Why the cheapest quote is often the most expensive: the story of fixing mistakes

Job: facade insulation and plastering for 160 m². Quotes: £10,400, £9,400 and £7,400. The investor chose £7,400. "It's the same job, why pay more?"

What went wrong

• Thin insulation instead of 15 cm → 10 cm — "because it's cheaper, and it will be warmer anyway." In winter, it turned out that the walls were freezing like a fridge.
• Plastering without priming the mesh — after the first year, it started cracking at the corners.
• Fewer anchors than required — a section of the facade started "coming away" from the wall after 18 months.

The final bill

• Initial savings: £3,000
• Facade repairs (removing sections, adding insulation, retouching plaster, re-erecting scaffolding): £8,000
• Difference: –£5,000 and a facade with a lifespan shortened by 10 years

How to read quotes so you don't pay double

1. Compare the scope item by item — insulation thickness, type of plaster, number of anchors per m².
2. Ask exactly what was omitted — if it is 25% cheaper, there is a reason for it.
3. Check insurance and references — a company that has nothing to lose is doing work that has nothing to hide.

The cheapest quote is often the most expensive project decision. Compare the scopes, not just the prices — on LocalTrader, quotes arrive with a description of the scope.