The Process & Requirements For Producing A Realistic Cost For A Kitchen Or Bath Remodel

When considering remodeling a kitchen or a bathroom, I would imagine it’s safe to say that most people spend a lot of time considering certain things before they jump right into a decision. Such questions may be: “What do I want to change most about my kitchen or bath, and why? How much will it cost? Is it worth the investment? How long does the remodeling process take?”… You may also seek advice from a friend, or neighbor who has renovated or remodeled their home to see what their experience was like… Or reach out to a design/build firm such as ourselves for consultation in which we would be glad to have a conversation to help you get a better idea of what is involved.

One thing we at HomeTech Renovations, Inc. have noticed in our years of experience is that each and every kitchen or bathroom is unique to the client… as it should be. Of course every kitchen needs a sink, a dishwasher, a refrigerator etc. and every bathroom needs a toilet, a shower, etc. So there is a bottom line. Although, the space-plan, material selections, and other design options will always vary in a plethora of ways. This is mainly based on your personal preference, hence why there is no “one price” for a brand new kitchen or bath. For example: If you were to ask an architect: “How much for one new house?”, obviously the answer would not be that simple. “Well, how many bedrooms do you need? How many bathrooms? Would you like a basement, a garage, a pool, a social space?” Having said that, we don’t know what it will cost until we know what you want; and you won’t know necessarily know what you want until you know what you’re options are. This is why we put the time in to work closely with you to get realistic costs based on a design of your approval, and material selections of your choice.

Our process may seem simple and we keep it that way for you, the customer, as our main priority… but a lot goes on behind the scenes that most potential customers don’t see.

1. Initial Consultation

We want to get as good as an idea of what you want as possible so we can provide you a particular aesthetic value consistent with personal vision, so obviously there is some work involved…quite frankly, on our end, a good amount of work involved. This all begins with an initial consultation at your home to see your space, hear your needs, and assess how much of an investment is necessary for your home, considering the other homes in your neighborhood as well. From there we would take existing conditions measurements, and do a mechanical analysis of your infrastructure to see what our limitations may or may not be. Once we have this information, we can begin to redesign your space based on your needs. Depending on the project, this can take one or two hours or as many as eight to ten. We also work with you along the way to update you so you have the option to make revisions and provide you with realistic 3D renderings so you can visually see what it could potentially look like. The beauty of the process is that it is a team effort between the client and the designer. We may make suggestions, but at the end of the day it’s your home and we respect that, so any input is more than welcome. Once we finalize a design, we can start to understand how much fixed items will cost such as cabinetry, and the amount of demolition and remodeling necessary.

 

Example of a Kitchen Plan

2. Materials Selection

The next step in any process is to pick out materials of your preference based on the pre-established design. You may prefer a ceramic or porcelain subway tile, while another may insist they have that highly ornate glass mosaic tile; each at complete opposite ends of the cost spectrum. This is a prime example of why we don’t know what it’s going to cost, until we know what it’s going to cost. Same goes for plumbing fixtures, appliances, countertops, etc. You could pick out a $150 sink faucet, or a $1,500 sink faucet. Our jobs as designers is also to try our best to keep you within your budget (if you have one) and steer you away from products that may be out of it. We don’t want to over design, but we don’t want to under design either.

 

Example of Kitchen Remodel Rendering

3. Itemized List

Now that we have spent time with you designing, and revising your space, laying out and quoting your cabinet plan, picking out plumbing fixtures, stone, tile, etc. and cross checking it over and over again… we can start to gather your quoted information, and add up the cost, also inclusive of any engineering, labor, demolition and remodeling necessary. At this point, we now have all the information we need to provide you with an itemized list based on actual figures. This gives you an opportunity to see where you’re spending your money, as well as an opportunity to make a decision whether or not you want to change any of it. It’s up to your personal priorities as to what aspect you would prefer to invest most. You may notice a significant amount of your budget is going to one area, and maybe you want to reel that back a little bit and invest it back into another area, such as going for the nicer appliance package, or having that higher level countertop you looked at.

 

Final Product Of Kitchen Remodel

With that being said, HomeTech Renovations, Inc. as a company makes it a priority to be as thorough as possible with our clients and budgeting process to reach customer expectations. We do not

prefer to guess what your kitchen or bathroom could cost, and especially prefer to base the cost on your wants and needs, as well as considering the cost vs. value of your home. A lot of work goes into finding that magic number that works best for you, and we hope that you appreciate the time it takes, as we appreciate your patience.

Interested to learn more about how we can assist with your kitchen or bath remodel? Contact us online to schedule an appointment or call us at 215-646-7477 for a complimentary evaluation. We service the greater Philadelphia area, including Montgomery County PA, and Bucks County PA.

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