Non-electronic home bidding system

Abstract

To solve the problem of a system for prospective homebuyers to select a home builder by bidding, the system being configured to save time and effort and optimize a balance of the quality and cost, however the system being not adopted or established in the society due to the absence of an electronic bidding system that uses the Internet.SOLUTION: A non-electronic home bidding system is configured to adopt an analog system as a ceremony for deciding a home builder through writing on paper, putting the paper in a box, visiting a venue, reading, and announcing by excluding all digital factors deciding the home builder on a screen, such as the Internet, online system, remote system, and electronic communication, from a home bidding system, for a very important moment, not mechanically but in a humane way.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a non-electronic bidding system for custom-built homes, which determines a contractor by competitive bidding in the same way as public institutions when an individual builds a custom-built home.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, customers who build custom-built homes have directly placed orders with contractors such as major house manufacturers, regional builders, and construction companies. They visit comprehensive housing exhibition sites and private viewings of individual housing companies to convey the construction method, scale, floor plan, design, quality, specifications, equipment, etc. of the desired house, and also convey the area, shape, conditions, etc. of the land to be built on. If the land is undecided, consultations regarding the land are often conducted as well. Based on the information obtained from the customer, the salesperson of the housing company submits a proposal consisting of a rough plan (sketch), estimated completion drawing, breakdown of prices, financial plan, estimate, etc. The customer then considers the presented price and future household budget, and if necessary, holds multiple meetings to discuss plan changes and finally signs a contract. In this series of processes, it is common to obtain estimates from multiple housing companies simultaneously. On the other hand, public institutions such as local governments that construct public buildings have long conducted competitive bidding among major general contractors, regional builders, construction companies, etc. to select contractors. Currently (the first quarter of the 21st century), with the development of the Internet, a large amount of materials such as design drawings can be transferred online and two-way communication for intention expression has become possible. As a result, public bidding has shifted from traditional on-site bidding to electronic bidding. Just as the Internet has spread and become established in enterprises, government offices, and households, business models that attempt to select custom-built home construction through competitive bidding have been continuously developed. However, they have disappeared naturally without having an impact on the housing market. In the housing market, consumer trends and the customer acquisition and sales styles of suppliers remain the same as before.

Prior Art Documents

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-316990 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] This had the following drawbacks: Since each individual has different values, when choosing a builder, those hoping to purchase a home may naturally place more importance on brand and status than price, or on a special relationship (obligation) with a particular business or person in charge. However, it is true that the majority of the housing market is made up of customers who want to build at the lowest possible price, assuming that the quality and grade of the house is exactly the same. This tendency is particularly noticeable in the mid-price and low-price housing price ranges. Therefore, if a "bidding system for buying your own home" were developed, it would gain the support of many home buyers, develop rapidly, and become the mainstream method of buying a home. However, no matter how much time passes, it has not yet taken root and spread. The reason for this is that the publicly available "Personal Home Bidding Systems" are simply the same electronic bidding systems implemented by public institutions over the Internet that have been applied to personal homes. The problems with electronic bidding for personal homes are as follows: 1. There are several major milestones (life events) in life. At these milestones, ceremonies are held. And there is a principle that ceremonies must always be held in a "face-to-face format." This principle has been imprinted in our DNA for thousands of years and cannot be changed. Humans go through a life cycle that includes birth, growth, continuing education, becoming an adult, finding employment, marriage, childbirth, child rearing, buying a home, children becoming independent, the birth of grandchildren, retirement, retirement, entering a nursing home, and death. Of course, this is a standard model, and individual cases vary greatly. Ceremonies include birthdays, festivals, entrance ceremonies, graduation ceremonies, coming-of-age ceremonies, company entry ceremonies, weddings, farewell parties, funerals, etc. And there is an absolute rule that ceremonies marking life's milestones must never be held "online" or via "electronic communication". The society will not accept a system that ignores this rule. Thus, since "housing acquisition" itself is a ceremony, even if bidding is involved, electronic bidding is impossible. It is as unwise as proposing by phone or email. 2 Public works, by their nature of being constructed with public funds, not only the construction cost but also the time and labor required for the repetitive ordering procedures are targets for cost reduction. Therefore, electronic bidding is obligatory and the optimal method. On the other hand, custom home construction is just a repetitive business for contractors, but for the client, it is a once-in-a-lifetime important event and the biggest negotiation for constructing a house with their own funds rather than national taxes. Therefore, more importance is placed on formality than efficiency, and there is psychological resistance to conducting negotiations casually via electronic communication. 3 Society consists of the coexistence of "analog culture" and "digital culture". There are three basic principles for their division. The first is the rule that "high-value transactions" are analog (human) and "low-value transactions" are digital (machine). Examples include the difference between bank teller windows and ATMs, online shopping for low-value goods, in-person purchases of high-value goods, or the difference between online auctions and in-person auctions. There is no clear demarcation by commodity price, but jewelry, cars, yachts, land, houses, and condominiums are commonly classified as high-value goods. The second is the rule that "first" is analog and "second" is digital. Those who have experience reading books, newspapers, magazines, and comics on paper will move on to tablets as the next step. For stock, commodity futures, and foreign exchange trading, beginners trade by talking to agents and then shift to online electronic trading as they become more familiar. Although housing bidding may become widespread if people get used to it and switch to electronic trading, usually people don't build a house more than once, so it doesn't happen that way. Third, there is a law that "the form is analog and the function is digital." The most symbolic item is a clock. The clocks in front of universities and cultural facilities are analog, while the clocks in stations and airports that operate by the time are digital. Luxury brand watches are analog, while the watches in 100-yen shops are digital. The doors of buildings are such that in prestigious buildings, there are doormen in formal attire, while in ordinary buildings, there are automatic doors. For musical instruments, classical music is played by an orchestra, while techno music is played on electric instruments. Thus, the act of acquiring a home satisfies all three basic principles of analog culture, namely, "a high-value transaction," "a first-time experience," and "a ritual marking a milestone in life." Therefore, systems that rely on digital technologies such as "online," "remote," and "telecommunications" are contrary to the consumer mindset of home buyers. Hence, the market shows a rejection reaction.

[0005] The problem to be solved is that when home buyers wish to select a builder through a competitive bidding process, the current system for providing such services is limited to an e-bidding system that uses the Internet, which is the reason why it has not been widely adopted and established in society. The present invention has been made to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] A neutral institution at a certain distance from all housing businesses serves as the primary contact point for home buyers, listens to their requirements regarding the construction method, scale, floor plan, design, quality, specifications, facilities, etc. of the desired home, and creates the design drawings necessary for construction. Builders participating in the bidding obtain the design drawings and determine the construction contract price. During the acceptance period, they put the "paper" with the amount written on it into the "box" at the location designated by the organizing institution. On the bid opening day, at the "venue," the bid box is unlocked at the specified time and the winning bidder is announced by "reading out" the bids. The main feature of this system is the concept of respecting analog culture as a ritual, namely, "the parties physically go to the venue," "write on paper," "put it in a box," and "read it out." The present invention is a my-home non-electronic bidding system having the above-described configuration.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] 1. It is possible to save a huge amount of time and labor for home acquisition hopefuls to find a contractor who can build the home they envision at the lowest price. Even if they spare no effort, visit a large number of contractors to continuously obtain estimates, and finally reach the contractor with the lowest price, the quoted price is just the list price. However, when the competitive principle of bidding takes effect, it can be acquired at an even more discounted price than the list price. 2. The scale of a housing contractor's business and its profit margin are proportional. Large housing manufacturers cannot reduce their profit margins because of the high maintenance and management costs, personnel costs, etc. of their headquarters, block business units, branches, sales offices, etc. On the other hand, small and medium-sized and micro contractors can reduce their profit margins because of the low land rent and employee wages. In particular, if they continue to have zero orders for a long time, they have to prioritize cash flow over profit pursuit and will have the mindset that "even if the profit margin is reduced, it is better than zero." Therefore, they can avoid business crises (poor sales) and management crises (cash flow shortages). 3. In the housing market that is shrinking due to the accelerating declining birthrate and population decrease, it can stimulate the market trend in which many contractors are being phased out, enable contractors with high CS (customer satisfaction), that is, those who provide "good houses at low prices" to survive, and expel contractors who provide "bad houses at high prices" from the market. 4. In the process of home acquisition hopefuls searching for contractors who provide "good houses at low prices" and obtaining a large number of estimates and finally rejecting all but one, this work is a wasteful task for both customers and contractors. Considering the entire housing industry, this has a non-negligible negative effect on the macro economy. Such negative economic effects can be reduced. 5. When the proportion of housing loans in the household expenditure of the national lower middle class, who are living in an economic situation where wage increases do not keep up with rising prices, decreases, disposable income increases. This acts in the vector of expanding consumption and increasing the birthrate, resulting in a positive economic effect.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described. Competitive bidding is an ideal system for optimizing the balance between the quality and price of buildings. Public institutions such as government agencies and local governments have implemented it for many years and achieved excellent results. Competitive bidding is also an ideal system for optimizing the balance between the quality and price of buildings even for an individual's single-family home. However, it has not been popularized or established at all. The reason is that for public institutions, building procurement is just routine work, so it should be computerized to improve efficiency. For individuals, however, housing procurement is an important life event, so the face-to-face format should be emphasized and ritualized, but it has been computerized. Therefore, an individual's series of processes of "acquiring a single-family home" is regarded as a ritual that governs one of the milestones in life. The acquisition of a house has a deep relationship with religious ceremonies such as a Shinto priest, a prayer, and purification. Due to long-established customs, traditional cultures such as choosing an auspicious day like Taian for "contract signing", "ground-breaking ceremony with a spade", "roof-raising ceremony with mochi throwing", and "completion celebration" have been followed. The "ceremony for determining the construction contractor" at the beginning must be carried out while respecting the face-to-face actions of the relevant parties meeting at the venue and carefully taking out the paper from the box and reading it aloud. Housing acquisition via the Internet is against the consumer mindset in terms of marketing strategy. As an image, if the draft of professional baseball is determined on the Internet, no matter how convenient it is, it will never be accepted by the relevant parties, fans, and the public, which is the same situation. A neutral institution that has no partnership or transaction relationship with all housing developers will serve as the primary window for housing seekers. This is because if a specific housing developer were to host it, there would be suspicion of impropriety. An impartial institution like a court would be ideal, but while the court hosts the competitive bidding for seized properties, it does not participate in the business of private enterprises. Therefore, the implementing entity is preferably a non-profit organization with a high degree of public welfare, or even a company that has no relation to the housing industry. However, since knowledge of housing construction is required, a design firm that designs but does not construct, or a third-party institution that hires staff with the ability to create design drawings would be appropriate.

[0010] Housing seekers visit the institution (tentatively called the My Home Bidding Center) and convey to the person in charge the details of the desired my home. This is exactly the same as visiting a general housing company and consulting with the sales and construction staff. The staff at the center listens to the construction method, scale, floor plan, design, quality, specifications, facilities, etc. of the housing that the customer wishes to build, and creates the design drawings necessary for construction. As basic items, decisions are made through consultations regarding the structure (wooden, RC...), construction method (framed, panel...), module (feet, meters), exterior appearance and design (Western style, Japanese style, designer series...), shape of the building (single-story, two-story in total, partially two-story, three-story), material of the exterior wall (siding, galvanium, mortar, tile, ALC, brick...), foundation (mat foundation, strip foundation), shape of the roof (gable, mono-pitched, hip, flat roof...), material of the roof (steel sheet, tile, lightweight tile...), number of rooms, floor area of each room, floor plan, openings (size, shape, arrangement of windows and doors), heat insulation method (internal heat insulation, external heat insulation), heat insulation material (glass wool, rock wool, cellulose fiber...), ventilation method (Type 1 to Type 3), earthquake countermeasures (seismic resistance, seismic isolation and vibration control), moisture and sound insulation methods, anti-corrosion and anti-termite methods, and others. If necessary, the specifications for septic tanks, garages, carports, planting, and others are also determined. Even if it cannot be decided in one go, take the time to hold meetings as many times as necessary, conduct thorough discussions until you are satisfied, and finally finalize the prototype plan. When the prototype plan is finalized, the minimum necessary design drawings (plan detail drawings, elevation drawings, cross-section drawings) are completed based on the basic structure, construction method, shape, floor plan, and materials of the building. With this, the physical construction of the building becomes possible. However, since it cannot be costed, a budget cannot be prepared. To cost it, the quality and grade of building materials must be determined. The quality and grade of building materials are roughly classified into three types: standard products, high-grade products, and low-cost products. Furthermore, the unit price varies depending on the dimensions. For example, for columns, it can be specified as "solid wood 4 inches", "glulam 3 inches"... For siding, it can be specified as "standard product 14mm", "low-cost product 18mm"... For flooring, it can be simply specified as "high-grade product 12mm", "standard product 15mm"... The manufacturer, color, pattern, and design are determined at the stage of negotiation with the winning bidder. The procurement cost of building materials varies greatly among contractors depending on whether they have their own factories or the price settings with trading companies and wholesalers of their business partners. As a customer, as long as the quality and grade are met, there is no problem. Usually, if the grade and dimensions of the flooring are the same, the price is the same regardless of whether the color tone is teak, oak, or white. Even if it is slightly different, it will be within the error range. This is the same for exterior wall materials and roof materials. Furthermore, regarding equipment such as kitchens, unit bathrooms, toilets, and washbasin vanities, since the procurement sources vary among contractors, instead of specifying the manufacturer, it is specified as standard products, products not for apartments, etc. For the housing performance standards, as long as it meets the ○○ year standards, there is no need to specify the C value, Q value, etc. in detail.

[0011] When the "prototype plan" and the "specification document" are completed, provide that information to the contractors who wish to bid. However, if the customer has already acquired or plans to acquire the building site, provide the "land information" as much as possible. In principle, by only providing the location of the site, the housing contractor can obtain the register, public drawings, land survey map, and water supply and sewerage / gas pipeline drawings for investigation. Furthermore, check the laws, regulations, and regional agreements that may affect the construction and conduct on-site inspections. Land information includes area, shape, and legal restrictions. Among the items particularly important in determining the bid price is the presence or absence of incidental construction costs, including the presence or absence of demolition and disposal of existing buildings, tree removal, earthwork (cutting, filling, retaining walls), and the presence or absence of extraction work for public sewers and city gas from the front road. When extraction work is required, the excavation cost varies depending on the buried position of the main pipe, the distance and depth from the front road. However, the installation of poles for electricity, telephone, and cable TV is free of charge. If there is a designated fire prevention or quasi-fire prevention area, it will affect the costs of building windows, exterior walls, and interior finishes. The next important items are restrictions such as urban planning restrictions, land use zones, building coverage ratio, floor area ratio, land classification, road type, private road burden, setback, height, north side slope, shade, wind environment, and regional agreements. If the desired building cannot be constructed, these will be identified before starting construction. Although it is a situation where things can be remedied, it is desirable to raise awareness.

[0012] Bid invitations and documents can be received at the center's counter. If there are any unclear points, inquiries will be answered carefully in advance. Prospective bidders should receive ▲1▼ "Prototype Plan", ▲2▼ "Specification Document", and ▲3▼ "Land Information", calculate the "Building Main Body Construction Cost" and "Incidental Construction Cost", and then calculate the total construction cost. Add the company profit to that amount to determine the bid price. Write the bid price on the prescribed "Bid Form" together with the property number, company name, and date, put it in an envelope, seal it, and go to the designated location within the specified period to put it into the "Bid Box". At the pre-specified bid opening date and time, at the organizer's base or a bid opening venue such as a hotel, the organizer, bidders, and client will meet together. The organizer will give a greeting and a brief explanation of the rules and precautions. At the appointed time, in full view of everyone, the lock on the bid box will be opened and the envelopes will be taken out. The company name and the construction contract amount will be read out in sequence, and finally the winning bidder will be announced.

[0013] Prior to providing bid information to prospective bidders, the organizer calculates the standard construction cost, the market price of building materials, the regional price of labor unit costs, appropriate profit, etc., and designates the optimal maximum bid price. This is a preventive measure in case the winning bid amount exceeds the market price. Basically, the client and the winning bidder must conclude a construction contract. The client has the obligation to pay the winning bid amount to the winning bidder, and the winning bidder has the obligation to construct and deliver the building designated by the client. Either party can reject before the contract, but in that case, a predetermined liquidated damages will be incurred according to the terms of use. When bidding, a certain amount must be deposited. This is a measure to secure the liquidated damages of bidders who bid with no intention of contracting even if they win the bid for some reason. If the lowest price is the same, an auction will be held among those with the same price. If the price is still the same after the auction, a lottery will be conducted. Provisions for the winning bidder to decline, the promotion of the next in line, and the deferment of the deposit are also determined. Regarding information provision, either the real name or anonymity (property number) can be selected according to the intention of the client. When the winning bidder is determined, the client and the winning bidder will greet each other, exchange business cards, etc., and plan for detailed consultations. The incidental construction cost includes the ground investigation cost. However, until after the investigation, it is not known whether ground improvement is necessary or not, and even if it is necessary, it is not clear whether surface improvement, column improvement, or steel pipe pile improvement is required. Therefore, it is pre-agreed that the ground improvement cost will be a separate expense. When using the bidding system, the client and bidders must pay a fee to the organizer regardless of the result. After the bidding is completed, the organizer will refund the full amount of the deposit to all bidders. The organizer of the bidding is not involved in matters such as cancellation according to loan terms, liability for defects, and other matters stipulated in the construction contract after the client and the housing contractor conclude the construction contract. The present invention is implemented as described above.

Claims

[Claim 1] This is a system in which, when an individual places an order for construction work on their own home, a construction contractor is selected through competitive bidding, just like public institutions. An independent institution that has no affiliation or business relationship with housing developers acts as the primary contact point for those hoping to purchase a home, listens to the specific details of the desired building and information about the site on which it will be built, creates necessary and sufficient documents for the housing developer to construct a building of the specified shape and specifications and provides them to those hoping to bid. The bidder then places a sealed piece of paper into a bid box at the venue, rather than via the Internet, and on the day the bids are opened, all the parties involved gather together at the venue to decide on the successful bidder. This is a non-electronic bidding system for my home, characterized by the fact that it has the function of conducting bidding procedures through paper bidding, with a classical and ceremonial style.

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