WHY CHOOSE
MICHAEL STONE GROUP?
COMPETITIVE PRICING
Michael Stone Group is as cost competitive as any builder on the North Shore; the combination of our experience, expertise, design acumen and service is what sets us apart. When you hear a builder say “it costs what it costs”, and that the client ultimately determines what they spend, prepare to be disappointed. Here’s why…
In a custom build scenario, we guarantee the total job cost, by providing the client with detailed specifications and allowances associated with up-to-date pricing. Clients can tour recent projects to see what these allowances will buy them.
If we poorly manage a job, resulting in mistakes or a blown schedule, our profit is at risk. Therefore it’s in our best interests to competently manage your job.
When a builder gives you a “flat fee” profit scenario to build your home and does not guarantee the total job cost in writing, saying “it costs what it costs, based on what you choose”, that builder has NO reason to put more effort into your job; they will make the same amount either way. Their management mistakes translate into higher building costs, which you pay for. Your project will be compromised in that scenario. This always leads to construction issues that result in quick fixes, and longer build times, which the client pays for in increased interest(carry) costs and substandard construction. This poor construction adversely affects the way your home ages and ultimately lowers the rate at which your home appreciates.
EXPERIENCE COUNTS
We are a 2nd generation builder, with more than 50 collective years experience developing, designing, building and renovating homes.
PREPARATION MATTERS
You will end up with a much higher quality home with Michael Stone Group because of the processes we use to design, bid and ultimately build your home. A tremendous amount of this work occurs before we even begin construction. This preparation translates into value for you in terms of your investment. The planning, management and materials used in your project all factor into this equation.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION
No builder can stay on schedule and provide a quality product within a budget unless they are organized and detail oriented. We adhere to our schedule and our budget on every project, and our references speak to that. Our entire business model, including how your project is bid out, revolves around efficiencies.
Typically, builders get one price from a couple sources, and that’s the cost for a budget item (It costs what it costs). We bid all our budget items to multiple vendors/trades. In addition, we go through multiple bidding iterations, so that when we present you with your budget number, you know with confidence that we have acted as your advocate to refine that number in order to get you the most aggressive price, while still maintaining a high level of quality and scope. This design/bid process allows us to give our clients the project they want at the price they can afford.
Our ost tracking System allows our clients to see where their budget is relative to selections made as they move through the selection process. This allows them to see where they’ve saved money and earned a credit on a certain selection, coming in below their allowance figure. That credit can either be applied to the bottom line budget number, or as is often the case, our clients decide to apply the credit to upgrade an area of the home that’s most important to them. Because the client has this real time information, they are able to better allocate their allowances, without necessarily spending any more money. This is not typical; with other builders, by the time a client finds out they are over budget with what they’ve chosen, they’ve made many of their subsequent selections, and therefore could not chose a less expensive item to offset overages, even if they wanted to, without delaying the project even further. The selection process, when managed poorly, quickly becomes a stressful, time consuming and frustrating issue for the client. When managed properly, choosing the selections for your project becomes a fun, creative collaboration.