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Misconceptions about Kitchen Remodels

By SKD Studios

Services for Real Estate Pros

March 05, 2010 04:01 AM

Misconceptions about Kitchen Remodels

Since opening our new design studio, in Lusby, MD, we have noticed that our walk-in clients are asking some great questions. When it comes to remodeling, there seems to be some misconceptions out there. While HGTV is helping education the public, here are a few of the most common misconceptions that we are still hearing:

"I'll never get my money out of the kitchen when I sell my house"-As long as you stick to a budget that is roughly 15% of your home's value, based on current economic best practices, you could see a return on investment of around 80% to 90%. The key is to hire the right kitchen designer that will not "over design" your space. Instead, the right kitchen designer, will balance the value of your home with scope of your remodel project.

"Granite is the most expensive type of countertop" We see the shocked expressions on the faces of clients at least once a week when we tell them that, in most cases, granite will price out less than most of the other popular countertops. The pricing of any countertop material depends on color selection; a good kitchen designer will be able to help you make the selections that will allow you the personalization of your countertops while keeping you within your budget.

" Small kitchen design centers charge more than big box ‘discount' stores"...This is the greatest misconception SKD Studios battles every day. SKD Studios is a small "boutique" style kitchen and bath design studio. When people walk in to our studio they seem to immediately think "expensive" based on the quality of our products and our ability to maximize the space that we design. As we walk people through our custom process, they quickly realize that we have products that cater to all budgets and offer extensive personal service that no big box discount store can compete with. Given the chance, SKD Studios will develop from the ground up, custom designed spaces taking into account all your personal preferences. You can never get this level of customer service from the mass produced chain stores

With over 15 years of experience in kitchen, bath and interior design; we love to share our experience and insights!

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Pat Champion

John Roberts Realty - Eustis, FL

Call the "CHAMPION" for all your real estate needs

You have covered all the answers to questions I hear all the time in the market-Thanks for sharing these misconceptions about remodels.

Mar 05, 2010 04:04 AM

zeta cross

Smart Green Realty - Philadelphia, PA

Getting Greener Makes Your home worth more!

Thank you for the 15% figure. That is helpful. I used an architect when I remodeled my house and he encouraged me to use a kitchen designer for the kitchen. There is so much more involved in creating a kitchen than picking out finishes. Would you put a percentage on how much people could expect to pay for your fee? Are you like decorators: you get a discount on the components and sell retail to the clients?

Mar 05, 2010 04:08 AM

SKD Studios

Lusby, MD

Pat-Thank you for commenting! I am glad to know this is good information!

Zeta-We do kitchen and bath design as well as interior design. Some of our interior design is fee based. The kitchen and bath design fees are part of the overall price of the cabinetry, countertops and fixtures. We have "design only" services as well which are based on the size and completxity of the project. Our website has more information our process. www.skdstudios.com.

Mar 05, 2010 12:54 PM

Anonymous

Jerry Solomon

I learned the hard way that a designer, a real designer (not the 9 letter company kind) was the way to go. I was remodeling my home room by room as money would allow. I started with a small mud room and contacted two independent companies to give me a quote. The first company was a cabinet/kitchen builder. They were initially excited/responsive when I spoke with them about my plan to fix-up my house. When they came out and measured my mud room they seemed less inclined to take on a small job. The second company was a small design company. They were great to work with, provided amazing ideas and space saving plans. They changed the layout of the room and made it more functional and gave me great choices in prices. They were less than the cabinet company, and really seemed to want my business.

I then made the mistake of going to a large retail provider. I figured that I now knew what I wanted and could get it cheaper. The first thing I noticed was that I felt like I was at butcher's shop and should have taken a number. The best I can say was that the sales person was cordial. I was informed that I had to pay for someone to come out and measure my room for cabinets. "No problem, I'm getting a better price." After two attempts they finally made it. The guy who came and measured the room was nice but couldn't get out fast enough. He passed the responsibility and my questions back to the sales person and the handoff was complete. This process took over two weeks versus the three days working with the small design center, and I still didn't have pricing.

When I had all three prices in hand I made the decision to go with the large retailer. My decision was based on the "Misconception" that I would get better service. What a mess. I don't want to completely rip apart the retailer, they do have lots of knobs to pick through. The long and short of it was that I got a mud room that looked like a cheap mud room and in the end it was more expensive. It looked like cheap cabinets that I could have put up, I was so disappointed. There was nothing special about what I now had. There was no flow from this room to the next.

I asked the small design company back to look at a bathroom. Again, they gave me great ideas from the floor up. I didn't bother calling anyone else as I just felt better working with them. Regardless of the size of my rooms, they were eager to help and held my hand the whole time. They showed up the day the sink and cabinet were put in and were as excited as I was. They called and kept in touch and picked up my master bath and eventually my kitchen.

I will never go back to retail again, unless I need some knobs.

Jerry

P.S. Thanks girls!

Mar 06, 2010 12:52 PM

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