Most new home buyers dream big. Builders understand their desire to incorporate the latest extras such as smart home features, hidden lighting and other modern design features. Such features can also be lucrative add-ons for builders.
I’d like to suggest that builders consider recommending an element of safety: a fire protection system – as an upgrade or, to be more daring, as a standard feature in their new home offerings.
There can be objections. Price is typically an issue. We often hear that “fire sprinklers aren’t trendy,” or “fire sprinklers are obtrusive.”
I would like to help you address these issues as you work with potential buyers.
Can You Sell Safety and Peace of Mind?
Let’s first address the issue of price. While every installation is different, the general rule of thumb is that a fire sprinkler system adds between one and three percent to a home’s selling price.
Immediate objections? Ask the buyer to consider the following.
Fire sprinklers save lives. We hear stories every day that substantiate this.
Fire sprinklers also save properties. Estimates indicate that property damage costs resulting from a fire are reduced by approximately 75 percent. Part of the reason is that fire sprinklers respond immediately and are triggered only at the source of the fire (the rumour that the home’s entire bank of sprinklers go off simultaneously is false). A small amount of water extinguishing a fire within a short amount of time is certainly preferable to the litres of water that will be used by the fire brigade once it has arrived and the fire has likely spread.
Visually, today’s sprinkler outlets are fairly concealed fittings, and few rooms require more than a single sprinkler head. Cover plate assemblies are installed flush with the ceiling and are really no more obtrusive than recessed ceiling light fixtures.
Then there are the intangibles. When it comes time to sell the home sometime in the future, the fact that the home is equipped with a fire sprinkler system definitely adds value.
While I can’t address the issue of “trendy,” I will say this – safety and the well-being of my family come first, every time.
As a builder who offers a fire protection system in a new home, you are proving to your potential buyers that you have “thought of everything.”
Why CPVC?
CPVC may be a relatively new material for fire protection systems in the UK, but it has proven itself to be equal to if not more advantageous than steel pipe systems. No new homeowner need be concerned that this material is not up to the task.
In terms of cost, a CPVC fire sprinkler system is less expensive to the homeowner than a steel system due to material prices and the fact that CPVC installs much easier and faster, saving labour costs.
It is designed for a 50-year service life – well beyond the time most home buyers remain in a home. And it resists corrosion and requires significantly less maintenance than steel, saving the homeowner money in terms of costly repairs and potential water treatment chemicals.
Reassure your buyers that CPVC is more than up to the task of standing up to extreme heat and pressure. It will not melt, drip or allow a fire to spread. There are countless stories we can share showing CPVC fire protection systems as the “hero.”
You may hear one more argument.
“I’ll never need a fire sprinkler system, why should I install one in my new home?”
If only life were so predictable.
To learn more about the advantages of BlazeMaster® CPVC, download our Guide to CPVC Fire Sprinklers.
