Hiring suppliers: the three-quotes system

The community's money goes, above all, to suppliers. A simple procurement system saves 15–30% without lowering quality.

The three-quotes rule

For every significant expense (works, annual contracts, big repairs): three comparable quotes. The key word is comparable:

• The same written scope (what exactly is included).
• With VAT, deadlines and guarantee.
• Verifiable references (another community nearby is worth gold).

Warning signs

• The one who will not put it in writing.
• The "we have to open it up to see" with no cap on the maximum.
• Large advances before starting.
• The suspiciously cheap one: on building work, cheap without a breakdown ends up expensive with extras.

The trusted list

Every supplier who performs goes into the community's list: contact, what they did, when, and what it cost. That memory is worth more than any search engine — and it survives changes of chair, which is exactly when communities "lose" the plumber they have always used.

At the meeting

For recurring contracts (cleaning, maintenance), run a comparative review every two or three years even if you are happy: it keeps the price honest. Loyalty to a supplier is rewarded with continuity, not with blank cheques.