and did a wonderful job. It was a tough pool with a tremendous amount of plumbing required. He was very helpful and knowledgeable. He went above and beyond the call of duty. I had broken some of his pipes while trenching for a wall and David came by and spent half the day repairing them and didn't charge me for the time even though it was my fault for the damage. He is pleasant and easy to work with. If you are seriously considering building a pool, David is the man you should have do it.Hope this helps in your decision. ~ Rusty Catania
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
