So, after considering all there is to a remodel and you feel that you are ready to take on the project… should you do it now? Of course you should! And we are not saying this because we’re a remodeling company. We think that now is a great time to start a remodel for a few reasons.

The Reasons to Remodel Even With The Current State of the Economy

Our economy is down, right? The one thing that would make our economy get even worse is if we decided to horde all of our money and never bought a thing. Businesses would go out of business and workers would be out of a job. So, if you do actually have the money to invest into your home – you are also in a way investing into the economy, helping it stay out of depression.

We also know that the housing market is down, right? This is bad news if you want to sell now, but eventually it will come back up and people are going to want to own a home. If you remodel now, you’ll be ahead of the game when the market comes back up. Remodeling your home does help retain or increase the value of your home, despite where the market is.

Most importantly, after you have remodeled your home – every day when you come home, you will get to enjoy the feeling of a fresh new design in your home. For some, that is worth much more than the money they spend on the remodel.

Have you decided? We know its a big decision, so you should only be 100% certain that financially and mentally that you can take on such a big project.

Other Things to Consider When Funding a Remodeling Project

When you are funding a remodeling project, it’s a great idea to be smart about how you spend your available funds. During these times, vendors and supplies are more available (and prices have not increased very much). Although, because of the economy taking a down turn – many construction workers have lost their jobs and are trying to start up their own company. There are many desperate workers that you need to be wary of. They may not have the experience that you expect or need for the projects that you are doing.

With that said, you can find many different guides on the web telling you all the advice and tips that you need to know when it comes to finding a worthy contractor for your job. There are many sources that you can use to learn about how to find a worthy contractor.

Source Examples:

• Consumer Facts – Home Sweet Home Improvement – Thanks to Federal Trade Commission!
• Books – Check out your local library.
• Free Online Information – Potentially misleading.

Information can be easy to accessed. Although, you will need to be able to use your best judgement. If you feel the slightest confusion, ask someone you may know that has experience with these sort of things that you can trust.

Here is a broad chart for you to look at to match up the style and features you are wanting to your budget.

Note: If you have fallen under the Basic category, don’t fret! You can still find pretty durable cabinets. Consumer Reports tested cabinets from Mills Pride and IKEA, and they tested better than some of the more expensive brands.

As you are looking for your cabinets, you should find the ones that you want. Not what your friends’ want, not what your contractor suggests, not even what an architect suggests. Now it’s true that they could have good suggestions but do not pick cabinets solely because of them. If you do, you are twice as likely to end up having issues versus a person that was more involved in their decision.

If you spend lots of money in a cabinet be sure that it’s going into well-built drawers and guides, since these will get the most use. You may be able to get away with boxes made of particleboard instead of plywood.

Focus on features that are mostly convenient for you. Features like lazy Susan, soap and sponge holders, and deep pot drawers. Consider what is most practical for you. What may be most practical for you could also be to skip any nonessential features like glazing which can add 10-20% to the price.

Lastly, installation costs can easily be 50% of the cabinet costs – be sure to adjust your budget accordingly. You may have made a great investment into your cabinets, but the installation is just as important. A good job installing them will protect your investment by preventing warping, doors that won’t ever close or sit flush, and wall cabinets that can fall. So before you rush to get your cabinets installed be sure you follow the following tips to make sure that your investment continues to be a good investment.

1. Check references – Talk with suppliers and past customers to learn about their business practices. Ask for copies of insurance certificates too.
2. Check for credentials – Having a Certification from kitchen and bath remodeling from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry is something to not overlook. The Certification requires 5 years minimum experience and day long exam.
3. Have your plan ready! This is so that your installer can give an accurate estimation. Your estimation should include a demolition that may be required and removal of your old cabinets. (Some people do the removal themselves to save some money.)
4. If you’re using particleboard wall cabinets, have your installer reinforce the mounting strips for your wall cabinets.

When you hire a professional, you allow yourself to keep what free time you have for other important things – like your family, friends and other side projects you might have going on. With not doing the work yourself, saves you money. Why? Because if you jump into a big project without knowing exactly what your doing and having experience doing it – the mistakes can get costly. If you end up having to hire a professional to fix your mistakes can get ever MORE costly than it would of been to hire them from the beginning.

I am sure there are a few things that you can do yourself during the remodeling, like painting. If your a talented tiler, then by all means do your own tiling. With anything that you aren’t skilled at, we suggest that you hire professionals to do it.

We are skilled professionals remodeling kitchen and bathrooms – Give us a call 310-736-1856

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