Tag Archives: how to buy remodeling

How Do I Determine My Budget?

Determining a budget for your kitchen or bathroom remodel involves careful consideration of various factors. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you determine your budget:

Evaluate Your Finances: Assess your overall financial situation and determine how much you can comfortably allocate to your remodel. Consider your income, savings, and any other financial obligations or goals you have. If you will be financing your project, give yourself a financial checkup and determine what kind of payment you are comfortable with.

Consider Long-Term Value: If considering a large addition or major remodel you may want to spend some time looking at how much a house with the features you want would cost. While it’s important to establish a budget that suits your financial capacity, also consider the long-term value and return on investment (ROI) of your remodel. High-quality materials and well-executed design can increase the value of your home and potentially yield a higher return should you decide to sell in the future.

Research Average Costs: Research and gather information about average remodeling costs in your area. This will give you a rough idea of the typical price range for various aspects of the remodel, such as cabinetry, countertops, appliances, flooring, and labor.

Define Your Project Scope: Determine the scope of your kitchen or bathroom remodel. Decide whether you plan to make minor cosmetic changes, perform a partial renovation, or go for a complete overhaul. The complexity and extent of the project will impact your budget.

Prioritize Your Needs and Wants: Make a list of your priorities and must-haves for the remodel. Identify the elements that are most important to you, such as new appliances, custom cabinetry, or high-quality materials. This will help you allocate your budget accordingly.

Seek Professional Advice: If you’re unsure about setting a budget, consider consulting with a professional designer or contractor. They can provide guidance based on your goals, the condition of your kitchen or bathroom, and your desired outcomes.

Remember to be flexible and open to adjustments throughout the process. A professional contractor or designer can help you optimize your budget by suggesting alternatives, cost-saving measures, and value-engineering options that align with your vision and financial constraints.

Kopke Remodeling & Design offers consulting services, such as “Should We Move or Improve”, or simply helping you put together your budget. Give us a call at 586-777-6633 if you are ready to start the conversation!

What Do I Need for the Initial Consultation?

The most important thing for the homeowner to have is a definitive idea of what they want to accomplish with their project and a budget.

Project Goals: Prepare a list of your goals and priorities for the remodel. Identify what specific improvements or changes you want to achieve, such as increasing storage space, improving functionality, or enhancing the overall aesthetics.

Budget Guidelines: Have a clear idea of your budget range for the project. This will help the designer or contractor provide suitable recommendations within your financial boundaries.

A list of must haves and a wish list are also helpful.

If we are doing an addition you should try and locate a copy of your building plot.

It is a good idea to take a few digital pictures of the house and the areas you are considering remodeling.

Before pictures

You may also want to start a project scrapbook of pictures you find online or in magazines. Color palettes, tile patterns, layout ideas, design styles. Save anything and everything that appeals to you! This will help us get a sense of your taste, and allow us to design a project to meet your needs.

Mood board by Postbox Designs

Questions and Concerns: Jot down any questions or concerns you have about the remodel. This will ensure that you address all important topics during the consultation and gain a better understanding of the process.

In conclusion, for your initial consultation you should have an idea of your budget, your goals with the remodel, a list of must haves and a wish list, a copy of your building plot (if planning an addition), pictures of the areas you want to remodel, and any inspiration materials you have collected, such as magazine clippings, online images, or a Pinterest board. Lastly, write down any questions or concerns so we can address those right away.

The Importance of Having All Homeowners Present at the Initial Consultation

One of the objections I run into most often when setting appointments is that one homeowner or the other insists on meeting with our consultant without their spouse or significant other present.  It is not uncommon for a small debate to occur on the phone, and sometimes the potential client becomes so offended or enraged that they downright cancel the appointment!

It is a common misconception that all home improvement companies operate by preaching to a captive audience and pressuring them until they sign the contract.  So perhaps the homeowner is thinking that by meeting alone they are, in a sense, leaving themselves an “out” by keeping the “I’ll have to talk it over with my husband/wife” option close at hand.  This, however, is foolish for many reasons.

1. There is not just one price or one option to consider

If it was as simple as taking measurements and giving a price, maybe the “I’ll talk it over with my wife” approach wouldn’t be so bad.  All you would have to discuss then would be if you could afford the cost, and whether or not it is the right time to buy that new roof.  But, we have many different roof options, and when it comes to the Kitchen or Bathroom, infinitely more options to consider.

2. We are not able to address both peoples concerns

No matter how “on the same page” you and your significant other are in terms of an idealistic goal for what your new kitchen or bathroom would be like, you would be surprised at how many little things there are to consider – from hardware finish, to tile layout, even the direction the door swings in or out of the room.  The way we see it, everyone who will be using the room should have the chance to give their input.

3. It is a waste of your time

Every time we go out on a “one-legger” (as they are so often pessimistically referred to in the business) it is inevitable that we are going to go back a second time when both parties can be present.  It is probably 1 case out of 100 that the second person’s opinion is completely irrelevant in the matter.

4. Important information gets lost in translation

When we hire a new consultant, it takes months to train them on all the pros and cons of each individual type of window, type of glass, type of insulation, etc.  We would not expect our customers to retain, in an hour or two, enough to be able to intelligently explain everything to their spouse.  What happens instead is like a game of “telephone”, where information is relayed incorrectly or far less thoroughly.

5. You are not able to touch or feel the samples

This one is self-explanatory.  Have you ever bought an item after seeing only the pictures online, and when it arrived in the mail it was far different than you expected?  Have you ever gone on a date with someone after only seeing their pictures online and….well, you get the idea!!  The importance of interacting in physical space with something before you buy it is incalculable.

Although you may be available more often than your significant other and see the first meeting as a good “first step” towards completing your kitchen or bathroom remodeling project, it more often than not will lead to more confusion, more time, more misunderstandings, and more hassle than if you were to just meet with our consultant together for the first time.  Then, the three of you (or more, depending on your situation) can work as a well-oiled machine, efficient and informed, which will be better for you and for us in the long run. We are available evenings and weekends to suit your needs – Click here to choose the time that works best for you.

How to Compare Multiple Bids the Smart Way

You’ve surely heard the phrase “Comparing Apples with Oranges”.

If you change your design every time you interview a contractor and ask them to bid, then comparing their bids will be a worthless exercise.  Each contractor will be bidding on a different thing.

Avoiding this problem is obvious: have a clear detailed plan and give the same set of prints to each contractor you ask to bid.

However, even if you give ten contractors the same plans, when you receive the bids you must look further than their bottom line price.  You should not always go for low bid, assuming you will save money; or high bid, assuming you’ll get the best quality; or middle bid, assuming you’ll get the best of both worlds.  Smart comparison means reviewing exactly what you will get for your money.

For example, if one contractor takes responsibility for mistakes, and has a built-in 5% allowance for unexpected costs, their bid will naturally be higher and still be a better value.

Or a contractor might be high bid because the other contractors left out portions of the remodel on the bid, relying on charging for change orders to finish the project.

Or a contractor might be the lowest bid not because they are basing it on cheaper materials or omitting parts of the project, but because they have an original and unique solution no one else has thought of.

The thing is to be smart when you compare.  A good idea is to choose your bidding contractors by reputation and involve them in the budget.  A good contractor can help you make the correct decisions that will allow you to stay within your budget.

Why Does Remodeling Cost So Much?

My bathroom is $30,000?! Why so much? The reason it costs so much is because there is $30,000 worth of work in the job.  If we want it to cost less, what we have to do is take out some of the items that we are including.  If you go grocery shopping and the bill is high, it’s because you bought more groceries.  If you want the bill to be lower, you have to buy less.  If you buy a car and it has features that you want, you’re going to pay more for those features (a back up camera or heated-seats, for example).  So in a bathroom if you wanted to buy a heated floor, it is going to cost more than a bathroom without a heated floor.  The price is related to the purchase quantity and quality of the products.

Recently completed Clinton Township Master Bathroom

Most people do not buy a bathroom or kitchen nearly as often as they buy a car.  So people generally understand why cars cost what they cost, especially related to other cars.  Some cars are more expensive than others.  All cars take you to work, though.  When we talk about bathroom and kitchen remodeling, price is going to be reflective upon what is included.  More electrical, higher price.  More plumbing, higher price.  More expensive sink, etc.

This Sterling Heights client saved money on their Kitchen Remodel by not replacing their cabinets and just focusing on the countertops, backsplash, paint, appliances, sink, lighting, and adding electricity to the island.

Now if we are comparing proposals from one company to another and one seems to be $5,000 higher let’s say, the reason for that is most likely the salesperson’s interpretation of what you said you wanted coupled with his/her desire to get you to purchase better quality products so you won’t call back later and say there was a problem.

Some salespeople’s mentalities are more budget-oriented, while other salespeople’s mentalities are more quality-oriented (where the price ends up higher).  So depending on the personality of who you’re talking to, that person’s interpretation of what they think you should buy will be different.

Our advice is to be more clear up-front about your goals.  Do your research ahead of time, and be specific about what you want (and what you don’t want).  Then, the prices from the companies that you call in will be much closer together.  Then it is just a matter of deciding who you think you can have harmony with as a company-client relationship.  And it would be a good idea to visit their showroom, talk to some of their past customers, or just ask around – there are a lot of ways to find out about a company.  Talk with the City Hall about them getting permits, talk with the appliance suppliers, the cabinet supplier even.  Find out if they pay their bills – that will give you some idea of their business acumen along with the harmony that they have with their suppliers.  If they have good relationships, most likely it will end up to be a smooth-flowing job.

All About Countertops: Which One is Right for Me?

There are many different types of countertops that can be used in Kitchens and Bathrooms.  Everybody is always asking: “What is the BEST Countertop?”

The best is Quartz, the second best is Granite, the third best is Solid Surface Acrylic, for example Corian.  The fourth best is Hi-Definition Laminate, and the fifth would be regular laminate.

Caesarstone Quartz Countertop

That is just a general opinion from me, but that is based on experiences that my clients have given me feedback on.  Quartz is not able to be stained or scratched or damaged in any way, which makes it the best.  It comes in a wide variety of colors and always has a smooth texture.  Granite is the second best because it can be stained and it has to be sealed; it does take maintenance.  But, if you’re looking for beauty, granite is better than quartz.  You cannot beat the look of a slab of granite.  If you went into the warehouses where they store the granite to pick yours out, you would be awed by the wide variety of colors and waves of color that go through the slabs, your jaw would drop and you would pick one out that is so beautiful and just for you.  Quartz is not like that, it does not produce that jaw-dropping effect.

Slab of Granite

How hard is it to maintain the granite?  I mean, is it do-able?

It has to be sealed.  And then if you’re cooking and you have grease going on there and wine and grapes and things, you could stain your granite, especially your lighter colored granite.

Do you seal it just once, or every year?

As often as you need to.  Every 6 months is what I recommend, some do it every year, depends how much you use your countertops.  In the area where you do food prep, every 6 months would be appropriate.  You have to strip it, clean it and re-seal it.  You can buy cleaners that also seal, which is what we use at our house.

Again, Quartz is the least amount of maintenance and the most amount of durability against scratches, which are the two qualities that make it generally recognized as “the best”.

What about Wood Countertops?  Those seem to be rising in popularity.

Butcher block countertops are beautiful to look at, but they have to be sealed and are softer than stone, so they can dent and scratch (but many wood-lovers see this as adding character). There has been a myth spreading that wood countertops harbor bacteria, but wood is actually naturally anti-bacterial!

And then you have Corian type products (Solid Surface Acrylic).

Corian is very easy to scratch, all Acrylic countertops are easy to scratch.  Ebonite, Corian, Nevamar, and a whole bunch of them.  But the beauty of them is they can be worked like a piece of wood.  So you can router them, you can have inlays, you can add designs, and they are all seamless; every time they are installed there are never any seams.  The edge treatments are all formed right into the countertop. It works like a raw piece of wood as far as using tools on it, drilling holes and things like that. It’s very easy to work with which makes it a great choice if you have custom designs that you need done.  Corian is good for shower walls, it’s good for bathtub decks, it’s good for a lot of things where the weight of quartz or granite would be too cumbersome.  It has its application, and is very popular in some high-end areas just like quartz and granite; it’s about the same price.

And then your Hi-Definition Laminate is a very durable product as far as scratches, much more durable than Corian, but it has a limited life.  Moisture is the enemy of laminate.

Around the sink and in areas where there are seams, over time develops swelling of the substrate, and the counter has to be replaced probably every 7-10 years. Now it’s about one quarter of the cost, so if you want to refresh your counters once in a while, then go with Hi-Def laminate and you can change them more often.

Is that what Formica is?

Formica is a brand of plastic laminate.  They’re all the same: Formica, Nevamar, Wilsonart, a few others.

So when would you recommend using laminate?  Isn’t that what we have in our basement around the bar area?

Yes we do.  We used a Hi-Definition plastic laminate, looks like granite, has a texture to it, it is very durable, looks beautiful.

Formica Laminate Countertop

Because I’ve seen some new ones that even look like stone.

Yeah that’s because they have rounded edges or beveled edges, they look like stone.

And you don’t have to worry so much about your every move, whether or not you will stain it.

They can’t be stained.  Very difficult to stain laminate, but they can be cracked with a hot pan.  But then again you shouldn’t put a hot pan on anything.

That’s what a lot of people ask me on the phone, which countertop they should get.  They think they want to put their hot pans on them.  Would you recommend doing that, even on quartz?

Well you can! You can put a hot pan on anything.  What you’re risking is something called Rapid Thermal Expansion which will cause  a thermal crack.  So, when something is really hot it expands quickly.  If the countertop is part cold and part hot because you put something on it, it might crack.  No one is going to provide a warranty against the cracking of any countertop.

So it’s a crack we should be worried about, not a black circle burn mark or anything like that?

Right.  You can’t burn granite, you can’t burn quartz.  Corian can be scotch-brighted and the burn comes right off- you can’t burn through the surface.  You can burn the surface, with a cigarette or something, but it will come right off.  Laminate, if you put a hot pan on that, it pops the glue, and makes a bubble in the surface or cracks.  The limit really is about 325º for anything going on the counter.  Anything more than that, you’re in danger of cracking.  Or even boiling water.  If you pour boiling water into a Corian sink you can crack it.  That’s only 212º.  So I guess it would probably be best to use hot pads all the time.  You wouldn’t want to take the chance.

So there are different applications for all of the different counters, it depends on the abuse it’s going to go through, and the amount of upkeep you are willing to do.  Laminate is a lot less expensive, and it’s come a long way. Stop by our showroom any time to look at the hundreds of samples we have of all the different styles of countertops!  Kopke Remodeling & Design, located at 38200 Van Dyke Ave., Sterling Heights, MI 48312.

[This post was written by me through a conversation with my Dad (Dave Kopke) in 2013]