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Dividing Your Kitchen Remodeling Project into Phases

One husband and wife team who were the subject of a local home improvement cable program needed to update their kitchen. However, being newlyweds, and with jobs that didn’t pay well, funds were scarce.

Dividing Your Kitchen Remodeling Project into Phases 

At times, a family budget simply cannot accommodate a large home remodeling project like an entire kitchen, all at once. For instance, one husband and wife team who were the subject of a local home improvement cable program needed to update their kitchen. However, being newlyweds, and with jobs that didn’t pay well, funds were scarce. Hence, the couple went to local hardware stores and shopped online, and here’s what they found.

1) Since the credit history of this man and woman was excellent, options were readily available for them to apply for financing. The credit card and other financial payment terms were not too bad: zero interest in some cases for up to 6 months and even more, no cancellation fees for early payments, etc.

2) Well crafted materials and furnishings often came with hefty pricing, however, ecommerce (online) specials made purchases more adaptable for their budget.

3) Of the multiple awesome kitchen choices out there today, for instance, cherry kitchen cabinets that even boasted removable shelving slats, making them adjustable to accommodate a variety of storage needs, many were just what they had hoped for with their remodeling needs. The easy-to-clean cabinets’ feature was excellent, too, fitting in with their lack of time for kitchen clean up.

4) Shopping online for accessories, chair cover fabrics and more was an option, too, to coordinate everything with the new kitchen cabinets. The couple even found pan utensil wracks, moveable storage carts, energy saving appliances and much more. With the ability to mix-and-match items in ecommerce cart, online stores allowed both the man and woman plenty shopping ability.

After all the research, the couple actually decided to choose and pay only what they could afford at that time: new kitchen cabinet knobs. Not as inexpensive as these knobs may seem X 20 (one per cabinet), the total didn’t need to go on a credit card. Plus once the purchase was paid for, the man and wife were able to immediately make charges to their kitchen that same day the knobs arrived. Phase one: buying the best thing that fits in the budget now.

Phase two came next, purchasing the cabinets over time with installment payments. Then came phase three: purchasing the appliances over an extended term (longer contract).

In conclusion, for those checking around for aid with kitchen or other remodeling plans of granite countertops plan ahead in ‘phases’ for optimum results.

First Person Perspective from a Home Remodeler: How I Saved 30% on My Master Bathroom Remodel

After more than a decade of staring at the pink cracked bathtub, stained carpet and boring beige shower tile in my master bathroom, I finally decided to gut and remodel the space as a 40^th birthday present to myself. My “Pink Palace” thankfully would be no more, and I envisioned (with help from an interior designer and years of home improvement magazine reading ) a modern, Zen respite from the harried world in which I found myself. That feeling of bliss and relaxation abruptly ended when I saw the projected cost of the remodel.

Four decades on this earth had taught me not to take “no” where my dreams were concerned, and this bathroom was my dream I was intent on making into reality. I knew there was no cutting costs on some goods and services in my remodel (electricians, dumpster rental) but plenty of other items could be found at a lower cost without sacrificing quality. All was possible if I just put in a little of my own legwork.

I had hired a designer who was a friend I trusted because I knew I wouldn’t be intimidated when I went head to head on costs. Designers love pretty stuff, and by that I mean pretty expensive stuff, but they also realize they’d rather have a paying job that nets them less than no job at all. Here’s are some ways I saved 30% off the final cost of my master bath remodel:

Faucets: My double vanity required two sets of faucets, and the original Italian brand faucets came in at close to $1000! I went to Home Depot and asked two employees in the plumbing department if there was a huge difference in quality and performance between the originals and the mid-range price point brand ones like Price Pfister. They told me no, and the Price Pfister ones had a lifetime warranty to boot. Done, and I save $700.

Flooring: The glossy black porcelain floor tile that looked exactly like wood planks undeniably was gorgeous, but the $5/square foot price tag the to-the-trade flooring showroom was charging wasn’t. I also was very concerned with the glossiness leading to slipperiness, something that would take away from the peaceful retreat I was pining for. I found a slightly lighter color porcelain plank at a local home improvement store for pennies over $2/square foot! Decision made, $500 saved, and I haven’t slipped once!

Granite Remnants: I knew I wanted to replace the beige 80’s era tile in my kitchen with granite remnants and granite countertops. I found the perfect contractor to do this job and I couldn’t be more happier.

Chandelier: One of the items I would not cut out of my design was the chandelier I wanted hanging over the tub. The $1200 crystal one my designer chose was stunning, but it could not be. I searched online and found a more gender-neutral (good for resale value) polished chrome double tier light for $160. Let there be light, and a $1,100 savings!

Medicine Cabinets: Though my entire bathroom is absolutely stunning, the first thing I point out to people taking a tour of my house are my two Cape Cod-style mirrored built in medicine chests above the sinks. I ask them to guess how much they thought they cost – and the answers range from $200 to $400. I tell them that the medicine cabinet on the left side was $20 after my local Target clearanced its bathroom furniture and the one on the right was $8 because Target ran an additional sale on top of that! I purchased these items three years before I even considered doing a remodel, so it goes to show that if you have the room to store items, buy them. My designer loved these much more than the plain non-medicine chest framed mirrors she selected and which cost over $500 for the pair. Savings: $472!

There you have it! I got my dream bathroom and for about eight hours of legwork, I saved close to $8,000. Don’t let an estimated cost of a remodel stop you before your dream bathroom (or kitchen or backyard) can be turned into a reality.

If you are looking for granite remnants in Phoenix, AZ – Please call AZ granite & Remodeling Today at (602) 759-9000.

My Full Rental Property Remodel

Real estate is the best and most dependable way to bring in consistent income. Having an infinite cash supply makes real estate simple, but for those of us in the real world, a little elbow grease can be used to make up for a shortfall in cash.

I recently undertook a complete remodel of a rental property purchased at a short sale. This property located in Fairfield, California, was structurally sound but needed a complete cosmetic makeover after the previous tenants completely trashed the premises. However, it did allow me to acquire the three-bedroom, two-bathroom property at a low price.

Everything from the carpets, cabinets and bathroom fixtures needed to be replaced. The first major task was getting rid of everything and getting the property to a blank slate. One common mistake is attempting to save everything possible. Don’t. Stained carpets, and chipped cabinets cannot be fixed, their flaws can merely be hidden but in the end isn’t worth the time or the effort.

On average, with mid-grade finishes, labor costs as much or even more than materials. Do it yourself obviously reduces labor costs, but certainly can increase stress and hassle. Relax, if possible. Setting unrealistic deadlines, or too lofty of goals can only make things worse. Know what you’re capable of, and don’t over extend yourself too much.

The kitchen needed to be completely redone including an entire new suite of appliances and new cabinets. Shopping for appliances online saved me more than 25 percent and buying disassembled cabinets cut the price in half. The kitchen was actually quite straightforward after a few minor plumbing fixes.

Same with kitchen appliances, buying bathroom fixtures and vanities online saves a bundle, and are usually pretty easy to put in. Redoing two bathrooms with tiling and paint was less than $5,000. The only issue was installing the new bathtub, which had to be taken through the wall instead of the door. Only a small amount of demolition and drywall was needed to complete both bathrooms.

The entire property, save for the bathrooms and kitchen were carpeted. I opted to replace the carpet in the bedrooms, but install hardwood flooring in the living and dining rooms. Once again, buying online yielded great results, as I found strong bamboo flooring for only $2 a square foot. Installation took more than three days of long tiring work, but the floor looked tremendous afterwards and was incredibly cheap considering the quality of the material.

Painting was the final step to complete the project. For that, I did hire a friend to tackle the brunt of it, as my energy was running thin. Since I was under budget from my frugal online shopping, the paint job got the benefit, and it turned out fantastic.

All in all, the entire remodel took more than 8 months and $40,000, but it made an unlivable rental unit into one of the nicest in the entire neighborhood.

Tackling construction projects on one’s own can be difficult, but incredibly rewarding once they reach completion.

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