How We Prove “Value for Money”
We totally understand that if a school is looking to buy a product that is over a certain amount of money (usually £3-5k), then this capital expenditure has to be approved by the Board of Governors. And we also totally appreciate that a school has to get a minimum of three quotes and as part of their due diligence needs to prove “value for money” in the decision making process.
So we thought that we would outline below how the Hideout House Company meets this criteria and how we can offer a school value for money with its product range. I think it is also fair to point out initially in this post that we do not necessarily subscribe to the school of thought that value for money automatically means the cheapest price. There are always very good reasons why products are so cheap and it is usually to do with quality….or lack of it or poor customer service. The products which schools buy need to pass the test of time subjected to constant daily rigorous use and if they are not built to withstand this, then you are quite simply wasting your money.
Quality of Materials
In the main, we either use premium grade cedar or tanalised Grade 4 Scandinavian redwood pine. Cedar has many advantageous attributes in that it does not need any further on-going maintenance or preservative treatment and does not rot or decay. As a result, we offer an extended warranty period of 15 years on cedar based products against timber rot, degradation or decay. And as it requires very little on-going maintenance, there are huge savings to be had further on down the line for a school. We have estimated that with an extended life period of five years over other competitive products and with little annual on-going maintenance required, a school can actually save £3,000 – £5,000 in real terms.
If we are using Scandinavian redwood pine, these timbers are all tanalised (a wood preservative which is injected under pressure into the core of the timber) but we use Grade 4 tannalith which is the highest grade you can buy.
We never use whitewoods and we never use ply for the underside of roofs – reason being? They are low standard, poor quality materials which over time will decay and rot and eventually need replacing.
For our adventure trim trails and play equipment range, we now use recycled plastic rather than timber. There are very good reasons why we are doing this and these are:
Recycled plastic does not rot (timber when placed in the ground will eventually rot due to below ground moisture ingress) or decay even when dug into the ground
It lasts five times longer than timber
It does splinter, crack or have “shakes”
It is eco friendly as it is made from recycling plastic milk bottles
It is hard to vandalise and is free from insect infestation
Assistance with Funding
We always try and work alongside our school customers and help them with fundraising if so required. As a result of this, we have managed to compile a comprehensive funding guide which lists details on available grants, how to go about successfully writing application bids but also features other important information on how to have a crowd funding website, how to attract sponsorship from local companies and how to realise revenues from renting out the school’s existing premises and facilities.
Referral Commission Programme
We operate a system whereby if your school and/or PTA were able to recommend us to another school – or you were prepared to let another school come and have a look at your Hideout House product – then we would offer a commission equivalent to 3% of the sale value if this recommendation turned into a full sale.
If you were also able to feature our product on your school’s website with a photo (which we would provide), a copy mention of our company with a website link, then we would donate £150 to your PTA fund.
Multiple Purchase Discounts
If you were looking to order a number of products in one order, then we will always look at offering you a competitive discount structure.
For further information on the Hideout House Company and its products, please contact us on 01832 275902 or email us on info@hideouthouse.com