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When I remodeled the kitchen at my old house three and a half years ago, I would have LOVED to use an independent dealer, but they were WAY more expensive than Home Depot. I didn't need their design services, as I designed it myself; the Home Depot kitchen person (who actually was very helpful) tweaked it due to some clearances that I couldn't tell from the Kraftmaid product info.
Desertsun41, I know you hate HD, but for some of us, they were WAY less expensive than anyone else in our area. Your scenario does not describe at all my experiences. I know you say where you live HD charges full list price, but that makes no sense at all to me -- where I live, they had more off list than anyone else, PLUS other promotions going on, and you could combine them all.
Well, now, there's a skewed survey if I ever saw one! LOL
I want someone I who'll make things right if they go wrong. That would probably be #1, and maybe #2 if they were eager enough to satisfy the customer, get a good reference, and build their business.
I also want someone who won't lecture me about the unpopularity of white cabinets!
Actually, it makes me feel like hurling. LOL
Don't worry, I would not do that to you......or anyone. As a matter of fact, I don't even get the opportunity to ever be put into the position to lecture about white cabinets. I am thankful for that.
When I remodeled the kitchen at my old house three and a half years ago, I would have LOVED to use an independent dealer, but they were WAY more expensive than Home Depot. I didn't need their design services, as I designed it myself; the Home Depot kitchen person (who actually was very helpful) tweaked it due to some clearances that I couldn't tell from the Kraftmaid product info.
Desertsun41, I know you hate HD, but for some of us, they were WAY less expensive than anyone else in our area. Your scenario does not describe at all my experiences. I know you say where you live HD charges full list price, but that makes no sense at all to me -- where I live, they had more off list than anyone else, PLUS other promotions going on, and you could combine them all.
Maybe just maybe.........the independent dealer was just so over priced that HD seemed cheap? All those stores use the same price structure and run the same specials at the same time. It don't matter where I am or been.
Whatever the case what's most important is that your kitchen turned out well and you are happy with it and the service you got.
$7,000 -- Home Depot. Fully constructed cabinets. Mid-range quality.
$5,000 -- Internet website with good reputation. Neighbors have the cabinets. They're beautiful. Higher quality cabinets than the other two, but you have to build them yourselves.
We're going with the big box store since we decided we don't want the hassle of building our own cabinets.
As far as customer service, my flooring search has been the opposite too.
In the big box stores, people readily answer my questions.
In the independent supplier showrooms, I'm getting attitude from a interior designer who must have graduated the lowest in her class.
That $5000 kitchen that are RTA are not quality by even a Walmart shopper. Refer to my post on Chinese cabinets. You're no dummy, come on now.
And if the same kitchen cost $9000 at the big box store then the RTA China made should be more like $2000, not 5000. You'll end up glowing in the dark from the toxins too.
Subscribe and use Angie's list for making this choice. Also, ask for references. And check the local BBB. Find out if the contractors are members of their professional associations. In other words, do due diligence before plunking down your money. And never pay all in advance.
I have a friend who has a large kitchen that needed a remodel. She hired a local cabinet maker (who had been in business many years and had a sterling reputation) - to make her cabinets - they were absolutely superb and custom - nothing about them was stock. The island they built was amazing. I took her to a couple of granite warehoues and we found fabulous granite - non-busy - one of the nicest I've every seen and like nothing I had ever seen. Her husband laid the flooring and did the backsplash - he was expert at that....she bought new appliances and had them installed.....and she ended up with a kitchen that was truly fabulous and one that should could have never duplicated had she gone the big-box store route...her kitchen was truly custom.
A little before my friend's remodel, I hired a kitchen design firm to gut and redo my kitchen - my kitchen was about 1/3 smaller than my friend's. I spent $10,000 more on my kitchen than she did on hers.
Subscribe and use Angie's list for making this choice. Also, ask for references. And check the local BBB. Find out if the contractors are members of their professional associations. In other words, do due diligence before plunking down your money. And never pay all in advance.
Angie Hicks is a failure. She tried to duplicate the massive success of Craigslist business model and failed. Then she started this ridicules contractor referral service and that failed. All others who tried this failed too, except for Service Magic but there is not a Contractor alive who would say anything good about them cause they ripped them off. It's a scam but that's another post.
Anyone can have a friend recommend them into Angie's list. From there you can buy your way up the ladder. If you keep paying Angie you will never get a bad rating.........published that is. The day you you pull out then all of a sudden negative reviews start showing up.
Shame on anyone who believes and trust these clowns. Not much better then the BBB. Another private organization for profit. Any contractor can buy their way into the BBB for $400 (unless it went up again) and can buy position for more and more money.
These organizations work like the Church of Scientology for those of you who know how that cult scam works.
Well I don't think I would try to draw too many parallels between Angie's List and the Church of Scientology (one reason being they both have access to good law firms...) but I do agree the value of a real referral from someone that you know is way higher than the often hard to pin down ratings of online sites -- I know in Chicago there are wide variations in the kinds of contractors that get "pushed up" in certain neighborhoods were lots of Angie's list folks get special rates and a wasteland in many other parts of the region...
Honestly any good real estate agent ought to have some experince with the firms that have done first rate remodels and those that have disaappointed , so too is it true that when a coworker has work downe for them the greatest thanks they can give that contrractor is to share the good name with others. Pretty simple but effective way to grow businesses.
Well I don't think I would try to draw too many parallels between Angie's List and the Church of Scientology (one reason being they both have access to good law firms...) but I do agree the value of a real referral from someone that you know is way higher than the often hard to pin down ratings of online sites -- I know in Chicago there are wide variations in the kinds of contractors that get "pushed up" in certain neighborhoods were lots of Angie's list folks get special rates and a wasteland in many other parts of the region...
Honestly any good real estate agent ought to have some experince with the firms that have done first rate remodels and those that have disaappointed , so too is it true that when a coworker has work downe for them the greatest thanks they can give that contrractor is to share the good name with others. Pretty simple but effective way to grow businesses.
Funny funny, good point chet. I was trying to think of some sort of another example where one can buy your way to the top. The Church of Scientology you have to keep giving them money for new information to find the ultimate space monster called Xenu or whatever his name is. With Angie's list you have to keep on paying more and more extortion fees to keep your good standing as a contractor. The day you get fed up and tell them what they can do with their fees, suddenly bad reviews start showing up on your name.
Currently there are some lawsuits against this fake phony organization with claims like the bad reviews against them are from people they never even heard of. I believe Angie is going down on this and the truth will be exposed. But like you said chet, these fake organizations have access to one thing, lots and lots of dirty money which gives them access to real good law firms.
The best referrals are from the church bulletin ads, friends, neighbors and your own gut instinct of those you interviewed. In that order. That is the short of it.
Oh boy the c*** is getting deep in this thread. Here we go again!
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