Saving money is great. But saving money can also prove problematic. While a piece of furniture that’s not used a lot or a knickknack that is not prominently displayed might be fine, you want to be careful when pinching pennies if it means compromising on quality.

Furniture

This is a mixed bag. You can get away with an inexpensive coffee table, and you may be able to score a killer deal on a dining table that looks far more expensive than it is. But when it comes to upholstery, proceed with caution—especially with large pieces. Cheap textiles can pill, rip, wear out easily, and stain permanently. Plus, the material is often scratchy and uncomfortable.

“The sofa is one of the most significant items you’ll ever buy for your home. It takes up a lot of visual space, it’s important for comfort purposes, and it’s something you could have for two or even three decades,” said The Spruce. “Look for something made with high-quality materials such as kiln-dried hardwood and eight-way hand-tied spring construction, and purchase a classic style so that over the years it can be recovered if you want to update the fabric and give it a different look. Remember the rule that a high-quality sofa should last around 25 years while one of average quality should last about 10.”

Art

Many designers will tell you that money is no object when it comes to art. “Unlike a rug that may get dirty in a couple years or a glass that could end up breaking at your next dinner party, the art you invest in is likely to stay with you for many years, or maybe even a lifetime,” said Real Simple. “The key is to take your time finding art you love, that you’ll want to spend years living with, and that fits your style.”

We agree with all of that, except for the “need to splurge” part. It’s gonna be awhile before we’re playing with Picasso money. In the meantime, we love finding great new resources to buy inexpensive art—especially those that allow us to support emerging artists instead of buying stuff that’s mass-produced. From Society6 to Minted to to Etsy, there are a number of places you can find great stuff without a great expense.

Flooring

Skimp out on your flooring and you might find yourself having to redo it soon—or living with the consequences of a poor choice. Everything from a wood product that is made too thin, and therefore is damaged easily, to poor adhesive, to carpet that doesn’t have the quality to stand up to kids, pets, or everyday use can cause problems sooner than you may expect.

Rugs

“One of the best items to buy cheap is an area rug, Gen Sohr, one half of the husband-and-wife team behind Pencil & Paper Co., a Nashville-based interior design firm, said to Real Simple. “I think there are so many wonderful area rug options that are a complete steal. And really who wants to break the bank on something that's going to eventually get soiled and need to be replaced?” she says. For an option that’s both affordable and durable, she recommends a natural sisal rug, which also hides the appearance of dirt. A flatweave wool rug is another popular option, and Sohr recommends finding deals on Overstock.com or Rugs USA.”

Mattresses

It can be tempting to go cheap on a mattress simply because it so expensive. But, if you really spend a good third of your life in bed, it’s worth it to pay for quality. If you can’t pay outright, it’s usually possible to get a zero-interest payment plan from a mattress stores if you have decent credit.

You just heard those magic words: “We have a deal.” Now, you just have to get through escrow and you can move on to the next stage in your life. That means making sure your home doesn’t end up back on the market. Here are 6 steps you can take both before you list and during the escrow process to make sure everything goes smoothly all the way to closing.

1. Carefully consider your sales price

If you’re working with an experienced real estate agent, he or she should have a recommended pricing strategy based on area comparables. Pressuring your agent for a higher sales price could cause the home to sit on the market and, if you do get an offer, the appraisal may not match the sales price. “If the appraisal comes in too low, the seller will have to lower the selling price or (the buyer) will have to pay cash for the difference,” said Investopedia.

2. Look for liens

"Overall title issues account for 11% of closing delays and may come to you as a surprise,” said Homelight. “Sometimes clearing up title is as simple as verifying that a debt has been paid and recorded correctly, the same way you would clear up errors in a credit report. Other times, addressing outstanding debts can take months to settle. Before you put your house on the market, be sure to pay off any debts, loans, and taxes that may show up as a title defect against your property.”

3. Disclose, disclose, disclose

Sellers are legally required to disclose all material defects in the home, so trying to hide issues can backfire. “Any problem with the property will be uncovered during the buyer's inspection, so there's no use hiding it,” said Investopedia. “Either fix the problem ahead of time, price the property below market value to account for the problem, or list the property at a normal price but offer the buyer a credit to fix the problem.”

4. Be reasonable and willing to negotiate

It’s easy to get stuck on your list price and not want to come down even one dollar. But if things show up in the aforementioned inspection report—things the buyer has a legitimate reason to request fixes—sticking firm to that price could cost you this the deal.

5. Limit contingencies

If you’re having trouble selling your home and the only buyer who’s come along in three months has two dozen contingencies, that’s one thing. If you have a couple of offers, with one who doesn’t need to sell their other home before securing financing on yours, it’s an easy call, right? Obviously the offer price and other factors like the overall financial strength of the buyer are important, but the great thing about having limited contingencies is that you have a clearer path to closing.

6. Stay friendly with neighbors

The last thing you need is for the grumpy guy across the street to make a fuss because of increased traffic on the street during showings, inspections, appraisals, etc. and scare off a timid buyer. Maybe the situation warrants a knock on the door of neighbors who have a rep for being testy. Bring a plate of cookie or a gift card to Target for their troubles and you may be able to pacify them.

When it comes to renovating your home or building a new one, the journey to your desired end result may not be any fun.

The “construction journey” could be very stressful, full of your compromises, packed with delays, infused with lower quality, and more expensive than agreed to. The renovation or construction could take a significant toll on you and your family—figuratively and literally. Would that lessen your enjoyment of the end result—your intended dream home?

When you hire a contractor or builder for a home renovation or new build, will you be as satisfied with the outcome if it is achieved in spite of what the contractor/builder did or did not do, as you would be if they did everything initially agreed to?

What?

If the construction process was NOT a smooth, low-stress professional journey to achieve exactly what you asked for, would you be just as pleased with your new home?

If it is a troubled journey and you are satisfied at the end, will that satisfaction be based on your relief that the negative journey is finally over, instead of genuine satisfaction with the end result? Pleased to have the construction behind you, how will you feel about how much you paid or are expected to?

All professionals are not created equal in any industry. Even when they achieve similar or even better end results, they may have arrived at those end results very differently. Some of the pathways may be inadequate or flawed.

This divergent-path reality has earned residential in-fill construction and renovation a less-than-stellar reputation with customers and surrounding neighbors because of some contractors and builders, not all.

Which contractors and builders would you prefer to work with?

1. Patch Or Fix It Later vs Do It Right The First Time

Some contractors and builders seem to believe they are NOT responsible for “unpredictable” problems, so they do not invest a lot of time and effort anticipating or predicting problems. Quick fixes, cover-ups, corner cutting, and work-arounds are their preferred solutions. Any problems are the customer’s problems and expense.

Others have developed systems, procedures, and contingency strategies to minimize the “unpredictable” and keep upsets and extra costs to a minimum for customers. Clear communication is part of their stress-reduction approach. Proactive approaches increase flexibility and enable timely course corrections to save them and customers time and money. Your end result remains a clear target in all they do and don’t do.

2. Collateral Damage vs Anticipation and Prevention

Some contractors/builders become known in an area because they leave a trail of collateral damage and frustration behind on their projects. Adjacent neighbors are frequent recipients of their shoddy worksite standards, destructive practices, shady deal making, and mediocre project management.

Their assurances of “I’ve got lots of insurance” often mean they are not overly concerned about damage to adjacent properties and buildings because insurance will patch things up. They are not overly concerned if the end result is not to the satisfaction of the owners, adjacent owners, and other neighbors. “It’s construction and sh*t happens,” is their motto.

Other contractors/builders undertake the required work for their customers with care not to damage adjacent buildings and properties. In planning out the project, they anticipate potential issues with adjacent buildings, fences, or trees. Their goal is to minimize or eliminate peripheral or collateral damage while creating the best end result.

3. Substandard & Profit vs Quality & Reputation-Building

Some contractors/builders excel with high-pressure sales techniques and unethical approaches. They target naive, lazy, or bargain-hungry customers who fall prey to flattery and fast-talking.

If your interview and reference-checking skills are inadequate, they may be able to get you to sign up. These methods keep unscrupulous businesses going even when they leave a trail of unsatisfied customers and angry adjacent neighbors—perhaps even lawsuits—behind them.

Further, their construction workers and trades people may be under-paid, under-skilled, and forced to work in unsafe conditions. These deficiencies can undermine quality and cause delays.

Truly professional contractors and builders are intent on building a strong local reputation for reliability and quality. Their track record with customers and adjacent property owners is their “social proof” of quality. Over the years, these professionals gather together teams of skilled workers and subcontractors whom the contractor/builder is prepared to stake their reputation on.     

Industries are waking up to the value customers place on their customer experience of dealing with a company and its professionals. 

The “construction journey,” just like the “home buying journey,” should hold significant value to achieve customer satisfaction. In residential construction, just like real estate, this means that ending up with an “acceptable” home may no longer be enough to stop the homeowner questioning the value of the professional’s personal approach, professional expertise, services, and the overall cost. This dissatisfaction may erupt online and over social media, possibly canceling out reputation gains and referral possibilities.

To achieve your desired end result with as little stress as possible and within the agreed period and budget... Communication is Key

While you are shopping around for a contractor or builder, consider how well they communicate. At this stage they are striving to earn trust and get your money. If they are difficult to reach, don’t follow up as promised, and use vague “trust me it will all be fine” responses to your questions, do you think things will improve when they have your money?

Clarify Exactly What You Want

You’ll have to accurately communicate your essential details to the selected contractor/builder who will in turn communicate their process and their price to you.

The end result will exist in two sets of minds—yours and theirs. What is the end result you want: how many rooms will be dealt with, what will be demolished, what will be replaced, what the final finishes will be...exactly how you want this project to turn out and at what price. If you are not clear what you want, how can the contractor/builder be?

Establish Common Ground

Clarifying what you mean when you say a “kitchen with white cabinets”—along with everything else you want—involves clarifying how the contractor or their representative/salesperson interprets what you say.

Creating your set of building plans takes time—time spent creating benefits for you. There are thousands of seemingly small decisions and many big ones to make. Many are interconnected in ways you may not fully understand.

That’s where sharing an understanding of your desired style and level of quality assures things fall into place…style of cabinets, height of doors, sink location and type, stove location, style of door knobs, finishes, colors…and on it goes.

Get It In Writing

Agreements in writing are more enforceable in law. What if things go wrong and you want your money back or damages paid? What’s your proof? Without a written agreement clearly stating what both parties agreed to, your case is harder to prove.

If you are “satisfied” with the final result, will you be ready to pay the entire amount even if there were stressful incidents, unwanted compromises, suffered inadequacies, and repeated delays?

If that sounds bad to you…Consider how you’d feel if you are NOT satisfied with the final result and had all these problems?

Investing time and effort to set yourself up for success from the start is extremely valuable.

For more on adding Professional Value, visit PJ Wade’s blog: What’s Your Point?