I’d never really done any bartering until we started working on this house. The first time it came up was while a contractor was working on our installing our new gutters. He found out I could help with his website and offered to give us a great rate on our work if I would help him out. In the end we still billed each other, but came to a mutually beneficial arrangement. It wasn’t really bartering by definition, but it was close.
Recently I took this a step further. When I got the quote for our new exterior doors and it was higher than we had budgeted, I asked if there was any way to reduce it, and offered my services. It was somewhat uncomfortable for me to do, but I figured the worst thing that could happen is that the construction company would say no.
They didn’t! They were more than happy to agree to do the work for my budgeted price and have me do work for them in exchange for the difference! So I’m going to help them with their website, search engine optimization and social media at some point.
Hopefully the bartering turns out to be a good move.